Indoor Recycling FAQ's
Section 1: Questions on what goes in which bin
Q. Can I recycle paper towel, tissues and the like?
A. No, these items go in the waste bin.
Q. Which bin do I put the backing of stickers into?
A. These sticker backs (such as the ones on the backs of the recycling bin labels) are not recyclable and should go in the mixed waste bin.
Q. Are the lids on bottles recyclable?
A. As with all plastic items you need to check for a plastic code. Items with plastic codes 1-6 can be recycled. If there are no plastic codes 1 to 6 then it should go in your nearest mixed waste bin.
Q. What is the difference between a yoghurt pot or yoghurt tub and can they be recycled?
A. Yoghurt pots and tubs are essentially the same thing. As with any plastic item you need to check for the plastic codes to find out if it can be recycled e.g. Ski yoghurt tubs can be recycled but Yoplait cannot as it does not have the recycling symbol.
If it has a plastic code 1 to 6 then it can be recycled. Please ensure that you rinse them before placing them in the nearest recycle bin. Remember that the recycle bin under your desk only gets emptied weekly so you may wish to put this item in the recycle bin in the kitchen areas instead.
If it does not have a plastic code it should go in the mixed waste bin.
Q. Can I recycle Polystyrene coffee cups?
A. All polystyrene products are not able to be recycled within the Wollongong Council area. Polystyrene should be placed in the nearest mixed waste bin.
Q. Can paper coffee cups go in the recycling bins?
A. All disposable paper coffee cups are not able to be recycled. They should therefore always be put in the mixed waste bin/
Some disposable paper cups on campus are labelled compostable. This means that they can go into a compost system. However, there are no compost facilities on campus and compostable cups are not recyclable. Compostable cups should be placed in the mixed waste bins.
Instead of purchasing coffee in disposable cups it is a good idea to bring your own mug or travel cup. Some coffee outlets on campus give discounts for those using their own mug. Maybe you might like to adopt a cup – have a look at UOW's One Less Cup campaign for more information.
Q. What about disposable coffee cup lids, can they be recycled?
A. As with any plastic item, you need to check for the plastic codes to find out if it can be recycled. If it has a plastic code 1 to 6 then it can be recycled. Again some coffee cups lids do have the symbol and can be recycled, and some don’t. If it doesn’t then it should be placed in the nearest mixed waste bin.
Q. Can I put high quality paper in the recycle bin?
A. Ideally, you should use the paper bin (blue wheelie bins) for high quality paper as it will then be recycled to its fullest potential into high quality paper products e.g. printing paper with recycled content. If you place high quality paper into a recycle bin it is recycled but only into lower quality paper products such as cardboard.
Q. Can I put cardboard, magazines and other paper in the blue wheelie bins?
A. Whilst not ideal, if you don’t have access to a yellow topped comingled recycling bint lower quality paper products can still be placed into the blue wheelie bins. This is because the paper products that are placed in the blue wheelie bins are sent to Flagstaff paper to paper to be sorted. All the paper products that are placed in the blue wheelie bins still get recycled the difference is that it is not sorted here at UOW but at another facility. The high quality paper is bailed and sent off to be recycled into high quality paper products. The lower quality paper is bailed and sent of to be recycled into lower quality recycled paper products. Hence the environmental outcome is the same as putting the lower quality paper in the yellow bins where they belong.
Q. What does high and low quality paper mean?
A. High quality paper products include photocopy, printer or letterhead paper, envelopes (without windows) and post-it notes.
Lower quality paper products include: newspapers, magazines and cardboard.
Q. Can I recycle paper/cardboard that has lots of sticky tape on it, such as packaging?
A. Yes, the tape is removed during the recycling process so the paper can be recycled.
Q. Can packaging marked with the recycling symbol No 4/LDPE be recycled?
A. Yes, it can be recycled into more LDPE plastic.
Q. Can polystyrene packaging with the plastic code 6 be recycled?
A. No, all polystyrene products can not be recycled in the Wollongong Council area.
Q. What can go in the blue wheelie bins?
A. Based on the outcomes of the indoor recycling trial it has been decided that the blue wheelie bins are just for recyclable paper products.
