Households across Canning are getting better at recycling, thanks to a simple but effective system of bin checks and friendly reminders.
More than 2,100 homes in suburbs including Queens Park, Bentley, Willetton, Cannington, and Rossmoyne recently took part in an eight-week bin tagging program that aimed to improve recycling habits. Waste education officers inspected bins every two weeks and left feedback tags to help residents learn what belongs and what doesn’t.
The results were clear… people are getting it right.
At the start of the program, only 54 percent of recycling bins had little or no contamination. By the end, that figure jumped to 81 percent. Soft plastics like chip packets and bread bags were still the most common mistake, but even those dropped significantly, with fewer residents placing them in the yellow-top bins.
Mayor Patrick Hall praised the effort, calling it one of the most successful rounds of the program yet.
“After three fortnightly audits, results found that 37 percent of recycling bins had no contamination at all, compared with 16 percent at the start. There was also a significant decline in all types of contaminants, which is extremely positive,” Mayor Hall said.
The bin tagging program is now in its tenth round and continues to help residents separate waste properly. Only five types of materials belong in the recycling bin: paper, cardboard, glass bottles and jars, plastic containers, and metal cans. Everything should be rinsed, placed loose in the bin, and have lids removed.
The program was supported by a $5,000 grant from the State Government and delivered with help from the WA Local Government Association and the Waste Authority.
Residents who have questions about recycling can contact the City’s Strategic Waste Team on 1300 422 664 or email waste@canning.wa.gov.au.
