Waste & Recycling

Recent recycling changes

In 2014, we introduced a brand new way of recycling. These expanded services mean:

• You can recycle ALL plastic containers numbered 1-7 (check the bottom of your plastics to find the magic number) AND those pesky plastic shopping bags. Remember – these all go in your yellow top bin.
• You can take advantage of our $10 mattress collection service – call us and we’ll pick it up and recycle it for you for less than the cost of your lunch.
• We will separate mattresses, Ewaste and scrap metal for recycling during the General Junk Only Bulk Verge Collection

To find out exactly what you can and can’t recycle and put in your regular bin click here.

Our proactive approach

As a member of the Mindarie Regional Council (MRC), we have combined forces with the Cities of Perth, Joondalup, Wanneroo, Stirling and the Towns of Cambridge and Victoria Park to look at the bigger picture regarding waste and recycling.

The largest waste management authority in the state, the MRC is made up of two components: Tamala Park’s landfill/waste disposal and recycling precinct, and Neerabup’s new Resource Recovery Facility (RRF).

The Tamala Park landfill has a limited life span, and in order to prolong its life, we must reduce the waste being sent to landfill.

The organics processing facility, which is Neerabup’s RRF, separates the organic component from the green lid mobile garage bin, and converts it into compost. With a reduced waste of up to 70,000 tonnes per year, this facility sends only the residual (non-organic component) waste to landfill. This waste-diversion technique, together with raising awareness, educating the community, and the development and implementation of a Waste Management Strategy are just a few of the ways we are supporting the State Government's Waste 2020 vision - "Towards Zero Waste".

Interesting fact: Around 40% of the material collected from your general waste wheelie bins (the green lid bin) is turned into compost at the RRF instead of being sent to landfill.

The epic journey of your rubbish

• The City of Vincent rubbish truck tips its waste into a receiving pit that can hold the capacity of an Olympic-size swimming pool.
• A claw, or a ‘grapple’ picks up your waste, feeding it into two chutes which sorts and rejects items as it goes. With each grab, this grapple can pick up to 6 tonnes of waste, the equivalent of around 350 full wheelie bins!
• After sliding to the bottom of the chutes, the waste goes into two composters to be broken down over three days of constant tumbling motion. Water gets thrown into the mix to speed up decomposition, along with oxygen to help prevent the production of methane or foul-smelling gasses.
• This raw composted material is then sent into a trammel, which is a rotating barrel with holes the size of 50 cent piece. Materials that don’t make it through the holes, which are mostly non-organic, are sent to landfill.
• This compost is then sent to a maturation hall for 28 days, where it is broken down further.
• The compost is screened yet again to remove bigger particles like glass and plastic, and then put through a pulveriser. The pulveriser crushes everything to the size of a grain of sand – or smaller!

You can help produce better quality compost for Perth's nutrient-deficient soils by:

1. Keep recyclables (including all glass) out of the green general waste bin
2. Keep Household Hazardous Waste out of the green general waste bin
3. Reduce, reuse and rethink the stuff you buy, and have a think about where it might end up at the end of its life

Relevant Links:

• Waste and Recycling Guide and Verge Collection Dates
• A-Z Recycling Guide
• What is Household Hazardous Waste?
• Earth Carers - Volunteers from the community who learn ways to protect the environment reducing, reusing and recycling waste.
• REmida - A reuse centre running a free Recovery Reuse Program for metropolitan businesses. Remida also have an extensive educational program, running workshops for school groups and in festival settings which aim to revalue discarded materials, redefine the waste misconception and inspire creative solutions to environmental problems. 

Need more info?

Give the folks at Perth Waste Green Recycling a call on 1300 781 114

Or, our people over at the Waste Minimisation will be happy to help on 9273 6000 or mail@vincent.wa.gov.au