Numbers 3 (PVC), 6 (Polystyrene/Styrofoam), and 7 (Other/Mixed) are generally the most difficult or impossible to recycle in curbside programs, along with soft plastics (coded #4 LDPE) and mixed-material items, though specific local rules vary, so checking your council's guidelines is crucial for 4, 5, and #7. Codes 1 (PET) and 2 (HDPE) are widely accepted, while 5 (PP) is often accepted but depends on your local facility.
What recycling codes are definitely accepted by most councils? It is safe to say recycling codes number 1, 2 and 5, are usually accepted by most local councils across Australia but always check the packaging. Just because it has a recycling symbol does not mean it can be recycled through your kerbside recycling bin.
Yes, you can often get 10 cents for crushed cans in container deposit schemes (CDS), but it depends on the location and refund method; hand-crushed cans are usually fine at depots, but reverse vending machines (RVMs) often reject them because they need the intact barcode and label to scan. It's best to check local guidelines, as some places prefer uncrushed, while others, especially depots, accept crushed if the label/barcode is visible, though it can make sorting harder.
In truth, few communities recycle any Code 7 plastics. Code 7 compostables require processing at a modern, high-rate composting facility. But there just aren't that many around. Even a #7/PLA composter might require in-house degradation testing if the plastic is not BPI-certified.
3: PVC (Polyvinyl chloride)
PVC is a soft, flexible plastic, so it's used for a huge array of household products. Plastic tubing, kids' toys, plastic trays and furniture are often made out of PVC. PVC products CANNOT be recycled.
Items that cannot be recycled:
Plastics types 3, 4, 6 & 7 are low value plastics which are frequently contaminated and are harder to recycle and make new products. These plastics should be avoided, reused or put into the rubbish bin.
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.
Plastic marked with an SPI code of 6 is made with polystyrene. PS can be recycled, but not efficiently; recycling it takes a lot of energy, which means that few places accept it.
You can recycle: - plastic bottles, trays and containers numbered 1, 2 and 5 only - glass bottles and jars - food and drink steel, aluminium and tin cans - paper and cardboard. Simply place items emptied, clean and loose into your recycling bin.
Cartons may be recycled or composted as long as they have no plastic components. If they do have a plastic spout or other plastic element they should be recycled.
To make $100 from aluminum cans, you'll need roughly 1,000 cans if you get 10 cents each in a deposit state like South Australia, but if selling by weight, it's about 600-1,000 cans (around 18-30 pounds) at common scrap prices (50-80 cents/lb), as it takes about 32 cans per pound.
Yes, you can recycle pizza boxes if they are clean and free of grease; just tear off the greasy, food-stained parts and compost or trash them, while recycling the clean sections. Food residue contaminates the cardboard, so separating the clean top from the oily bottom allows you to recycle the valuable cardboard while properly disposing of the soiled part. Always check your local council's guidelines, as rules can vary.
Coca‑Cola 20oz bottles are now made from 100% recycled plastic (excluding cap and label) nationwide.
Books can be put in your general household waste bin for disposal. They cannot be placed in the purple-lidded recycling bin as the paper in some books has a high level of eucalyptus and makes it difficult to recycle. In addition, the glue or string used to bind books is also not recyclable.
Yes, you can recycle pizza boxes if they are clean and free of grease; just tear off the greasy, food-stained parts and compost or trash them, while recycling the clean sections. Food residue contaminates the cardboard, so separating the clean top from the oily bottom allows you to recycle the valuable cardboard while properly disposing of the soiled part. Always check your local council's guidelines, as rules can vary.
Now, toothpaste tubes are made from the same material as milk bottles using high-density polyethylene. This means all tubes, sold nationwide, are now technically 100% recyclable and can be recycled into a range of new items, from garden furniture and plastic piping to bleach bottles.
Polystyrene, black plastics, #3 PVC and #7 PC plastics are the most toxic and hardest to recycle, and as a mission-based recycler, Eco-Cycle supports shifting products to be made from more recyclable, less toxic plastics including #1 PET, #2 HDPE, and #5 PP.
To make $100 from recycling plastic bottles, you'd need between 1,000 and 2,000 bottles, depending on your local deposit value (typically 5¢ to 10¢ per bottle), meaning around 2,000 small bottles (at 5¢) or 1,000 larger bottles (at 10¢). The exact number varies by location and bottle size, requiring you to collect many bottles to reach your goal.
Surprising items you shouldn't put in your curbside recycling include plastic bags, shredded paper, Styrofoam, greasy pizza boxes, coffee cups with plastic lining, batteries, clothes hangers, and ceramics/Pyrex, as they contaminate batches or jam machinery. Soft plastics, soiled paper, and small items like bottle caps are also common culprits that belong in the trash or special drop-offs, not the regular bin.
Any time a plastic food storage container becomes scratched or cracked, stained, punctured, begins to smell, loses a lid or the lid no longer fits securely, or becomes textured – it's time to throw it out.
Three examples of products that generally cannot be recycled in standard curbside programs are plastic bags/film, Styrofoam (expanded polystyrene), and dirty/greasy paper products (like pizza boxes or paper towels). These items often contaminate recycling streams or jam machinery, requiring special disposal or collection methods, according to the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and AMCS Group.
No, when it comes to biscuit packaging, it's only the soft plastic wrapper that we can accept for recycling. The biscuit trays are classified as rigid plastic and should be disposed of in your council's kerbside collection.
Instead of doing that, the safest rule to stick to is recycling only number 1 and 2 plastics. But you should also check with your local recycling program to see which types of plastics it accepts, as some facilities recycle, for example, polypropylene (number 5), the plastic commonly used in yogurt containers.
The Value of Recycling HDPE Milk Bottles
Recovered milk bottles are often repurposed into construction-grade piping, transport pallets, or new packaging materials – supporting a circular economy and improving your business's sustainability credentials.