Yes, metal biscuit tins and plastic biscuit trays are generally recyclable in Australia and should go in your yellow-lid bin, but ensure they are empty, clean, and dry; place metal tins loose (lids inside), and check with your local council for specific rules, as some councils have different guidelines for plastic trays.
Put in your yellow lid recycle bin.
Empty metal and plastic biscuit/sweet tins can be put in your household recycling bin (Please note that plastic film/seals as well as mixed plastic and metal sweet wrappers can't be recycled in your household recycling bin, however some supermarkets have plastic film recycling bins in store that might accept some of ...
Use them to neatly contain balls of yarn, store gift bows and ribbons, house Christmas decorations and lights, keep seasonal decorations (such as Halloween, Easter, Thanksgiving, or birthday) in order, or even transform them into convenient garbage cans by lining them with a plastic bag.
Cookie and biscuit dough cans can now go in your recycling bag thanks to extended producer responsibility (EPR). That means producers are now responsible for managing this packaging, making it recyclable for residents.
Biscuit & sweet tins/tubs
Traditionally, biscuit tin boxes are made from tinplate, a thin sheet of steel coated with tin. This material offers a balance of durability, rust resistance, and affordability. However, today, other materials like aluminium and plastic are also being used.
Non-recyclable items
Rinse and squash your cans before recycling. Put them in your kerbside collection or take them to a recycling bank – usually in supermarket car parks. Check with your local council for help if you're unsure what to do. Or donate your cans to your nearest community project to help them to raise money.
On average, one aluminum can weighs about 14-15 grams, or approximately 0.03 pounds. With a market rate of $0.55 per pound, you'd need around 182 pounds of aluminum cans to earn $100. This equates to about 6,000 cans.
Styrofoam: Products made from styrofoam such as meat trays, coffee cups, or fast-food containers cannot be recycled and do not biodegrade. Place items like this safely into the trash as they can easily break into tiny pieces, harming wildlife and contributing to the rise in microplastics.
Absolutely—most cookie tins made from steel, aluminum, or tinplate are widely accepted in curbside recycling programs and scrap metal centers. Just make sure they're clean, dry, and free of non-metal parts.
What can go in your blue-lidded bin
Food tins and drink cans can be recycled at home. Please just give them a quick rinse to make sure there is no food residue. You can leave the label on but do not crush or flatten.
These include radioactive metals, mercury, contaminated cans, household equipment that contains harmful toxins, and unclean metals. Radioactive metals such as uranium, plutonium, and radon cannot be recycled because the process of recycling these metals can expose workers to radiation.
Most 150ml to 3L drink containers will be eligible for a 10 cent refund, as long as they're in good condition (uncrushed, empty and with the barcode intact). This includes; Aluminium cans.
Below are some quirky ideas on how you can give your tins a new life:
Top Tips for recycling
Quite simply, there are three categories of materials: paper and cardboard; plastics; and metals, tins and foil. These are the different types of packaging items that can go in your recycling bin – clean, dry and loose.
6 Ingenious Ways to Reuse Your Soup Tin Cans at Home
Yes, bras can be recycled at some out of home recycling points.
Recycling Tupperware poses challenges, such as: Mixed Materials: Items combining different plastics can complicate recycling. Food Residue: Leftovers or detergents might contaminate the recycling stream. Aging and Wear: Over time, some Tupperware items might not be recyclable due to wear or structural changes.
Ziploc® Paper Bags are recyclable through standard municipal recycling collection (i.e., blue bin). Look for the How2Recycle® label on your Ziploc® packaging for more details.
Biscuit tins are steel cans made of tin plate. This consists of steel sheets thinly coated with tin. The sheets are then bent to shape.
Great Organizing Containers for Any Room of Your House
Biscuit, sweet, and chocolate tins made of metal are recyclable! Just remember to: ✅ Remove any plastic film ✅ Take out wrappers ✅ Clean off food residue Then pop them in your recycling bin! ✨ Or get creative — these tins make great storage containers, handy food transport boxes or even gift boxes for baked goods!