Check out what happens after your recycling bin is collected

If you want a behind-the-scenes look at how the 11,000 tonnes of material collected from the kerbside recycling bins each year is processed, then sign up for the tour of the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) in Dundowran on Thursday, November 10.

The tour is part National Recycling Week (November 7 to 13), which was founded in 1996 by Planet Ark to improve Australians’ knowledge on recycling and build better recycling habits.

This year, National Recycling Week explores the idea that Waste isn't Waste until it's Wasted.

“The tour of the MRF will give you a better understanding of what happens to the material you put in the recycling bin and what you can put in the recycling bin,” Cr Darren Everard said.

“While a lot of things can be recycled, not all of them can go in the recycling bin; some, like paints and oils, should be taken to a transfer station or landfill site.

“On the tour you will learn some tips and tricks to make recycling easier for you at home and help cut contamination.

“Putting the wrong thing in the recycling bin could spoil a truckload of recycling which then has to go to landfill.

“So too if you put items in a plastic bag and then put that into the recycling bin.

“As the items cannot be easily separated by the machines or staff for sorting, the bag of perfectly good material can end up in landfill.”

Bookings for the tour which is from 1pm to 3pm, are essential for the MRF tour as places are limited, and you must wear closed-in shoes.

To book a spot call Council on 1300 79 49 29. Tea, coffee and a light afternoon tea will be provided.

Cr Everard commended residents on their good work to recycle.

“More than 100,000 tonnes of material were diverted from landfill for recycling and reuse on the Fraser Coast in the past financial year,” he said.

Material recycled through Fraser Coast transfer stations and landfill in the past financial year includes:

• 35,300 tonnes of green waste (converted to mulch);
• 11,000 tonnes of mixed paper, cardboard, glass, steel cans, hard plastic and aluminium cans;
• 33,500 tonne of clean fill;
• 4,500 tonnes of concrete (crushed to recover steel and used as fill on building sites);
• 32 tonnes of tyres;
• 21 tonnes of polystyrene, and;
• 65 tonnes of plaster board.

As part of its recycling efforts, Council also conducts education programs in schools on ways to cut rubbish and recycle.

“The education programs help participants learn how to ‘bin it right’ to minimise the amount of contamination in the yellow-lid recycling bins,” Cr Everard said.

He thanked residents who had dropped off their unused and unwanted items at the waste facilities.

“We sold 600 tonnes of items through our Nikenbah and Maryborough tip shops in 2021/22,” Cr Everard said.

“If items are not in re-sellable condition, we salvage whatever we can at our recycling shed before disposing the rest to landfill.”

To find out more about recycling and to download an A-Z Recycling Guide, go to www.frasercoast.qld.gov.au/recycling-guide