Even if you’re using your Keep Cup every day and always carrying a reusable shopping bag, there are still ways to improve your green credentials.

The average Australian family produces enough rubbish every year to fill a three-bedroom house – that’s around 2.25kg of waste created every day,[i] it’s important to recycle correctly, so that our waste isn’t, er, wasted. So what should go where? Follow our easy guide.

Household Furniture

Not all rubbish can be left at the kerb. Investigate the use of specific waste boxes, which allow you to recycle everything from cigarette butts to chewing gum, party decorations or outdoor furniture.

E-waste

If you’re like us, you probably have broken or outdated mobile phones, laptops or printers lying around the home. According to research, just 20 per cent of global e-waste is recycled each year, meaning 40 million tonnes are either placed in landfill, burned or illegally traded and treated in a sub-standard way.[ii] The good news is that you can recycle your old e-products,  through companies such as TechCollect or Mobile Muster, who’ll accept your old and forgotten gadgets.

Cardboard packaging

Before you throw out that cardboard, bottle or packet, rinse and clean them as thoroughly as possible so that any leftovers don’t leak onto other contains or bottles. And be aware that not all products are recyclable. For example, pizza boxes are made of cardboard, but the grease from the pizza is a contaminant and cannot be separated from the paper fibres during the pulping process. This could lead to an entire batch of reusable paper being thrown into landfill. Follow this list to double check.

Beauty packaging

Consider how your recycling products can raise funds for your school or favourite charity. Burt’s Bees has partnered with TerraCycle to allow you to ship your branded personal care, lip care and beauty care packaging  to them free of charge. For every shipment over one kilogram sent to TerraCycle, collectors earn $1 towards their nominated Australian school or charity. Visit https:terracycle.com/burts-bees-recycle-on-us-au to find out more about Burt’s Bees Recycle on Us initiative.

ENDS

[i] Ha, Tanya, 2009, Green Stuff for Kids, Melbourne University Press, Victoria, Australia.

[ii] https://techcollect.com.au/second-international-e-waste-day-aims-to-raise-public-awareness-of-e-waste/