Waste initiatives

Discover waste initiatives like Containers for Change and how to donate to our partner charities, alongside tips for sorting waste to reduce landfill impact. 

Be a GREAT sort: Your guide to reducing waste 

Every year, Australians generate around 21 million tonnes of waste—that's almost one tonne per person. This staggering amount comes from our homes, gardens, and even during construction projects. But you can make a difference! Embracing the "GREAT" principles can significantly reduce waste, benefitting both our community and the environment. 

  • G - Gift: Don't throw away items that still have life in them. Donate to charity, swap, or sell them instead. This gives your belongings a second chance and can help someone in need. 
  • R - Recycle these 5: That’s paper, cardboard, and cans as well as plastic and glass (containers, bottles and jars). Use your yellow lid recycling bin for these items. 
  • E - Earth-cycle: Compost your food scraps and garden waste at home. Turning organic waste into compost is great for your garden and the planet. 
  • A - Avoid: Say no to excess packaging and unnecessary food waste. Choose products with minimal or no packaging and buy only what you need. 
  • T - Take: Utilise drop-off points for items like electronics, hazardous waste, and the Containers for Change program. These dedicated spots make it easy to properly dispose of or recycle specific items. 

By adopting these practices, not only do we contribute to waste reduction, but we also support local community programs and sustainability initiatives. For more detailed information on how to be a great sorter and to explore more ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle, visit the dedicated WasteSorted website

Containers for Change

Join the Containers for Change program by placing empty containers e.g. drink bottles marked with the 10c refund label into any bin with the Containers for Change basket attached. This allows you to recycle effectively and gives others the chance to claim or donate the 10c refund. 

Remember, only containers marked with the 10c refund label should be placed in the basket. Other items like takeaway coffee cups, should go into the general waste bin. 

Bins with the Container for Change basket attached can be found at: 

  • Mawson Park, Hillarys 
  • Sorrento Foreshore, Sorrento 
  • Whitford Nodes, Hillarys 
  • Outside Lakeside Joondalup Shopping Centre 

For more information on how to participate and find additional locations, please visit the Containers for Change website.  

Adopt-a-Spot

Adopt-a-Spot is an anti-litter program that engages volunteers (individuals, community groups, business groups) to undertake coordinated litter clean-ups of designated sites in their communities. Sites include but are not limited to roadsides, streets, parks, waterways, bush trails, beaches and wetlands. 

For more information please visit the Adopt a Spot website.

Bin tagging

The 2025 bin tagging program starts in February. The City is working with WA Local Government Association (WALGA) to provide bin tagging education to randomly selected households. Funding and support has been provided by WALGA to assist the City with the program.

Terms and Conditions apply.

Frequently Asked Questions

Bin tagging is a program that provides households with direct feedback on the contents of their kerbside bins (general waste - red lid, recycling - yellow lid, and garden organics - green lid). The program is designed to be educational, and to help ensure waste is being placed within the correct waste stream. 

Information on what goes into the correct bins can be found on the Residential bins collections page.
 

Community waste educators start early on the morning of the bin collection day in the respective area. A visual inspection of the bin will take place while the bin is on the verge before the waste truck collects the contents. Once the inspection has taken place and the data has been recorded, a tag will be placed on to the bin handle. The tag will display a happy face or a sad face. If the bin receives a happy face, this means the material(s) in the bin are correct. If the bin receives a sad face, there will be some feedback on the tag about what needs to change or be improved. 

The program generally takes place over a six-week period (general waste and recycling one week, followed by general waste and garden organics the next week – dependant on the household schedule). Each set of bins will be inspected three times.  

On the last inspection, if the household has received unhappy faces in previous inspections and there is still contamination present, or the bin is heavily contaminated, the bin will receive a tag that reads: ‘We were not able to collect your bin today’. The bin will be taped shut, pulled away from the kerb, and will not be emptied until the contamination has been rectified. The bin will be inspected again the following collection day to ensure the contamination has been removed.
 

The program will last six weeks. If your household has been selected, you will receive a minimum of six visits from the bin tagging team. The program will be running between February and April 2025.

The City of Joondalup participated in the initial trial of bin tagging in 2015 in partnership with Western Australian Local Government Association (WALGA), in 2016, and again in 2023. The results from 2023 demonstrated correct recycling rates increased from 44 per cent to 63 per cent (19 per cent improvement). 

