Help to divert waste from landfill

Published Wednesday, 02nd April 2025

Recycle correctly to reduce waste and costs.

An independent audit of waste in South Gippsland showed that approximately 20 per cent of the total weight of items put into recycling bins each year couldn’t be recycled. Plus, 12.5 per cent of the weight of residents’ garbage bins is recyclable products that are instead heading to landfill. The potential cost saving if all waste was disposed of correctly exceeds $165,000 annually. South Gippsland Shire Council is partnering with Sustainability Victoria to raise awareness of the five products that most often end up in the wrong bin.

These three items must be placed in the garbage bin:

• Soft plastics (such as bread packaging and plastic bags)
• Non-recyclable hard plastic (such as PVC pipe fittings). These materials contain plastic types unable to be re-melted and re-moulded.
• Items such as broken window glass and crockery including drinking glasses and Pyrex. If placed in recycling bins, these materials contaminate loads, with the risk that entire truckloads of recyclable materials may be sent to landfill.

These items can be recycled:

• Paper products.
• Quantities of recyclable rigid plastic packaging (those numbered 1 to 7).

Help reduce waste and the cost of waste disposal by recycling correctly. To find out more, click here.