Waste & Recycling

Items like shampoo bottles, ice cream tubs, and milk bottles can go in your yellow-lid bin for recycling.

However, it's important to note that plastic toys can't be recycled. Instead, you should donate them, or put in the general waste bin.

Non-greasy pizza boxes, greeting cards and office paper, magazines, brochures and catalogues, wrapping paper, toilet rolls, cereal boxes and cardboard boxes, egg cartons, and juice and milk cartons can go in your yellow-lid bin.

Wrapping with glitter or foil cannot be recycled and goes in the general waste bin.

As long as there is not loose food, grease, or rubbish in the pizza box, it can go straight in the yellow-lid bin.

All empty aerosol cans, aluminium foil, and steel lids and tins in your kitchen/laundry/bathroom can go in your yellow-lid bin. It's important to make sure that the aerosol cans are empty before recycling them.

 You can also recycle items such as baby formula tins, coffee and flavoured milk tins, food tins, and pet food tins. Additionally, metal lids from pasta and sauce bottles can also be recycled.

All glass bottles and jars can go in your yellow-lid bin, such as alcohol bottles, sauce and jam jars, juice bottles, and oil, sauce and vinegar bottles.

Glassware such as wine glasses, drinking glasses, and glass bakeware goes in your red-lid general-waste bin.

You can take your eligible drinks containers in exchange for a 10-cent refund payment to the Containers for Change centre, which can be found at Mount Isa Metal Recyclers, 195 Duchess Road (next to the Council Depot).

It’s important to keep your recycling loose and not put it in a bag when it goes into your yellow-lid bin.

Keeping the items loose also means your recycling can be sorted and processed more easily and efficiently.

 When your recycling arrives at the Material Recovery Facility (MRF) in bags, the people or equipment processing the recycling won’t know whether the items in the bag are recyclable, not recyclable, or potentially dangerous.

For safety and efficiency reasons, the bags are usually removed from the recycling stream and these valuable resources are sent to landfill.

 Soft plastics, like plastic bags, can’t be collected through your yellow-lid bin. They can get caught in the processing equipment, causing delays and reducing the efficiency of the process.

The materials inside the bag may not be recognised correctly by sorting equipment and the materials could be sorted into the wrong recycling stream. When items are incorrectly sorted or processed, it can reduce the quality of the final product.

Unfortunately, soft plastics like plastic bags and food packaging cannot be recycled in your yellow-lid bin. Instead, they need to be placed in the red-lid general-waste bin.

It's important to note that currently, Australia doesn't have the necessary facilities to recycle soft plastics. While this may be disappointing, it's crucial that we still do our part by disposing of soft plastics in the appropriate bin. Additionally, we can also look for ways to reduce our consumption of single-use plastics and opt for more sustainable alternatives.

Your new 240L yellow-lid recycling bin will be collected fortnightly from your residence. The red-lid general-waste bin will be collected weekly. Click here to find out what the bin-collection day for your address is.

If your yellow-lid bin is full, consider taking a trip to the Mount Isa Waste Management Facility to dispose of it, or perhaps make a pile to pop in your bin once it has been collected. You could also ask your neighbour if they have a bit of room in their bin this week.

Note: You can save a lot of space in your yellow-top bin by flattening and/or folding cardboard boxes and containers, as well as flattening plastic drink containers.

To make sure you're recycling correctly, it's always a good idea to give items such as aluminium cans, plastic/aluminium trays, and plastic drinks containers a quick rinse (or even a wash, if they're particularly dirty)before placing them in the yellow-lid bin. This helps to prevent contamination and ensures that the recycling process runs smoothly.

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Small actions means a lot. Recycling helps reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfill, which is good for the environment and your community.

By recycling, you can help to conserve natural resources, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and decrease the need for new landfills. It's a great way to make a positive impact on the world around us and ensure a more sustainable future for generations to come.

So, the next time you're unsure about whether or not to recycle an item, remember that even small actions can make a big difference. By doing your part and recycling properly, you can help contribute to Queensland's recycling rates and create a more sustainable future for all.

Keep a separate basket for your recycling. This can help you keep your recyclable items separate from your general waste and make it easier to quickly sort through them when you put them in the yellow bin.

You could also consider setting up a recycling station in a convenient location in your home, such as near your kitchen or laundry room. This can include separate bins or containers for different types of recyclable items, making it even easier to quickly sort through your items.

Remember, even small steps towards recycling can make a big difference in reducing the amount of waste that ends up in landfill and protecting our planet. So, don't worry if you can't sort all your items right away - every little bit counts!

Consider whether the items can be reused, repaired or repurposed to give them a new life.

Nappies and general household waste should be disposed of in the general waste bin. 

Building waste, garden waste, bikes, E-products, batteries, paint, clothing: Check the Recycle Mate website or the Recycle Mate mobile app for alternative disposal options, as these can be harmful to the environment if they end up in landfill.