It is extremely important materials are being placed into the correct bin. Bin tagging will assist the City with achieving higher results in correct separation, less contamination, and with the aim to reduce the total amount of waste generated. 
 

General waste, recycling, and garden organic bins across various suburbs within the City of Joondalup. One week will be the general waste and recycling bins, another week will be general waste and garden organics. 

For each inspection data will be recorded. This will include if there is any contamination, the type of contamination, and the level of contamination. 

The data will be provided on a community level. Don't worry, no household will be identified. The data will also be used to by the City’s Waste team to identify areas that are commonly misunderstood. For example, which bin should soft plastics be placed (general waste – red lid bin). 

No. The program is designed to be educational, and no fines will be issued. 

The tags have been standardised across all local governments to ensure a consistent message. The tags are designed with a 'happy' or 'sad' face, with some additional information about items that can and cannot be placed into each bin. 

When the bin is on verge, it is council property. The community waste educators will complete a visual inspection of the contents of the bin. They will not individually inspect each piece of rubbish. If you are concerned about any private information placed into your kerbside bin, it is recommended to shred those documents. If your household has been selected in the program, and you would like to be removed from the program, please do not hesitate to get in touch with the City on 9400 4000.

Over 2,000 properties have been randomly selected to participate in the program. If your household has been selected, an information leaflet containing some information will be left at the property on the first visit. You will also see the tags left on your bins. 

If there is contamination inside any of the bins, the community waste educators will place a tag with a sad face and leave some feedback on the tag. If the contents do not change over the duration of the program, on the final visit the bin will receive ‘We were not able to collect your bin today’ tag. The bin will be taped shut, pulled away from the kerb, and will not be emptied until the contamination has been rectified. Luckily this does not happen too often.

Sadly, yes. In the latest bin audit completed in 2024, it was identified that recycling bins are being contaminated, and valuable recoverable material is being placed into the general waste bin.

Types of contaminants found within the recycle bin during the audit were materials such as food waste, textiles, garden waste, incorrect plastics, and contaminated cardboard. For example,  dirty pizza box. These materials can contaminate the correct, clean materials, causing the entire load to end up in landfill rather than the materials being recovered. 
 

Please ensure you have a look at the tag/s as there will be some feedback left on the for the household. If you are still unsure, feel free to get in touch with the waste team on 9400 4000

Initially, nothing. Continue to put your bins out before 6am on collection day. Once you have received your first set of tags:

  1. If you receive a tag with a happy face, you don't need to do anything different. Thank you and keep up the good work!
  2. If you receive an unhappy face tag, please ensure you read the comments and make the changes before your next bin collection / bin tagging day. 
     

If you receive a happy face tag on both of the bins being inspected, you will automatically be entered into the prize draw. There will be a weekly prize draw, and a prize draw at the conclusion of the program. You will be contacted by the City’s waste team if you are winner.

Both the weekly and overall prize is a $50 Coles/Myer gift card. There are a total of seven (7) prizes and the total prize pool is valued at $350. Refer to the Terms and Conditions for further details.

No. The City received a grant from the State Government administered via WALGA to participate in the bin tagging program this year. 

Please get in touch with the waste team on 9400 4000 or email info@joondalup.wa.gov.au.

Alternatively, if you see the community waste educators out and about tagging bins, feel free to stop and ask questions. 

Donating clothing and textiles

Give your unwanted clothing and textiles a new life by donating them to one of the City's charity partners. Your donations can make a significant difference in someone's life and help reduce waste. 

These charities offer pick-up services for good quality, larger household furniture items. Contact them directly to arrange a pick-up. 

Our charity partners: 

Please donate only items in good condition that can benefit someone in need. If your items are broken or in poor condition, consider disposing of them through bulk waste collection instead.  

Waste education programs and initiatives 

Looking to make a difference in how waste is managed at your home, school, or workplace? Our waste education programs offer a range of resources and initiatives designed to empower you with the knowledge to reduce waste effectively. Find out about waste education for schools

Sustainable living practices

Embrace a lifestyle that supports our environment and community without sacrificing the well-being of future generations. Our sustainable living section provides information on adopting sustainable practices in your home, garden, and daily life.  

More information and contacts

For more information about the City’s waste initiatives, contact our Customer Care team on 9400 4000. 

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