What can you recycle through your kerbside recycling bin?

The following items should be placed in your recycling bin. This is consistent across all councils in Perth.

• Aluminium and steel cans
• Paper (not shredded) 
• Cardboard
• Clean plastic bottles, tubs and containers
• Glass bottles and jars

Make sure all items are rinsed, loose and with lids removed. They should not be placed in bin bags.

What CAN’T you recycle through your kerbside bin?

The following items are not accepted in the yellow-lidded recycling bin:

Soft ‘scrunchable’ plastics

Please put all soft plastics into your red-lidded general waste bin. Soft plastics include:

• Plastic bags
• Cling wrap
• Bubble wrap
• Lolly wrappers
• Chip packets
• Cereal bags

These materials get mixed up with bales of paper and cardboard at the recycling facilities, making them hard to sell. The REDcycle soft plastic recycling scheme is no longer in operation. You can help by purchasing less soft plastic, choosing items with minimal packaging, using reusable bags and contacting producers to request that they minimise unnecessary packaging.

Plastic lids

Small plastic lids can’t be recycled through your yellow-lidded bin as they fall through the machinery at the recycling facility. You can take them to the West Metro Recycling Centre or CLAW Environmental in Welshpool. Containers For Change refund points will accept and recycle plastic lids belonging to eligible containers.

Coffee cups and take-away food packaging

Take-away coffee cups, lids and food packaging are unable to be recycled in WA – place them in your general waste bin. Try to avoid single-use and bring your own, or enjoy dining in.

Batteries

Batteries are a dangerous fire hazard and should never go in any of your kerbside bins. This includes button batteries and removable batteries from items like power tools and cameras. Take them to the West Metro Recycling Centre or your local B-Cycle drop-off point to be recycled safely.

Aerosol cans

Aerosol cans are hazardous as they generally contain residual flammable liquids, which can cause fires and explosions in trucks or at the recycling facility. Please take aerosols to the West Metro Recycling Centre. They will be sent off for recycling through the Household Hazardous Waste program.

Clothing and textiles

Damaged, unusable clothing and textiles should go in your red-lidded general waste bin. Find out what to do with useable items here.

Meat trays

Due to contamination of meat trays and the mixture of materials used to make them, they should be placed in your general waste bin. Consider buying your meat from a butcher where purchases are wrapped in paper or try taking your own reusable container.

Polystyrene

Polystyrene is light and bulky, making it uneconomical to recycle through the kerbside recycling bin. Bulk polystyrene can be recycled but must be dropped off at the West Metro Recycling Centre for free.

Want more information?

• Find out what to put in each of your bins
• Learn how to reuse and recycle unwanted items.
• Recycling is just one way to be a GREAT Sort. There are four other things you can do to reduce and sort your waste.
• Call the WMRC’s Recycling Hotline on (08) 9384 6711
• Sign up to our monthly Word on Waste newsletter