Recycling and waste

NSW has set an ambitious target of increasing recovery and reuse of household waste from 26% in 2000 to 66% in 2014.

There is a lot we can do at home and work to manage our waste better. Wise up about waste in your household:

• Avoid. Reduce. Reuse. Recycle
• Recycling
• Composting
• Food and garden waste
• Save and recycle water
• Report illegal dumping
• What is OEH doing about recycling and waste?

Want to work our how recycling in your home makes a difference? Use the Benefits of Recycling Calculator to graph your performance and plot your progress.

Avoid. Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.

The best way to manage your waste is to avoid it, reduce it, reuse it and then recycle it. By following this process you dramatically reduce the amount of your waste in landfill.

Quick tips for avoiding waste:

• Ask yourself: “Do I really need this?” If you don’t need it – don’t buy it!
• Choose products with less packaging.
• If you don’t read junk mail, put a No Junk Mail sign on your letterbox.
• Use re-usable products instead of disposable, one use products such as plastic cutlery and paper plates.
• Refuse to use plastic bags when you don’t need them. Keeping some reusable plastic bags in your car will help you remember to bring them when you go shopping.
• Use reusable containers to bring your food to work instead of plastic wrap or other disposable packaging.
• Send an email or use the phone instead of using a letter or fax.

Quick tips for reducing waste:

• Plan your meals and only buy and cook as much food as you need. Wasting food costs the average NSW household $1000 a year.
• Choose concentrated products and re-fillable containers.
• Use rechargeable batteries.
• Maintain your products and repair them, rather than throwing them away and buying new ones.
• Hire, borrow or share products instead of buying them new.

Quick tips for re-using products:

• Reuse empty bottles, glass jars and plastic containers to store food and other goods.
• Buy second hand. Not only is it cheaper and you can find high quality goods, some second hand stores can help benefit people in need.
• Reuse the greywater in your household through rainwater tanks and other water saving products and appliances.
• Give your used clothes to someone in need at a charity store or one of many drop off bins. Find one today at RecyclingNearYou.
• Re-use paper and use both sides for draft documents or notes.

Quick tips for recycling products:

• Follow our handy guide to recycling.
• Avoid putting batteries, motor oil, chemicals, paints, compact fluorescent light globes, food scraps, crockery, electrical goods, clothing, nappies, cling wrap or cooking oil in your recycling bin. Check with your local council on ways to recycle these or dispose of them safely.
• Don’t put plastic bags in your recycling bin, even if they’re biodegradable. Many supermarkets now have plastic bag recycling bins you can use to dispose of them.
• Flattening boxes and cans will make more room in your bin.
• Make sure any bottles you put in the recycling are free from liquid, which can contaminate recycling or damage equipment.
• Put your grass clippings on the garden as mulch.

What is OEH doing about waste and recycling?

For general information on how OEH is supporting recycling in NSW, the waste section of this website introduces key waste legislation and explains how OEH is working with business and government to reduce waste. There's also information on programs to reduce litter and illegal dumping and resources for local government.