FROM REDLAND CITY COUNCIL
Redlands Coast residents are encouraged to ensure they make the nice list this year when it comes to recycling and reducing waste during the festive season.
The December to January period is traditionally the peak time for household waste generation, particularly with packaging materials and food scraps.
More than 4551 tonnes of household waste went to landfill from kerbside waste bins and Council’s recycling and waste centres in December 2023, and a further 5353 tonnes of household waste went into landfill in January this year. That means each person on Redlands Coast generated an average of 31 kg waste to landfill each month over this period.
This is 15 per cent more than the average monthly amount over the rest of the year.
Recent audits show that more than half of what ends up in landfill from household red-lid waste bins can be recycled or composted, so Council also encourages residents to ensure they place their waste in the correct kerbside bins.
Recycling can start before Christmas by choosing items that have less packaging, meal planning, using alternatives to single-use wrapping paper and not over-buying. Households can also reduce garden organics going to landfill by getting a green waste bin and composting food waste at home.
There are a number of resources available to help residents manage waste and recycling, so it becomes just another tradition to follow each Christmas.
Visit Council’s online ‘A-Z guide of waste and recycling’ on Council’s website or download the Recycle Mate app (from the Apple App or Google Play store) for a handy pocket guide on how to recycle right.
Twelve tips for festive season recycling:
- Stock up on rechargeable batteries and remember – batteries don’t belong in any bin; they only belong in a B-cycle battery recycling bin.
- Compost food scraps from Christmas lunch – Council offers a subsidy for a wide variety of compost bins.
- Wrapping paper (excluding tissue paper and cellophane) can go in the yellow recycling bin, or keep it and reuse next year or for craft activities.
- Use Santa sacks or practise the art of furoshiki to reduce the amount of wrapping paper.
- Cardboard boxes and hard plastic packaging go in the recycling bin.
- Put Christmas cards in the recycling bin or cut up to make gift cards for next year.
- Tinsel, twine, ribbon and string can’t be recycled and need to go in your red-lid bin or reuse for future gifts.
- Polystyrene can’t be recycled in your yellow lid recycling bin and needs to go in your red-lid bin.
- Cellophane and other soft plastics like bubble wrap cannot be recycled.
- Scrunch up aluminium foil covering leftovers to the size of your fist and put in your recycling bin.
- Empty bottles and cans go in the recycling bin, or take them to a Containers for Change refund point.
- Consider buying a real tree this year instead of a plastic one.