Although, the blue wheelie bins are ideally for high quality paper only, the environmental outcomes of using these bins for all paper products is the same. Paper products that are placed in the blue wheelie bins are sent to Flagstaff paper to paper to be sorted. All the paper products that are placed in the blue wheelie bins still get recycled the difference is that it is not sorted here at UOW but at another facility.
The high quality paper is bailed and sent off to be recycled into high quality paper products. The lower quality paper is bailed and sent of to be recycled into lower quality recycled paper products.
High quality paper products include photocopy, printer or letterhead paper, envelopes (without windows) and post-it notes.
Lower quality paper products include: newspapers, magazines and cardboard.
Q. Can I recycle overhead transparencies?
A. In the past the University used to participate in recycling overheads. The overheads were collected across campus then sent to 3M Australia for recycling. Unfortunately this facility is no longer available in Australia. Sending the overheads to the United States would cause more environmental damage than would be gained from the recycling process. As such recycling transparencies is no longer available. Staff are encouraged to use reusable alternatives wherever possible, such as PowerPoint slides, electronic and other whiteboards and the like.
Section 2: Questions on the servicing of Office bins
Q. How often do the bins get emptied?
A. In office areas: All waste bins are emptied by the cleaners daily. Individual recycling bins are emptied by the cleaners weekly.
In kitchen areas: Waste bins in kitchen areas are emptied by the cleaners daily. Recycling bins in kitchen areas are checked by the cleaners daily and emptied as required.
In other areas: As per current processes, wheelie bins (e.g. for paper or comingled recycling) are emptied by the attendants as needed. To arrange the bin to be emptied, contact Facilities Management Division via email buildings-service-centre@uow.edu.au and request that this bin be serviced. Please ensure you include details such as the bin type (e.g. yellow top recycling wheelie bin or blue paper wheelie bin) and where it is located.
Q. My individual recycling bin is overflowing - what should I do?
A. Individual recycling bins are emptied by the cleaners once per week. If you notice your bin is, or will be overflowing before it is due to be emptied, please empty it into the nearest recycling bin in your area. This may be in a nearby kitchen or a yellow top wheelie bin located somewhere in your building.
If this continues to be a problem contact the Environment and Sustainability Initiatives Unit by email environment_team@uow.edu.au and an individual assessment of your needs will be undertaken.
Q. My individual waste bin is overflowing - what should I do?
A. Individual waste bins are emptied by the cleaners daily. If you notice your bin is, or will be overflowing before it is due to be emptied, please empty it into the nearest waste bin in your area. This will probably be in a kitchen. If this continues to be a problem contact the Environmental and Sustainability Initiatives Unit by email environment_team@uow.edu.au and an individual assessment of your needs will be undertaken.
Q. Does my under desk individual recycling bin require a plastic bag liner?
A. As you change over to the new waste management system, it is natural for you to make mistakes and put the wrong items in the individual recycling bins.
It is a habit to use this under desk bin as a waste bin and put non recyclable items into it. As identified during the trial, mistakes happen but over time staff members adjust to the new system. As a result, the plastic liners will be left in place for at least one month to avoid messing up your bin. The cleaners will then remove the plastic liners.
Q. The central wheelie bins in our area are overflowing - what do we do?
A. Wheelie bins (e.g. for paper or comingled recycling) are emptied by the attendants as needed. Contact Facilities Management Division via email buildings-service-centre@uow.edu.au and request that this bin be serviced.
Please ensure you include details such as the bin type (e.g. yellow top recycling wheelie bin or blue paper wheelie bin) and where it is located.
Q. I think we need more bins in my area - what do we do?
A. Please contact Facilities Management Division via email buildings-service-centre@uow.edu.au with the details of your request. This request will be assessed against the indoor recycling model by the ESI unit. If the request involves a variation of the indoor recycling model then an individual assessment of needs will be conducted by the ESI unit.
Want to submit a question? Send it to environment_team@uow.edu.au .