How well do you know your recycling labels?
There was good news this month as Queensland became the second Australian state to pass laws banning single-use plastics including straws and cutlery that are damaging our waterways and beaches and endangering wildlife.
Queensland’s new policy will officially become law on September 1 and sees the state follow South Australia’s (SA’s ban on single-use plastic came in to effect on March 1) lead in banning single-use plastic, including polystyrene food containers and cups.
While this is good news and a positive step, it does not mean the war on plastics is over and just days after announcing the new legislation ABC News reported worrying information about the waste battle being fought by Queensland council.
The report states that Queensland had a recycling contamination rate above 30 per cent in 2020. That means for every 100 tonnes of recyclables processed, 30–35 tonnes were contaminated and could not be recycled, ending up in landfill.
Not only is this a sad statistic for our environment, but it is also costing hundreds of thousands of ratepayer dollars earmarked for playgrounds, libraries and roads.
It’s so important to know what our Australian recycling symbols mean and to recycle our waste appropriately, so we have broken it down and made it simple. At Take 3 we are all about simple solutions to complex problems!
Check out our easy guide below or take our Instagram quiz to see how well you know your recycling labels.
How well do you know your recycling labels? For more information head to the Recycling Near You website
Take 3 co-founder Roberta Dixon-Valk said: “It is crucial we educate our communities about recycling. It is such an important tool in the fight on plastic and waste as we can’t just keep using and throwing away items.
“We need to create a society with a circular way of thinking so that we can re-use items and constantly use them in another way. That starts with recycling and understanding how to do this efficiently and effectively is crucial.
“It is fantastic news that Queensland and SA are making a change on single-use plastic and leading the way, but we need every state and the whole of Australia to get behind this so we can see real change.”
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