Recycle Right

Bankstown, Australia tested a range of options for reducing waste contamination. 

Background

Since the introduction of the household recycling service, councils had experienced challenges in helping residents understand how to Recycle Right.

Setting Objectives

To address this, Bankstown City Council commenced work on a major project to reduce contamination rates in yellow recycling bins to below 10%.

Results

  

		Contamination Rate Before	Contamination Rate After
Door hangers (Well done! or Oh no!)	Large complex	22%	22%
Door hangers	Small complex	26%	12%
Recycling tubs (in-home buckets)	Multi-unit dwellings	32%	18%
Recycling tubs	Single-unit dwellings	24%	8%
Door knocking plus feedback	Multi-unit dwellings	45%	15%
Door knocking plus feedback	Single-unit dwellings	29%	12%
Pledge	Multi-unit dwellings	41%	17%
Pledge	Single-unit dwellings	28%	10%
Flag and tag (well done! or Oh no!)		21%	11%
Changing lids		30%	5%
Wall poster		32%	6%
Poster on bulk bins		22%	59%

 

Contacts

Town Council web page: http://www.bankstown.nsw.gov.au/index.aspx?NID=1004

Notes

You Tube video showing how each intervention was carried out.

This case study was compiled in 2015 by Jay Kassirer and Kelley Dennings.