There are two sides to making recycling work. Most people are familiar with the household recycling side where they separate recyclable materials from their rubbish and make it available for recycling instead of sending it to land fill.

However, the recycling process isn't completed until someone buys back and uses the products that are made from the materials recycled.

PLANET ARK'S TOP RECYCLING TIPS !

National Recycling Week is a good time to start reducing your impact on the environment.

If you're not sure about what's recyclable in your area, remember to call the Recycling Officer at your local council or find out online by visiting www.RecyclingNearYou.com.au. Too much rubbish is put in our recycling bins because people think something is recyclable when in fact it isn't.

Here are some tips to get you started.

1. When you put materials into your recycling bin, don't put them in a plastic bag. Don't put oven-proof glass, drinking glasses or ceramic mugs in your bin either. Just 25g of oven-proof glass can contaminate one tonne of normal glass, making it useless for recycling.
2. All types of printer cartridges are now recyclable all around Australia. Click here to find out where you can recycle them in your area.
3. Drink cans are commonly recycled. However, many people forget about the cans they drink from away from home. Don't litter them, put them in a bin when you're finished or, better still, take them home with you and recycle them with your other recyclable items.
4. Help close the loop on recycling. Last year, 8,000 tonnes of office paper was recycled into 'SAFE' toilet tissue. 35 million rolls of this product are now bought every year, allowing the makers to keep recycling more office paper.
5. Keep recycling those newspapers and magazines! Last year, we recycled the equivalent of 1 billion newspapers into newsprint and other paper materials. When it comes to newspapers and magazines, we are arguably the best recyclers in the world.

There are four ways that you can "Buy Right".

1. Aim for less packaging.

   The '3R's of Waste Minimisation' are REDUCE, REUSE and RECYCLE. Packaging is important as it prevents waste caused by food spoiling. But do we really need every serve to be individually wrapped and extra layers to "seel in the freshness"?

   Try to avoid products that have excessive or unnecessary packaging.

2. Make sure that the products that you buy have recyclable packaging that can be recycled in your area.

   Wherever possible choose items that come in cans, boxes or jars that can be recycled once you’ve used them. For example – self-saucing puddings come can come in cans and plastic tubs. Most councils collect food cans and they are fully recyclable. However, one brand of pudding comes in a plastic that is generally not collected by councils.

   Think about the waste that will be generated as a result of you buying that item and choose products

3. Buy products that have recycled content in their packaging.

   Food cans, glass bottles, some soft drink bottles, aluminium cans and some cardboard boxes are made from recycled materials and are often recyclable after use. Choose items with this kind of packaging rather than packaging made entirely from virgin raw materials.

   It's important to "buy recycled" as this creates a demand for recycled materials and keeps the recycling industries healthy financially. So support the recycling industries and buy recycled whereever possible.

4. Buy products made from recycled materials.

   Some products are themselves made from recycled materials, not just their packaging. For example SAFE toilet tissue is made from recycled office paper.

   The average Australian household uses 94 rolls of toilet paper every year. If each household substituted four rolls of ordinary toilet tissue with SAFE recycled toilet tissue an extra 10,000 tonnes of office paper could be recycled.

   There are many other products that are made from recycled materials. The following is a sample of the diverse range of materials that currently contain recycled content.

PAPER PRODUCTS
Paper products that may contain recycled content include:-

• newspapers
• cereal boxes
• writing paper
• fast food bags
• cardboard containers
• wrapping paper
• tissues and towels (such as SAFE toilet tissue and paper towel)
• animal bedding
• mulch
• insulation

PLASTIC PRODUCTS
Plastic products that can be made from recycled materials include:-

• soft drink bottles
• detergent bottles
• picnic tables
• office products
• bags
• bicycle racks
• carpeting
• highlighters
• markers
• benches
• thermometers
• brooms
• t-shirts
• jackets
• compost bins & worm farms
• mobile garbage bins
• landscaping materials

GLASS
Products that can be made from recycled glass include:-

• glass containers
• abrasives
• tiles
• liquid filter
• insulation materials

STEEL
Various products that include recycled steel are:-

• cans
• automobiles
• refrigerators
• bicycles
• nails
• steel cans

CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS
Construction materials that are made from recycled products include:-

• concrete
• bricks
• drain pipes
• fence posts and fencing
• thermal insulation

RUBBER PRODUCTS
Products that are made from recycled rubber include:-

• bulletin boards
• floor tiles and mats
• playground equipment
• traffic calming devices
• asphalt modifier

TRANSPORTATION
Transportation uses of recycled products include:-

• anti-freeze
• retread tyres
• re-refined oil