How to Recycle in the City of Sydney
A practical guide with Gemma Dawson, Waste Strategy Manager at the City of Sydney
This article is part of Circular Sydney, ReCo’s initiative to empower sustainable businesses, supported by the City of Sydney Knowledge Exchange grant. See how it came to life in our case study.
, City of Sydney
Written by
, Myra Mow
, Danling Xiao
Image: City of Sydney
Summary
Recycling rules change from council to council, which is why so much ends up in the wrong bin. Gemma Dawson, Waste Strategy Manager at the City of Sydney, answers the questions residents actually ask: what happens to a contaminated load, why broken glass and drinking glasses are not recyclable, what to do with part-full containers and aerosols, and why a single battery can send an entire truck to landfill.
What this interview covers
How to recycle and manage waste at home?
What happens if you put the wrong item in the recycle bins?
How to recycle broken glass bottles and jars?
How to recycle containers and aerosol cans that are not emptied?
Can I recycle pizza boxes?
Are bioplastic and compostable plastic products recyclable?
Where can I learn more about how to recycle?
Recycling practices vary by council and location. Following our first interview, we asked Gemma Dawson, Waste Strategy Manager at the City of Sydney, about how to recycle in the City of Sydney.
If you’re a City of Sydney resident, here are some recommended recycling guidelines to follow.
If hazardous items like batteries are put in the yellow bin, they can spark and cause fires in the trucks when they compact the waste.
Gemma Dawson, Waste Strategy Manager, City of Sydney
How to recycle and manage waste at home?
Reduce and reuse. Be mindful of your purchasing decisions. Bring your own reusable shopping bags and containers. Decline unnecessary bags, straws and packaging.
Compost your garden waste and food waste. Learn about at-home composting. If you don’t have space, compost at your local community garden, or connect with neighbours who compost on ShareWaste.
Use the City’s collection and recycling services. Explore our website to learn about our services. Almost everything that ends up in the bin has a collection service.
Prevent contamination in recycling bins. Learn about our recycling guidelines. For tricky items, you can ask our waste virtual assistant or expert.
What happens if you put the wrong item in the recycle bins?
If there are only a few unacceptable items in the yellow bin, the facility has pickers to remove them. Some items might still make it through.
However, the truck driver might not take the whole bin if there’s severe contamination. If it goes into the truck, the recyclables from many households could go to a landfill.
If hazardous items like batteries are put in the yellow bin, they can spark and cause fires in the trucks when they compact the waste. When this happens, the entire load of recycling is sent to landfill. It’s important to minimise contamination. You can learn more about our recycling guidelines. For tricky items, you can ask our waste virtual assistant or expert.
How to recycle broken glass bottles and jars?
Broken glass unfortunately cannot be placed in the yellow recycling bin. You can loosely wrap the broken pieces before disposing of them in your regular waste bin.
Also, only glass jars and packaging should be recycled through the council’s kerbside recycling service. Glassware that has been treated, such as drinking glasses, window glass or mirrors, are not recyclable. They have different melting points and will contaminate the recycling process.
How to recycle containers and aerosol cans that are not emptied?
It’s best to empty the contents as much as possible to avoid contamination. Rinsing containers is also recommended. If the contents of a container are mouldy and you can’t empty it, you shouldn’t put it in the recycling bin. The same goes for aerosol cans. If they are not emptied, they can pose a potential fire hazard.
Can I recycle pizza boxes?
You can recycle empty pizza boxes. A little oil is okay, but not leftover pizza or toppings. They will contaminate the recycling process.
Are bioplastic and compostable plastic products recyclable?
All bioplastic and compostable plastic products should never go to the yellow recycling bin.
They can be home composted. However, they are currently not accepted at commercial composting facilities in NSW and regulated by the NSW EPA. Some of these products may contain persistent chemicals such as per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) which do not break down during the composting process. For now, it’s best to place them in the red lid bin.
Be mindful that every product has a footprint, even if it can be composted. Choose reusable over single-use.
Where can I learn more about how to recycle?
Waste advice and technology change over time. The best tip is to always stay curious and ask questions. Most of the time, your local community will already have the answers you’re looking for.
You can learn more about the City of Sydney’s recycling guidelines:
To stay updated:
Sign up to the City of Sydney newsletter
Chat with the waste virtual assistant
Ask the waste experts
Learn more: Waste And recycling In the City of Sydney
www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/waste-recycling-services
Frequently asked questions
What happens if you put the wrong thing in the yellow bin?
A few stray items can be removed by pickers at the facility. Severe contamination means the driver may refuse the bin, and if it is collected, recyclables from many households can end up in landfill.
Why are batteries dangerous in recycling bins?
They can spark and start fires in the truck when the waste is compacted. When that happens the entire load of recycling goes to landfill.
Can broken glass go in the recycling bin?
No. Wrap broken pieces loosely and put them in the general waste bin. Only glass jars and packaging belong in kerbside recycling.
Why can’t drinking glasses and mirrors be recycled?
Treated glassware, window glass and mirrors have different melting points from container glass and contaminate the recycling process.
What about containers that aren’t empty?
Empty them as far as possible and rinse if you can. Contents left inside contaminate the load.
Where do you start at home?
Reduce and reuse first: bring your own bags and containers, decline unnecessary packaging, and compost food and garden waste at home, at a community garden or through ShareWaste.
Written by
Myra Mow
Editor
Myra Mow is an environmental science graduate from the University of Queensland. She loves nature, growing up planting and harvesting fruit and vegetables. She’s passionate about waste reduction and recycling, with a special focus on organic waste management.
Danling Xiao
Editor
Danling Xiao is an award-winning entrepreneur and Strategic Director at ReCo. With over a decade of experience spanning brand strategy, customer insight and content marketing, she helps founders and leadership teams navigate complex, highly regulated markets to make confident, high-stakes decisions.
