Join the Joondalup GREAT Waste Challenge

The City of Joondalup, in conjunction with the City of Cockburn and the Waste Authority, ran a series of FREE workshops highlighting the importance of being a GREAT Sort. Have a look at some of the highlights and key take aways from our workshops.

G – Gift: This workshop covers the importance of gifting items that you already own – either to charity, to swap or to sell.

R – Recycle: This workshop covers the importance of recycling only five things – cans, plastic, paper, glass and cardboard.

E – Earth-cycle: This workshop covers how you can earth-cycle food scraps and garden waste into compost.

A – Avoid: This workshop covers the need to avoid excess packaging by taking shopping bags, reusing or borrowing items and to ask yourself the right question – ‘do I actually need to buy this product?’

T – Take: This workshop covers the history of plastic, why it was invented and the impacts on society, environment and economy.

Make your pledge today on ways you will contribute to being a GREAT Sort via social media using the #joondalupGREATwastechallenge.

See what some residents have already made a pledge for:
‘I pledge to reduce the use of plastic’, Jude, Take Workshop’I pledge to teach my grandchildren’, Tom, Take Workshop
‘I pledge to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle!’, Nisha, Take Workshop
‘I pledge to do more to reduce plastic usage at work and home’, Emily, Take Workshop
‘I pledge to reduce my purchasing of overtly single-use products’, Malcolm, Take Workshop
‘I pledge to reduce my household plastic, recycle correctly, and use the Containers for Change scheme’, Caryn, Take Workshop
‘I pledge to set up a compost bin to put my food scraps’, Annie, Woodvale
‘I pledge to encourage my children to recycle correctly and make sure that they know soft plastics do not go into the recycling bin’, Steven, Burns Beach.
‘I pledge to spread the word of reducing waste’, Anonymous, Earth-Cycle Workshop
‘I pledge to start a mini worm farm’, Jennifer, Earth-Cycle Workshop
‘I pledge to use my bokashi more efficiently’, Anonymous, Earth-Cycle Workshop
‘I pledge to purchase a compost bin and use it on a regular basis’, Catherine, Earth-Cycle Workshop
‘I pledge to definitely purchase a compost bin and use it on a regular basis’, Sandra, Earth-Cycle Workshop
‘I pledge to use our compost bin better and turn it more regularly’, Deb, Earth-Cycle Workshop
‘I pledge to spread the words to have zero organic waste to landfill’, Anonymous, Earth-Cycle Workshop
‘I pledge to try and do more recycling and be aware of what I buy’, Maryanne, Avoid Workshop
‘I pledge to buy less plastic’, Vianney, Avoid Workshop
‘I pledge to reduce my use of single use plastic’, Vicky, Avoid Workshop
‘I pledge to stop buying long-life milk’, James, Avoid Workshop
‘I pledge to save up my blister packs and take them to St Nic Recycle Hub’, Mel, Recycle Workshop
‘I pledge to educate our 4 grandchildren on recycling’, Annette, Recycle Workshop
‘I pledge to remove bottle tops’, Deborah, Recycle Workshop
‘I pledge to help spread the message’, Hilary, Recycle Workshop
‘I pledge to ensure that I sort household waste correctly and place into the correct bins’, Sandra, Recycle Workshop
‘I pledge to not waste food’, Shirley, Recycle Workshop
‘I pledge to think twice about buying a product that can be recycled and placing materials into the correct bins’, Maryanne, Recycle Workshop
‘I pledge to do my best to educate my son and his family, and to look for alternatives to individual packaged items e.g. snacks’, Susan, Recycle Workshop
‘I pledge to reuse items and when replacing them to buy metal and glass products’, Rani, Recycle Workshop
‘I pledge to avoid and reuse’, Andy, Recycle Workshop
‘I pledge to use more green waste at home’, Jennifer, Recycle Workshop
‘I pledge to strongly think about how much waste is going to be generate when purchasing items e.g. single use yoghurt packets’, Zak and Rock, Recycle Workshop
‘I pledge to keep learning, implementing, and sharing knowledge’, Marian, Recycle Workshop
‘I pledge to ensure i dispose of products with batteries at Tamala Park’, Rana, Recycle Workshop
‘I pledge to wash everything before placing into the recycle bin’, Meryl, Recycle Workshop
‘I pledge to do better!’, Graham, Recycle Workshop
‘I pledge to continue spreading the word – Reuse first!’, Karen, Recycle Workshop
‘I pledge to think about packaging I buy’, Rhonda, Recycle Workshop
To keep up to date with future sustainability events, sign up to the City of Joondalup’s Sustainability newsletter.
This project is supported by the Government of Western Australia and the Waste Authority.

