How to Recycle in Perth

It’s inspiring to see so many people in our communities genuinely care about the environment and actively seek the best ways to reduce and recycle waste. This shows just how much we all value our beautiful Perth environment.

Reducing waste that ends up in our landfill and recycling bins is an ideal first action. Here are a few practical ways:

Rethink purchases

Avoid buying items destined for landfill or requiring recycling at their end of life.

Choose natural and compostable options

Buy personal and household products made from and packaged in natural materials.

Refuse plastic giveaways

Say no to unnecessary plastic freebies.

Remember reusables

Carry reusable cutlery, cups, and bags when shopping or eating out.

While achieving a completely zero-waste lifestyle might feel out of reach in today’s world, every effort you make to reduce your waste truly matters!

At its core, recycling is more than just a task—it’s an opportunity to make a positive impact by reusing manufactured materials.

Recycling doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Yes, there are rules and guidelines, but with a little know-how and a positive mindset, it becomes second nature.

We hope this handy guide will help you navigate Perth’s recycling options and find the best solutions for managing your waste.

What Can Be Recycled In Your Curbside Yellow-Top Bin?

Different local councils follow different recycling programs in Perth; we have some suburbs with a two-bin system and some with a three-bin system (i.e. some areas now have access to a third organic waste bin collection). By the end of 2025, all Perth councils should have adopted FOGO collections - FOGO stands for Food and Garden Organics.

Whichever system your area has, the following list covers what CAN be accepted through most recycling (yellow-top) bin curbside collections:

• Hard plastic bottles & containers
• Steel & aluminium cans
• Aluminium foil scrunched into a fist-sized ball
• Cardboard & paper (not shredded, compacted boxes, and no grease)
• Glass jars & bottles (lids removed)

Find out what to do with jar lids, bottle lids, and other lids in this article

It is Important All Items are Clean and Dry

Wash any item that has been in contact with food as unwashed items cause contamination and can pose a health risk to recycling workers.

What To Do With Soft Plastics

Since the suspension of the popular Redcycle program, we often get asked about where to recycle soft plastics in Perth. In late 2024 Circular Seed conducted a small pilot for processing soft plastics at Floreat Forum.

We would love to see more opportunities for soft plastic recycling in Western Australia. Please write to your local Member and the major supermarket chains to request they invest in finding an urgent solution to the plastic problem.

The Redcycle program used to take the nation's soft plastics and turn them into a wide range of recycled-plastic products; from fitness circuits to sturdy outdoor furniture, bollards, signage and more.

We urgently need a solution for soft plastics recycling. We need actions at the plastic's source and to compel manufacturers and retailers to reduce the amount of single use packaging they are producing, and a switch to compostable and recyclable materials wherever possible.

Remove Organic Waste from Soft Plastics

In the meantime, ensure all soft plastics placed in the landfill bin have organic waste removed to reduce Greenhouse gas CO2 and Methane emissions.

What We Collect At Urban Revolution For Recycling

We have a community Recycling Station inside our Perth Garden and Home storethat we send to TerraCycle to be recycled properly.

Here is a list of what can be dropped off for recycling at our Vic Park store in Perth (updated October 2024):

• Plastic bread tags
• Dish and air care waste (any brand of dishwashing or air freshening products including bottles/aerosols/spray bottles/dishwasher tablet packaging/air fresheners & refills)
• *CLOSED UNTIL 2025: Oral care (any oral care product or packaging including toothpaste tubes, toothbrushes and floss containers. NO electric toothbrush bases)
• Hair care (any brand of used hair aerosol packaging with lids ON, hair care, hair colour and gloves)
• Disposable razors and razor packaging
• Skincare packaging made from plastic and glass

Blister Pack Recycling

Updated: October 2024

We often get asked about blister pack recycling. If medication packs are made of a single material (for example aluminium foil), they can be scrunched into a large ball and placed in your kerbside recycling bin.

All other blister packs that are made of mixed materials, such as part plastic and part foil, need to be recycled through a specialist program - they cannot be placed into your kerbside recycling bin.

A growing number of pharmacies are signed up to the Pharmacycle program for blister pack recycling, including branches of Chemist Warehouse and Blooms the Chemist. Check the Pharmacycle website for more info and locations.

TerraCycle

The TerraCycle Australia website is a great resource for finding other TerraCycle collection points near you.

Urban Revolution Abundance Basket

We have an Abundance Basket at our Vic Park store for community sharing of excess resources and fresh produce. Find out more here.

Where To Take Other Hard-To-Recycle Items

Use These Resources To Find Other Drop-Off Points and Further Information

Recycling in Perth is made easier with several dedicated websites and apps offering comprehensive information and services. Some of these resources are listed below:

Recycling Near You

Managed by Planet Ark, this platform offers Australia-wide recycling information, including specific details for the City of Perth. It helps users find local recycling options for various materials: https://recyclingnearyou.com.au/

Recycle Right

A Western Australian initiative providing detailed guidance on recycling practices. Their website features an A–Z materials guide and a ‘Find My Nearest’ tool to locate recycling facilities. The Recycle Right app offers functionalities such as bin day reminders and a searchable database for proper waste disposal: https://recycleright.wa.gov.au/a-z/

ReCollect

In partnership with Containers for Change, ReCollect offers a pickup service for beverage containers and electronics in Perth. Using their app, you can schedule collections and receive refunds directly: https://re-collect.com.au/locations/containers-for-change-perth

TerraCycle Public Collections

Search for collection points near you: http://www.terracyclemap.com/

Pharmacycle's Blister Pack Recycling

Find a Location: https://www.pharmacycle.com.au/find-a-location

Do You Have a Perth Recycling Resource to Share?

Please comment with any recycling resources in Perth that can be added to this recycling guide.

Thank you to everyone for your waste recycling and reduction efforts!