How to reduce contamination

"If in doubt, throw it out" that's HRR's motto. If you are unsure if an item can be placed in the recycling bin, then either refer to the information sticker placed under the bin lid, telephone HRR on freecall 1800 83 8884 , or place the item in the garbage bin.

Items that should not be placed in the recycling bin are called "contaminants". Contaminants can be dangerous in the recycling process and should be avoided.

Residents of Cessnock, Lake Macquarie and Maitland City Councils are recycling correctly, as the contamination rate is only 1%. A great effort considering over 112,000 recycling bins are collected each fortnight..

Don't forget that if an item cannot be recycled in the HRR recycling bin, there may be other organisations that can take that product. See the Yellow Pages or contact your Local Council or HRR for more details.