Yellow bin inspections are underway across the City, as part of efforts to help residents understand what can be recycled.
The City's kerbside recycling service resumed in December last year after the City formed an agreement with Cleanaway.
Reports back from Cleanaway indicate contamination levels of approximately 35 per cent in the first month, meaning that around 35 per cent of what went into recycling bins still ended up in landfill.
The yellow lid bin is for clean paper, cardboard, aluminium, glass and rigid plastic.
Brochures have been delivered across the community notifying residents of the upcoming inspections.
The inspection process involves officers following collection trucks and viewing what comes out of yellow lid bins as they are tipped into the truck.
Residents who have obvious contaminants in their bin will receive a sticker notification clarifying what should and shouldn't be disposed of through kerbside recycling.
Officers will liaise directly with residents who repeatedly put contaminants in their bin after multiple sticker notices, to help educate and provide any additional assistance.
The biggest contaminant in recycling bins remains soft plastic packaging, including plastic bags.
A key point for residents to remember is not to bag recycling before putting it in the yellow bin. Plastic bags are not recyclable through the kerbside collection system.
Soft plastics like plastic bags and food wrapping can be recycled through REDcycle, who have collection points at most major supermarkets.
Electrical goods, textiles, metal pots and pans, as well as plastic children's toys can all be recycled but not via the kerbside collection.
Residents can find out how to recycle these items at www.geelongaustralia.com.au/recycling/guide
Some contamination items that end up in the recycling bin are a dangerous fire risk.
Cleanaway has reported finding gas bottles, car batteries, car parts and even hot water systems in the recycling they receive.
Other items that cannot be recycled via the kerbside yellow bin include white polystyrene, disposable nappies and coated cardboard (tetra pak) containers.
Polystyrene can be recycled at the Geelong Resource Recovery Centre.
Black meat trays should also go in the red garbage bin, as the optical sorters at recycling plants are unable to detect black plastic against the black conveyor belts.
City of Greater Geelong Mayor, Stephanie Asher
It's a positive step forward to have our kerbside recycling collection back up and running, and to keep our recyclables out of landfill. However, it's important to remember that this service only applies for a limited group of items – clean paper, cardboard, aluminium, glass and rigid plastic.
Cr Ron Nelson, Chair, Waste Management portfolio
We are calling on all residents to help us lower our recycling contamination rates in Greater Geelong and reduce what we send to landfill. This will help reduce what is sent to landfill, therefore reducing our impact on the environment.