 

This project is supported by the Government of Western Australia and the Waste Authority.

Recycling with Marian Green: Founder of St Nic’s Recycling Hub

Marian Green established the St Nic’s Recycling Hub in Duncraig at the beginning of 2022. The Hub collects large volumes of recyclables each month from the community, that may otherwise have ended up in landfill. 

Putting waste in the right place

There are lots of recyclable materials that are not suitable to be placed into the recycling kerbside system and can be recycled through other sources. Since founding the Hub, Marian has worked hard in sourcing destination recyclers, running educational sessions with community groups, liaising with governments and interest groups, promoting the Hub through Facebook, and completing all the general administration tasks to keep the Hub running.  

A “Green” community effort

Marian can’t remember a time when she wasn’t volunteering and helping the community. Her parents inspired her efforts as they were always volunteering for different organisations throughout their lives. What motivates Marian with her efforts at the Hub are the amazing people from the community that she meets each Hub day.  

Marian believes we all have a responsibility to care for the planet, and creating St Nic’s Recycling Hub has been her way of upholding this responsibility and encouraging recycling throughout the community.  

You can recycle at the Hub on the 3rd Saturday of every month, 9am – 11am at St Nicolas Anglican Church, Cnr Poynter Drive & Beach Road, Duncraig.

What items can you recycle at the Hub?

  • Plastic lids and plastic bread tags.
  • Plastic plant pots and plant tags.
  • Oral care products.
  • Pens: including felt tips, highlighters, markers, mechanical pencils, correction tape, liquid paper.
  • Household batteries and printer cartridges.
  • E-waste and mobile phones.
  • Light globes.
  • Disposable razors.
  • Medication blister packs (with a donation to cover costs of recycling these).
  • Containers for Change: Donate your refund to St Nic’s by bringing along your 10c containers.

Marian’s tips for starting on your recycling journey

  1. Start small and build your way up. 
  2. Learn what can and can’t go in the recycling (yellow lid) kerbside bin. For further information, visit Recycling bin (yellow lid).
  3. Choose one more recyclable to divert from landfill. Once it becomes a habit, pick one more and then repeat! 

Get involved

If you have already nailed your recycling efforts at home and you want to further help recycling efforts for the community and the planet, residents can help out in many ways. 

A few ideas from Marian include: 

  • Start your own “Sub Hub”. These are recycling collection points within your community such as at a retirement village, childcare centre, school, sporting club or elsewhere. Collections are then brought to the St Nic’s Recycling Hub each month.  
  • Own a café? You could collect milk bottles and soft drink bottle lids or containers and deliver them to the Hub regularly. You can also donate your coffee granules to local community gardens or via Sharewaste. 
  • Prefer volunteering? St Nic’s Recycling Hub is always looking for people to help collect recyclables and deliver them to destination recyclers. 

For more information on how you can help Marian’s recycling movement, contact her via email. You can also follow St Nic’s Hub Facebook page.

For further information and about locations where items can be recycled, visit:

Additional recycling bin (Yellow lid bin)

If you consistently have more recycling waste than will fit in your bin, you can order an additional recycling bin for an extra fee.

The establishment fee ($74.00) and annual service fee ($56.00) for the first year is $130.00 and is payable upon application.  The annual fee thereafter will be added to the annual rates and charges.

Please note: The person applying for the additional bin needs to be the owner of the property or the managing agent.

What can I put in my Recycle Bin?

Want to order an additional recycling bin? please complete the form below.

Containers for Change

The Containers for Change scheme (ran by Western Australia Return Recycle Renew – WARRRL) was designed to help reduce litter, improve recycling rates, create new business and employment opportunities across the State, and also provide a new way for community organisations and charities to raise money.

More information on how the scheme works can be found on the Containers for Change website. Start collecting by checking for the 10c mark on your container. If there is no 10c mark, please place the container in the general waste bin (this includes take away coffee cups). Find your nearest refund point.

The City have also installed Containers for Change exchange points in various locations. The exchange points are in the form of a basket or cradle attached to some of the existing bins. Whilst you are out and about, if you don’t want to take home your 10c container to return to the drop off point, place it in one of the baskets or cradles and let someone else gain or donate the 10c refund.

Some of the locations include:

  • Iluka Foreshore, Iluka
  • Mawson Park, Hillarys
  • Sorrento Foreshore, Sorrento
  • Tom Simpson Park, Mullaloo
  • Whitford Nodes, Hillarys
  • Outside Lakeside Joondalup Shopping Centre (Boas Ave)

Reducing waste

Avoid – prevent waste in the first instance

  • Maintain and repair items rather than disposing of them
  • Grow your own fruit, vegetables, herbs and nuts at home
  • Purchase quality products that have no or minimal packaging.

