Helping households recycle right
Published on 13 April 2026
To support residents to recycle with confidence, Council is enhancing its Recycling Household Help Program with a new, education-focused bin check process.
From April to June 2026, Council-appointed consultants will be conducting quick ‘lift the lid’ visual checks of household mixed recycling bins. These checks will take place either on the evening before, or the morning of, scheduled recycling collection.
How the program works
The inspections are designed to be simple, respectful and informative. Inspectors will lift the lid of recycling bins to visually check the contents. No items will be removed from bins, and the check will only take a moment.
Following the inspection, households will receive one of two bin stickers:
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A ‘champion recycler’ sticker, recognising households that are recycling well, or
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A feedback sticker, highlighting which items don’t belong in the mixed recycling bin to help the household recycle better next time.
No follow-up action is required from households. The goal is to provide clear, helpful feedback that makes recycling easier and more effective for everyone.
Inspectors will be wearing Council-branded high-visibility vests and will carry an information letter that explains the program in more detail. Residents who have questions are welcome to speak with them during inspections.
What happens if unsafe items are found?
While the program focuses on education, there are some instances where safety comes first. If inspectors identify dangerous waste in a recycling bin (such as electronic waste, asbestos or toxic chemicals), the bin will receive Council’s standard non-collection sticker, and the truck will not collect the contents.
This is part of Council’s standard process and helps protect waste collection staff and sorting facilities.
Working together for better recycling
By providing simple, timely feedback, the Recycling Household Help Program aims to make recycling clearer, safer and more effective across the municipality. Small changes at home can make a big difference to the people who sort our recycling, and the quality of recyclable materials.
Why it’s important to recycle correctly
Putting items in the correct bin is important for many reasons.
Not only does it ensure we can recycle as much as we can for our environment, but it also keeps our truck drivers and recycling facility workers safe. Putting incorrect items in your recycling bin can damage equipment and even in worst-case scenarios, be a risk to staff.
It also reduces costs. Contaminated recycling bins means loads can end up at landfill. By avoiding this and sending recycling where it should go, we can invest more of our budget where it should be, in our community.
How to know what to recycle
It can sometimes be confusing knowing which bin certain items belong in. Our new LoopedIn Councils bin app features a guide to show you where particular items belong. Head to the App Store or Google Play to get started.