Discover How to Combat Wishcycling for Better Recycling Outcomes

What do people often get wrong about recycling?

The most common recycling mistakes are putting plastic bags and soft plastics in the home recycling bin – these cause problems at the Material Recycling Facility (MRF) and get caught up in the sorting machines. These items can be dropped off at Coles and Woolworths in the REDcycle bin for recycling.

Another common mistake is placing recyclables in a plastic bag in the home recycling bin. These bags get picked out manually and end up in landfill. All recyclable items should be kept loose in the recycling bin. Food scraps are another common problem as they can lower the quality of the paper stream in mixed systems. It’s best to follow council instructions for food organics or use your own compost bin or worm farm.

What are the impacts on wishcycling, and how big is this issue in Australia?

Wishcycling is a problem in Australia. The average Australian home recycling bin contains about 13% contamination, but this varies from council to council. It can cause increased recycling costs through the extra time and resources needed to unclog or repair machinery. If in doubt, leave it out!

Who is responsible for the amount of waste we have? Individuals, businesses, manufacturers or government?

Waste is everyone’s responsibility, and it starts at the design phase. Products and packaging need to be designed by manufacturers with their end of life in mind. Businesses need to take responsibility for the waste they produce and the waste produced in a product value chain.

The good news is that this is now a real government focus with investment in product stewardship schemes helping drive these initiatives. Government can also help with investment in the right sort of behaviour change education for businesses and individuals.

And of course, individuals need to play their role by voting with their dollars and purchasing products made by manufacturers that take sustainability seriously. This can include looking for products or packaging using recycled content to close the recycling loop.

How do we solve wishcycling?

Designing out waste and keeping materials circulating are vital principles of a circular economy, but there is a knowledge gap. Planet Ark’s recent report for the Australian Circular Economy Hub, Circularity in Australian Business: Awareness, Knowledge and Perceptions, found 81% of business decision-makers said they were knowledgeable about the circular economy, but only 27% could correctly define what it was.

So education is critical for businesses and government. Individuals can avoid wishcycling with the mantra “Check it before you chuck it” and look for the Australasian Recycling Label (ARL) on packaging, or check Recycling Near You for council services and drop off recycling options. Again, if in doubt, leave it out. You can also check Planet Ark’s new Recycling Guide.