Recycling in Mount Isa

Coming Soon!!!

Council will be introducing a new residential recycling service later this year. From 18th of November 2024, to the 6th of December, we will roll out a yellow-top wheelie bin for recycling to all households in Mount Isa and Camooweal. The yellow-top bin collections will commence in December 2024.

The new 240L yellow-top recycling bin will be collected fortnightly, while the red-top waste bin (general waste) will change to being collected once a week. A starting kit with a calendar, a flyer and other materials will be in your wheelie bin when you receive it. (Check my bin day to know when your bins will be collected every week)

Implementing recycling in Mount Isa offers significant advantages including the reduction of Queensland Waste Levy costs, which will lead to substantial financial savings for the community in the coming years. Additionally, recycling helps to extend the lifespan of the local landfill, reducing the environmental impact and need for costly expansions.

By participating in recycling, you will have the opportunity to contribute to a more sustainable and prosperous future for Mount Isa, ensuring a cleaner, greener city for generations to come.

To find out when will be your bin day go to "My Bin Day"

To find out what can you recycle in the yellow bin, go to our "Recycle Mate helper".

What Happens to the Recyclables in Your Yellow Bin?

Our new Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) will process recyclable materials collected from your yellow bin, including hard plastics, steel, aluminium, paper, cardboard, glass bottles, and jars. The glass processed will be used in construction materials for our roads, supporting our commitment to sustainability and creating a circular economy.

Check out this video from the Sunshine Coast City Council for a glimpse of what we’ll have in Mount Isa on a smaller scale. Our MRF will be fully operational by December 2024!

Let’s get our recycling sorted MOUNT ISA! (Video)

Knowing what items can go in your yellow lid bin will help make sure we’re recycling as much as we can and 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.

Keep it loose – don't bag your recycling (Video)

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

These are the reasons why.

• To keep it safe and efficient: When your recycling arrives at a 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.
• To reduce damage to facility equipment: 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.
• 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, and not in a bag. Let’s get it sorted.

What goes in each bin?

The top five materials – dos and don’ts

Many items are recyclable but not all of them belong in the yellow lid bin. Most bottles, jars and containers, hard plastics and paper and cardboard do belong. For all other items check Recycle Mate to find an alternative location for recyclables, that don’t belong in your kerbside yellow lid bin.

5 Materials:

1. HARD PLASTIC
2. METALS
3. ALUMINIUM
4. GLASS

5. PAPER & CARBOARD

1- Get your plastics sorted (Video)

Hard plastics can be recycled into new products, such as garden furniture, piping, and decking.

Many items are recyclable but not all of them belong in the yellow lid bin. Check with your local council or visit Recycle Mate to find an alternative location for recyclables that don’t belong in your kerbside yellow lid bin.

Let’s get it sorted.

Correct.

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.*

Incorrect.

Don’t go in your yellow lid bin

• plastic toys
• soft plastics including plastic bags or plastic packaging.

* Remember eligible containers can be returned to Containers for Change for a 10 cent refund.

Get your metals sorted (Video)

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.

Many items are recyclable but not all of them belong in the yellowlid bin. Check with your local council or visit Recycle Mate to find an alternative location for recyclables that don’t belong in your kerbside yellow lid bin.

Let’s get it sorted.

2- Steel

Correct.

Do go in your yellow lid bin

• baby formula tins
• coffee and chocolate milk tins
• food tins
• pet food tins

Incorrect.

Don’t go in your yellow lid bin

• scrap metal
• paint tins
• batteries

3- Aluminium

Correct.

Do go in your yellow lid bin

• 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*

Incorrect.

Don’t go in your yellow lid bin

• aluminium saucepans
• aluminium window frames

*Remember that eligible containers can be returned to Containers for Change for a 10 cent refund.

4- Get your glass sorted (Video)

Glass bottles and jars can be recycled again and again without losing quality, making it a highly sustainable material.

Many items are recyclable but not all of them belong in the yellow lid bin. Visit Recycle Mate to find an alternative location for recyclables that don’t belong in your kerbside yellow lid bin.

Let’s get it sorted.

Correct.

Do go in your yellow lid bin

• sauce bottles
• jam jars
• oil and vinegar bottles
• alcohol bottles*
• juice and soft drink bottles*

Incorrect.

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.

5- Get your paper and cardboard sorted (Video)

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.

Remember to keep your recycling loose and not in a bag when you put it in the yellow lid bin. Placing recyclable items in paper bags can affect how the items are sorted and processed at material recovery facilities.

Many items are recyclable but not all of them belong in the yellow lid bin. Check with your local council or visit Recycle Mate to find an alternative location for recyclables that don’t belong in your kerbside yellow lid bin.

Let’s get it sorted.

Correct.

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 carboard boxes
• egg cartons
• milk cartons
• juice containers including poppers*.

Incorrect.

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.

LET'S GET IT SORTED is an initiative supported by the Queensland Government's Recycling and Jobs Fund

FAQ. Starting Recycling in Mount Isa