What can I recycle?

The 240L green recycling bin is for your loose recycling items (ie paper, cardboard, steel and aluminium cans, milk and juice cartons, glass bottles and jars and most plastic containers). All recyclables collected are sorted by hand at the Albany Materials Recovery Facility on Hanrahan Road. This facility is not able to process plastic bags of any description, so it is very important that you do not ‘bag’ your recyclables before placing them in the bin. Flatten cardboard and give bottles and jars a quick rinse and remove lids prior to placing them loosely in the bin ready for collection. This advice is the same for those residents that do not receive a kerbside collection and deposit their recyclables in the large collection bins at each of the transfer stations.

The following link and guidelines will help you understand what can and can’t be recycled in the Shire of Plantagenet:

Paper, magazines, cardboard and cartons
No waxed cardboard
Remember to flatten cardboard boxes and carton
Plastic bottles and containers if numbered 1, 2, 3 and 5.
No plastic bags, plastic food wrapping or cling film or polystyrene foam
Remember to give all bottles a quick rinse and remove lids
Steel and aluminium cans
No other metal household items such as car parts wire or gas bottes
Remember to rinse off any food and remove the plastic lids and nozzles
Glass jars and bottles
No other glass products e.g. crockery, ceramics, glasses, window glass or light globes
Remember to give them a quick rinse and remove lids

The following items CANNOT be placed in the recycling bin:

Household food scraps – if you have chickens give this to them, or put it in your compost bin.
Clothing and toys – if these are still in good order, donate them, sell them or drop them off to the O’Neill Rd tip shop.
Needles and syringes – these MUST be placed in an official sharps container, which is securely closed, and placed in the household rubbish bin.
Crockery, ceramics and porcelain – if they are not broken consider donating them, selling them or dropping them off to the O’Neill Rd tip shop. Wrap all broken items in newspaper and place it in the household rubbish bin.
Animal waste and kitty litter – wrap them up and place them into the household rubbish bin.
Nappies – wrap them up and place them into the household rubbish bin.
Polystyrene – place this in the household rubbish bin.
Rubber and leather – place this in the household rubbish bin.
Timber – drop off to your nearest transfer station that accepts greenwaste.

Garden refuse, clippings, mulch and leaves – these can be reused as mulch on your garden or placed in home compost bins, or dropped off to your nearest transfer station that accepts uncontaminated greenwaste.

Only steel and aluminium cans, and clean foil rolled into a ball of at least 5cm, should go in your yellow-lidded kerbside Recycling bin. Please DO NOT put other metal items in your Recycling bin, as they can damage machinery in the recycling facility and pose a hazard to staff.

Drop off other metals items like saucepans, washing machines, and even stainless steel appliances at the Tip Shop at Mount Barker Waste Management Facility on O’Neill Road for re-using if they are in usable order, or dispose of in the Scrap Metal pile where they will be recycled by metal recyclers.

It is important to make sure that only recyclable items are paced in the recycling bin. Placing incorrect items in the bin is called ‘contamination’. Contamination causes problems during the sorting phase, after collection. It also affects the ability of the item to be processed into a new product. In some cases, just a few contaminated bins can ruin an entire truckload and result in it all going to landfill. Make sure your efforts count – RECYCLE RIGHT!!

Your recycling in action

All recycling that is picked up as a part of the kerbside collections or that is dropped off by residents at the transfer stations is processed at the Albany Material Recovery Facility (MRF). The video below shows what happens to these recyclable materials once they reach the MRF. If you would like to see some more of the MRF in action and learn more about how to help Cleanaway maximise the waste that they recycle call Cleanaway on 1300 784 468 to arrange a tour.

Other recycling programs

Printer cartridges - All types and brands of cartridges can be recycled via the ‘Cartridges 4 Planet Ark’ recycling box located at the Mount Barker Post Office at 51 Lowood Road.

Batteries - All common alkaline batteries and the NiCad, NiMH or Li-ion rechargeable batteries can be recycled. A battery collection box is kept in the front desk area of the Administration office on Lowood Road. Batteries can also be handed to the tip operators at each of the transfer stations.

Mobile Phones – All mobile phones, mobile phone batteries, handsets, accessories and charges can be recycled as a part of the Mobile Muster program. A Mobile Muster collection box is kept in the front desk area of the Administration office on Lowood Road.

Please click here for the 2023 - 2024 Recycling Calendar