Many items are recyclable but not all of them belong in the yellow-lid bin! Most bottles, jars, containers, hard plastics, paper and cardboard do belong. For all other items, check Recycle Mate to find an alternative location for recyclables that do not belong in your kerbside yellow lid bin.
Knowing what items can go in your yellow lid bin will help make sure we are recycling correctly.
Download your recycle poster here(PDF, 12MB)
Knowing what items can go in your yellow lid bin will help make sure we are recycling correctly.
Recycling helps reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfill which is good for the environment and our community. It also creates jobs and contributes to economic growth.
Recycling Tips
- Never put batteries in the yellow or red bin as they can cause fires
- Separate the lids from recyclable containers
- Do not place items larger than a 5L bottle in the bin
- Empty all food waste into the general waste bin or the compost caddy
- Rinse containers before placing them in the yellow wheelie bin. Do not put plastic film or soft plastics in the yellow bin
- Compact your recyclables to save space
LET'S GET IT SORTED is an initiative supported by the Queensland Government's Recycling and Jobs Fund.
It’s important to keep your recycling loose and not put it in a bag when it goes into your yellow lid bin.
Why?
To keep it safe and efficient: When your recycling arrives at a materials recovery facility (MRF) in bags, the people or equipment processing the recycling will not know whether the items in the bag are recyclable, not recyclable or potentially dangerous. For safety and efficiency reasons, the bags are removed from the recycling stream and these valuable resources are sent to landfill.
To reduce damage to facility equipment: Soft plastics, like plastic bags, cannot be collected through your yellow lid bin. They can get caught in the processing equipment, causing delays and reducing the efficiency of the process.
To help sort and process items correctly: Placing recyclable items in paper bags can also affect the recycling 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.
Keep it loose! Let’s get it sorted.
Hard plastics can be recycled into new products, such as garden furniture, piping, and decking.
Items that DO go in your yellow-lid bin:
- milk bottles
- butter, yoghurt and ice cream tubs
- skin care and shampoo bottles
- cleaning, detergent and soap bottles
- soft drink and juice bottles.*
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Items that DON'T go in your yellow-lid bin:
- plastic toys
- soft plastics, including plastic bags or plastic packaging.
* Remember that eligible containers can be returned to Containers for Change for a 10 cent refund.
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Recycling aluminium and steel saves resources and uses less energy than producing these metals from raw materials. Aluminium can be recycled over and over again without losing its quality
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Metals and Aluminium that DO go in your yellow-lid bin:
- baby formula tins
- coffee and chocolate milk tins
- food tins
- pet food tins
- aerosol deodorants (empty)
- aerosol hair sprays (empty)
- aerosol cooking sprays (empty)
- insect sprays (empty)
- foil (clean tray/foil wrap scrunched into a ball)
- drink cans*
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Metals and Aluminium that DON'T go in your yellow-lid bin:
- scrap metal
- paint tins
- batteries
- aluminium window frames
-
aluminium saucepans
* Remember that eligible containers can be returned to Containers for Change for a 10 cent refund.
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Glass bottles and jars can be recycled again and again without losing quality, making it a highly sustainable material.
Glass that DO go in your yellow-lid bin:
- sauce bottles
- jam jars
- oil and vinegar bottles
- alcohol bottles*
- juice and soft drink bottles*
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Glass that DON'T go in your yellow-lid bin:
- drinking glasses
- glass cookware
- lightbulbs
- windows or mirrors
* Remember that eligible drink containers can be returned to Containers for Change for a 10 cent refund.
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Every year, over 300,000 tonnes of paper and packaging is sent to recyclers to be turned into new products such as toilet rolls, egg cartons and packaging.
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Paper & Cardboard that DO go in your yellow-lid bin:
- non-greasy pizza boxes
- office paper
- magazines, brochures and catalogues
- wrapping paper (no foil/glitter)
- toilet rolls
- cereal boxes and cardboard boxes
- egg cartons
- milk cartons
- juice containers including poppers*
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Paper & Cardboard that DON'T go in your yellow-lid bin:
- biodegradable cups and plates
- tissues and paper towels.
* Remember eligible containers can be returned to Containers for Change for a 10 cent refund.
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