As far as household chores go, it seems Wyndham residents are rubbish at getting rid of their waste properly.
The average Wyndham recycling bin ends up almost a quarter full of items that cannot be recycled, new Wyndham council data reveals.
Meanwhile, the average household garbage bin contains 14 per cent of recyclable packaging.
Placing recyclables inside a plastic bag and putting food waste or garden waste in the recycling bin were the most common recycling mistakes made by residents, it found.
The council has developed a new waste and litter recycling guide in the lead-up to National Recycling Week, which starts next Monday, to help residents reduce the amount of waste going from households to landfill.
Wyndham council chief executive Kelly Grisgby said improved recycling habits would help the city reach its plan of diverting 90 per cent of the city’s waste from landfill by 2040.
“If we can ensure that everyone knows which items they can and cannot recycle, then we will be taking an important step towards improving and protecting our local environment,” Ms Grigsby said.
As reported by Star Weekly, the council will also reduce the size of residential waste wheelie bins from 140 litres in capacity to 120 litres in coming years. At the same time the size of recycling bins will increase to 360 litres.
In June, the council joined forces with Wyndham LitterWatch and other community groups to encourage residents and traders to recycle soft plastics via special bins set up at community centres.
Wyndham LitterWatch’s Harry van Moorst said the program aims to get soft plastics out of normal recycling bins.
Check out the new recycling guide here
