Festive Season Bin Tips

Along with the fun festivities during the holiday season comes a huge increase in household waste where bins are experiencing the flow on effect of increased shopping and parties. We are seeing more waste and more bins overflowing with rubbish and recycling.  



To help everyone get their waste under control and bin lid shut this holiday season, here are our top 5 bin tips.

1. Reduce & compost your food waste

During the festive season, family and friends come together with lots of food and drinks. Even during our off-peak periods, food waste already makes up about half of our garbage bin. With a little bit of planning, small changes to how we store food, or getting creative with leftovers, we can all make a huge difference in reducing food waste. For those unavoidable food waste, you can dispose of in a compost bin or a worm farm to create a free and nutritious fertilizer for your garden. Check out www.compostrevolution.com.au for online tutorials and discounted composting products to suit your needs. Alternatively, check out www.sharewaste.com to see which nearby community garden or neighbour with composting bins could use your food waste. 

2. Recycle right

Christmas decorations, tinsels, lights, foil, cellophane and plastic wrapping paper and Styrofoam are not accepted in the yellow-lidded recycling bin. Only packaging items like bottles, cans, jars, paper & cardboard (must be flattened) can go into your yellow-lidded recycling bin. Things like clothes, e-waste and problem wastes like gas bottles and paint are not accepted in the yellow-lidded bin and need to be recycled elsewhere. For more info, visit https://www.cityofparramatta.nsw.gov.au/living/recycle-right or look out for the Australian Recycling Label on item packaging for recycling recommendations. https://recyclingnearyou.com.au/arl/

3. Fit more into your yellow-lidded recycling bin

Flatten and cut up your bulky cardboard into smaller pieces before putting it into the recycling bin. Flatten all milk cartons and plastic/aluminium drink containers. If you have still have excess, put things like cardboard aside for the next collection in fortnight’s time.

4. Recycle your bulky cardboard separately

You can drop off your bulky cardboard at one of the Waste and Recycling Centres to recycle for free. Book a Council clean-up for your bulky cardboard (waiting time could be around 4 weeks during the festival period). If you have a compost bin at home, you can also tear it up and mix into the compost.