What the heck!
So you've got yourself up and ready, woke up the kids, made them get out of bed, got them dressed, made them breakfast...find shoes, find hat, pack bag, oh a project is due - well you should have done it yesterday! Get them in the car - argue about the seat belt...finally drop everyone off - school, day-care...go to work...pick the kids up...take them to sport/music/tutoring lessons, help/argue about homework and reading, bath them, feed them, get them off their screens, have "quality time" (that's what the professionals say), arguments about bed time, finally get them to bed, do the dishes, have a shower and then spend time checking all the food labels you have to see if they are recyclable? No.
Today's families are busy and exhausted. By the end of the day recycling is the last thing on your mind. You're probably doing that project, thinking about work or you can't move off the couch...let alone having the emotional strength to have "quality time" with your partner.
Today's recycling systems should be innovative and easy, but not all of them are!
According to Sustainability Victoria.gov.au this is the recycle symbol
and the rest are codes that show what type of plastic the product is made of.
I believe this is confusing and can be misleading!
With everything we know these days about over consumption (pollution, climate damage, animal extinction rates, land clearing, nature and habitat loss) all packaging and products should be made from recycled material, or mostly recycled materials, and all or most products should be recyclable.
We shouldn't have to put much thought process into it... it's just done that way!
Why not make the lives of our busy families easy?
What can we do about this? Send me ideas with your suggestions at the Get in Touch space below!
Recycle symbol
Type of plastic codes - not a recycle symbol
Best way to find out what can be recycled!
Jump on your local Council website or ring your local Council and find out:
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What can be recycled in the the yellow lid (comingle) bin?
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What other recycling services do they provide? i.e. recycle polystyrene, electronic waste, gas bottles, batteries etc.
I obtained a copy of what can be recycled from the local Council, laminated it and keep it on the fridge.
If you're super keen, find out what other recycling is happening in your local area!
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(this program is suspended) Soft plastic recycling can be done at Coles/ Woolworths through REDcycle
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Batteries can be recycled at you local ALDI or use rechargeable batteries
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Containers for Change (QLD) - receive 10c for recycling soft drink bottles, cans etc.
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Bread Tags for Wheel chairs - recycle bread tags (check the tag is plastic not cardboard)
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Terracycle (although there is a cost for the bin they send you)
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Look for a local environment centre - we have Indigiscapes that have free recycling for disposable masks, thongs, toothpaste tubes, tooth brushes, old art supplies, beauty products, LOL suprise toys and packaging, VHS cassette tapes, X-Rays, CD/DVDs and small e-waste and mobile phones
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Go online find a store you can buy sustainable items from and drop off items to be recycled like - Biome
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Find a local bulk food store and take your own container
Other Ideas
Did you know that clean aluminium can be put in your yellow lid (comingle) recycling bin?
Simply scrunch it into a ball (nothing smaller than a small fist size) or place it in a tin can.
If it's dirty give it a clean then put it in the recycle bin.
I make my life easier by creating separate waste systems in the home and training those around me to use them. Toilet rolls get put in the basket so I am not fishing through the bin to find them.
I don't get many envelopes these days but when I do I re-use them as shopping lists before putting in the recycle bin
I am lucky to have a little bit of space near the kitchen and have created the below waste streams. You can have these in the workplace too!
Aluminium is put in the recycle bin. Polystyrene I take to the local council recycling facility
Electrical items are recycled at the local council recycling facility. Drink bottles are recycled at Containers for Change.
Small batteries can be recycled at Aldi, larger ones at the local council recycling facility. Natural corks are cut up and put into the compost bin and Rubber bands are kept from sushi packets and re-used.
Pens recycled through Terracycle and Bread tags recycled through Bread Tags for Wheel Chairs (not cardboard ones)