Keeping recycling out of landfill and reducing contamination in recycling bins is an important step in how we manage our waste as we head towards a zero waste future.
Recent waste audits have shown that around 16 per cent of what we send to landfill can go in the recycling bin, while another 15 per cent of items in our recycling bins should go in the general waste bin. It’s clear that improving our recycling habits is a crucial step towards reducing landfill waste and managing costs.
Let's get it sorted Redlands Coast
We are getting recycling sorted with a recycling education and bin checking program. This initiative will help our community reduce waste and recycle more effectively thanks to funding support from the Queensland State Government.
For educational purposes, recycling educators will be checking yellow-lid bins across Redlands Coast and providing feedback on your recycling efforts. You may find a bin tag on your recycling bin giving you a star rating and identifying items that can’t go in your recycling bin.
By separating our waste and recycling more effectively at home, we can help improve the recycling process, lower costs and contribute to a more sustainable future.
What goes in your recycling bin?
- Glass bottles and jars (rinsed)
Empty beverage and oil bottles, jam and sauce jars
Tip: Keep lids on - Paper and cardboard (flattened)
Printed paper, magazines, egg cartons, toilet rolls, cereal boxes, pizza boxes, juice and milk cartons, wrapping paper, newspapers, flattened cardboard boxes - Hard plastic containers
Empty milk and juice bottles, shampoo and conditioner bottles, detergent and soap bottles, ice cream and yoghurt tubs, fruit punnets
Tip: Keep lids on - Steel (rinsed)
Canned food tins and pet food tins - Aluminium
Drink cans, empty aerosols, pie trays, foil scrunched in a ball
For a comprehensive list of items, see the A-Z of waste and recycling.
What can’t go in your recycling bin
These contaminants can cause damage and safety risks in the collection and sorting process.
IMPORTANT: Gas bottles, batteries, paint, oil, EPIRBS, flares, chemicals, asbestos and ash should not be placed in any bin. Check the hazardous waste webpage for further details.
- Electronic and electrical items (e-waste)
Take to a Recycling and Waste Centre - Soft Plastics (plastic you can scrunch like shopping bags, chip packets)
Place in your general waste bin - Bagged recyclables
Keep recyclables loose in your recycling bin, plastic bags can’t be recycled - Food or garden waste
Use a home compost or worm farm, a green bin for garden waste or take garden waste to a Recycling and Waste Centre - Clothes and textiles
Place unwearable items in your general waste bin or donate reusable items to charity - Rigid plastics (laundry baskets, plastic tubs, tupperware, plastic toys, coat hangers)
Place broken items in your general waste bin - Other types of glass (broken wine glasses, window glass, mirrors)
Place in your general waste bin
Tips for getting it sorted
- Set up a separate container for recyclables in your kitchen
- Make sure items are empty
- Keep your recycling loose (don’t bag your recycling)
- Order a larger recycling bin if you need more space for a one-off $30 fee.
Recycle More
- Find a broad list of items and how to dispose of them with Council’s A-Z guide of waste and recycling.
- Search all types of items and find further recycling and disposal options available with the Recycle Mate app.
- Recycle more items that can’t go in your recycling bin at the Recycling Station at IndigiScapes.
- Check what you can recycle at your local Recycling and Waste Centre
- Take reusable items to RecycleWorld at Redland Bay Recycling and Waste Centre.
Let’s Get it Sorted Partnership Program Bin Checks
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
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Checking bins is a common way to see if only acceptable items are going in the recycling bin. Contracted educators will be checking some recycling bins placed on the kerbside prior to the truck driver emptying the bin. The educators will place a bin tag on the bin handle with a star rating on your recycling. The tag will let you know if there are items that shouldn’t be placed in the recycling bin. You can use the tag as a handy recycling guide to improve your recycling score. Bin checks are only for educational purposes, you will not be fined or penalised and your service will continue as usual.
Please note: As part of regular bin collections, if a truck driver sees hazardous waste in your bin, for safety reasons it won’t be collected until the items are removed.
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Checking recycling bins helps ensure that only acceptable items are collected and processed for recycling. This improves recycling rates, reduces contamination, helps with managing the cost of waste and strengthens sustainable waste management.
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Contamination in recycling bins occurs when non-recyclable materials, such as plastic bags, food waste, or electronic items which cannot be processed by kerbside recycling facilities, are placed in the recycling bin. These contaminants can disrupt the recycling process and make it harder for recyclables to be reused.
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No, not all bins will be checked. Approximately half of the recycling bins across Redlands Coast will be checked up to three times.
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Bin checks will take place on scheduled collection days throughout the community from the start of March to the end of November 2025. Before your bin is checked you should receive a letter in the mail with education material to help you get your recycling sorted.
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If you got a five star, well done. Keep up the great work! If you receive less than five star, please review the education material and check if there are any items identified in your bin that shouldn’t be there. You may also receive a follow up letter with some further education material to help you understand what waste goes where.
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We understand that from time-to-time others may use bins that are placed on the kerb. Please disregard the notice and continue the great work sorting your recycling.
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No, you will not be fined or penalised for contamination in your recycling bin. Bin checks provide education and awareness to reduce contamination through feedback and support.
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Contracted recycling educators will be conducting the bin checks. These educators are fully trained and experienced in conducting bin checks and providing recycling education to the community.
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No, recycling educators will not enter your property or rummage through your bins. Recycling bins are checked on the kerbside before the truck driver empties your bin. Recycling educators will only visually assess the contents of your bin based on what they can see when they lift the lid.
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Your privacy will be respected throughout the bin checking process. The checks are focused solely on identifying the type of materials placed in your bin, for example, paper, plastic bags, food, metal cans.
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You may receive a follow up letter with further guidance on improving your recycling efforts. The information is for educational purposes only. If the waste is not yours, you can disregard the message.
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Getting our recycling right helps to conserve resources, reduce waste sent to landfill, and ensure that materials can be remade into new products. By following the recycling guidelines, you're helping to protect the environment and contribute to a sustainable future for Redlands Coast.
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Once your recycling is collected, it’s transported to a recycling facility where it’s sorted into different types of materials, cleaned and processed for remanufacturing. The materials can then be remade into new products, reducing the need for raw materials and helping to conserve natural resources.
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Your bin tag will identify any items that can’t go in your recycling bin. Most of these items need to go in your red-lid general waste bin or taken to your local Recycling and Waste Centre, except for some hazardous waste items. Hazardous waste (including batteries, any items containing batteries and gas bottles), can’t go in any bin as these items can cause safety risks including fires in trucks. Find out where to take specific items on the Hazardous waste webpage.
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Hazardous waste is any material which can pose a health or safety risk by being placed in a bin and emptied by a truck. This includes electronic waste, batteries, gas bottles, paint, oil, EPIRBS, flares, chemicals, asbestos and ash. These items cause damage and health and safety issues including fires. Find out how to dispose of hazardous waste.
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Household batteries can be recycled through B-cycle drop off points, located at most shopping centres. Lead acid car batteries and electronics can be recycled at your local Recycling and Waste Centre.
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No, this education program is funded thanks to the Queensland State Government’s Let’s Get it Sorted Partnership Program
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If you have a complaint or issue regarding a bin check, please contact Council directly.
This initiative is supported by the Queensland Government’s Recycling and Jobs Fund