COVID-19 Waste Information and Tips

Similar to Christmas holidays, we understand the family is spending more time at home and you may be generating more food waste or recycling, so we have included some tips and ideas below to help you during periods of isolation.

Tips on Reducing Your Waste and Recycling

Recyclables

• Tissues, cardboard, shredded paper, and paper hand towels & napkins can all go into your FOGO bin. Just remove all the plastic labels and tape first from cardboard
• Empty hand sanitiser bottles can go into your recycling bin, just take off the lids and they can go into your general waste bin along with any used disinfectant wipe
• Use washed takeaway containers as stackable containers for frozen food
• Use glass jars to store food or other items, or pass them on to friends or groups who make jams

Soft Plastics

• Plastic bags and soft plastics, including pasta and rice bags, shopping bags, net bags, cling and bubble wrap can be dropped in a REDcycle bin located at most major supermarkets. You may need to store these so place them in a reusable shopping bag to take to the store with you. For more information visit www.redcycle.net.au

Food

• Check what’s in the fridge before going shopping, write a shopping list and plan your next meals around what needs to be eaten. Put things in the freezer if you aren’t able to eat them soon
• Use the Foodwise Recipe Finder to help you use up food that you already have in your kitchen and fridge
• Look at clever ways to reuse items – i.e. games or crafts for the kids to keep them entertained at home
• Resist the temptation to buy two food items for the price of one unless it can be frozen or has a long shelf-life
• A lot of packaging can be avoided or recycled. Fresh food doesn't need packaging and can be placed in your own reusable bags. Rigid (hard) plastics, tins, paper, foil and clean pie trays, cardboard and drink containers can all go in your recycling bin

Avoid

• Avoid single-use, disposable packaging, for example: plastic bags and wrap, and polystyrene
• Use reusable food containers, lunch boxes, water/drink bottles, straws and beeswax wraps
• When purchasing large appliances or bulky items, ask the retailer to take away the packaging from the new item
• Avoid disposable coffee pods or capsules. You can use refillable coffee capsules that you can continue to fill with your favourite coffee blends
• Avoid junk mail. Place or make a 'No advertising material' or 'No junk mail' label on your letterbox

Clothing

• Donate unwanted clothing and other goods in reasonable condition to non-profit organisations, charity stores or charity clothing bins
• Option to use 'modern cloth nappies' for reusable, washable nappies made from modern fabrics which are shaped to fit like disposable nappies

Reuse and Repurpose

• Check out creative ways to reuse and repurpose your recyclables this Easter below!
• Use rechargeable batteries
• Become a 'green cleaner' and make your own environmentally-friendly household cleaning products, for example: all-purpose cleaner, clothes and dishwashing liquids
• Join a buy, sell or swap group and offer items that you no longer want to keep, but might be useful to someone else in the community - and consider checking these groups before looking at buying a brand new item

COVID-19 Waste Frequently Asked Questions