Why should we care about the 3 Rs?

• Each Australian produces on average about one tonne of rubbish per year.
• 22.45 million tonnes of waste was sent landfill across the country in 2002.
• In 2004-2005 over 5.6 million tonnes were dumped in NSW landfills, making us one of the highest waste producers in the world.
• On average, over 80% of what we throw away can be recycled and/or reused.
• Studies have shown that while we are recycling more, we are also throwing more away.
  
  Reduce
  
  Be a smart consumer and look for:
  • Goods with little or no packaging;
  • Concentrates or refills;
  • Items that can be repaired or reused;
  • Items made from materials that can be recycled - like cardboard and aluminium;
  • Recycled products - such as paper, aluminium cans, glass bottles and some plastic containers; and
  • Energy and water-saving products.
    
    When shopping:
    • Always take your own reusable shopping bags;
    • Avoid single-use items and over-packaged items; and
    • Ask yourself the question - do I really need this much?
      
      Re-use
      
      Find another way of using something rather than throwing it away, for example:
      • Use glass jars for storage;
      • Magazines, paper, cardboard and some aluminium foil items can be used for craft or school projects;
      • Hold a garage sale instead of throwing things away;
      • Donate old clothes and games to charity organisations; and
      • Start composting or worm-farming, it's great fun and is good for your garden or pot plants.
        
        Recycle
        • Recycling saves precious resources and energy.
        • According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), 97 percent of all households participate in the national kerbside recycling system.
        • In NSW most homes have recycling bins for cans, bottles, paper and cardboard. Our recycling is taken to a Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) and sorted by a series of machines and people, then transferred for reprocessing into new products.
        • In 2004 / 2005 1.009 million tonnes of recyclables where collected from kerbsides in NSW.
          
          Recycling Tips - Sort it, check it, keep it clean
          • Sort your items, and check with your council information to make sure they can be recycled.
          • Check that the plastics you are recycling have the right tattoo or plastics recycling code number on the bottom (see fact sheet on Plastics).
          • Remove all lids and put them in the garbage bin, and recycle your real corks through your local Girl Guides Association.
          • Rinse out your recycling after you've finished the washing-up - it doesn't use any extra water and it stops pests invading your recycling bin.
          • If you are not sure what recyclables your local council collects, check on Recycling Near You.
            
            Don't contaminate your recycling. It can cause problems at the Materials Recycling Facility and result in materials being discarded instead of re-used. Please don't put these items into the recycling or garden organics bin:
            • Food waste - including pizza boxes and leftovers;
            • Medical waste, such as needles and dialysis bags;
            • Plastic bags - even the ones with symbols on them;
            • Disposable nappies;
            • Polystyrene boxes and cups;
            • Disposable plastic cutlery; and
            • Chemicals, paints, car batteries or hazardous materials - contact your local council about proper disposal and collection programs.
              
              Close the Loop and Buy It Back!
              There's no point in recycling if we don't buy back the products made from recycled materials. As consumers we can have a great influence on the kinds of products made available to us, by changing our shopping habits and choosing environmentally-friendly products.
              
              So the next time you go shopping, whether it's for home, school or play, look for items that are either made from recycled materials or can be recycled or reused.
              
              Sources:
              Corporate Recycling
              
              Department of Environment and Climate Change
              
              Publishers National Environment Bureau
              
              Recycling Near You
              
              Visy Recycling