Reduce – to produce less waste

  • Refuse single plastic e.g. coffee cups, produce bags
  • Purchase in bulk where possible
  • Say no to junk mail
  • Use beeswax wraps instead of cling wrap or foil
  • Only purchase what you need.

Reuse – use the same item more than once

  • Take your own reusable shopping and produce bags to the shops
  • Consider hosting a garage sale
  • Find creative ways to repurpose waste for practical purposes, art projects or gifts
  • Consider purchasing eco-friendly products made from recycled materials
  • Opt for reusable rather than disposable products, such as keep cups instead of disposable coffee cups, carry your own utensils to avoid single use knives, forks and spoons
  • Take reusable items to the REUSE shop at Tamala Park.

Recycle – converting waste materials into new materials and objects

  • Recycle all paper, cardboard, milk and juice cartons, glass bottles and jars, aluminium and steel cans, plastic bottles and containers in the yellow lid recycling bin
  • Green waste from the lime green lid is turned into compost
  • Place food or garden waste in a compost or worm farm at home
  • Take eligible containers to a Containers for Change drop off point
  • Clean and undamaged clothes can be donated to a local charity shop
  • Local schools can participate in a waste education program funded by the City of Joondalup, please visit the City’s Waste education page or call 9400 4077 for further information.

Please refer to the A-Z Waste Disposal Guide to ensure you are sorting your waste correctly.

Other useful resources

Recycling bin (yellow lid)

Tips for using your recycling bin:

  1. Keep recyclables loose and not in bags.
  2. Flatten cardboard boxes and squash plastic bottles and cans.
  3. Remove lids from all bottles, jars, containers – place lids in general waste bin.
  4. Rinse items.
  5. If you are filling up your recycling bin each fortnight, use the online form to apply for a FREE bigger 360L recycling bin.
Accepted in recycling bin (examples) Not accepted in recycling bin (examples)
Clean rigid plastics – bottles and containers, rigid plastic containers Nappies and animal waste
Clean paper e.g. magazines, newspaper etc. Soft plastic e.g. plastic bags, cling wrap, chip wrappers
Clean cardboard e.g. egg cartons, cereal boxes etc. Electronic waste (e-waste)
Clean aluminium and steel – food, drink and pet food cans Household hazard waste (inc. batteries and aerosols, paint etc.)
Clean glass – (including broken glass) – food and drink bottles and jars. Shredded paper
Green waste – place into garden organics bin
Clothing and textiles
Medical waste and syringes
Tetra Paks e.g. soy milk cartons etc.

Missed or half emptied bins

If your recycling bin was missed/not emptied on your collection day, please contact the City 9400 4000.

Recycling Processing

The items you dispose of in your yellow lid recycling bin are taken to a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) where they are separated into the different material type.

The separation of the recycling involves the items being put onto conveyor belts that are connected to sorting machines and separated into different materials such as; paper and cardboard, plastics, aluminium, steel and glass.

These materials are then shipped to the recycling plants to be re-made into new things. Some of the recycling plants are in Australia with others overseas, mostly in Asia.

Car battery and engine oil

Batteries, oil and other hazardous products must not be disposed of in household waste and recycling bins. These are considered Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) and therefore must be taken to the correct drop off facility for processing and recycling.

There are several drop off centres that residents can continue to effectively and safely dispose of batteries and motor oils, free of charge:

  • Tamala Park Recycling Facility, 1700 Marmion Avenue, Mindarie
  • Recycling Centre Balcatta, 238 Balcatta Road, Balcatta
  • Wangara Greens Recycling Facility, 70 Motivation Drive, Wangara
  • Various retail outlets that sell batteries and engine oils who have disposal options which may be local to you.

Search the waste disposal guide or HHW page for more information.

 

Where to recycle batteries and other items

Battery Recycling

City of Joondalup Libraries

Duncraig Joondalup Whitford Woodvale
Mobile phones
Batteries  √
Printer cartridge
Compact fluoro globes
Corks
Lego
Spectacles

Each library has purpose built recycle bins.

Other locations

Joondalup Customer Service Centre Tamala Park Officeworks Bunnings, Coles and Aldi Woolworths
Mobile phones  √
Batteries
Printer cartridge
Compact fluoro globes
Long fluoros

 

There are also many other drop-off points around locally. Use the B-Cycle website to find your closest drop off point.