Signs - Recycling

Global Recycling Day is held on 18 March – a worldwide initiative that recognises the importance of recycling and reducing waste for the benefit of our planet’s future. 

In Australia and probably  in many other countries, there are some big-name retailers that will help you recycle those tricky items – from mattresses and batteries to light globes – often for free. You can check them out at the bottom of this post.

With so many options you can always do you part by recycling whenever you can.

Rubbish and Recycle bins by the beach in Bunbury

The following bins are from Changi Airport in Singapore when we stopped over in Dec 2019 on our way home from the Philippines .

Big name retailers than can help you recycle: *(info from the net)

Ikea
The Swedish homewares giant will take old batteries, cardboard and light globes and recycle them for free. Simply drop them off at specially marked recycling stations near your local store’s exit.
They can also recycle your old mattresses. For $30 they will collect your old mattress when delivering your new Ikea one (the offer is only valid for in-store purchases). Alternatively, head to Soft Landing’s website, a mattress-recycling and employment initiative, to book an online collection.

Bunnings
Not sure what to do with those half-used paint tins cluttering your garage or shed? Why not drop them off at Bunnings, which will recycle them for free.

Or, take them to one of the 114 permanent Paintback collection sites across Australia (go to Paintback’s website or Facebook page to find locations near you).

Officeworks
You can take your printer cartridges, e-waste (computer, keyboards, printers, dvd's, hard-drives, etc), mobile phone, batteries and pens and markers.

Woolworths and Coles

Doing their bit for the environment doesn’t stop at plastic bag-free shopping.

Both of these supermarkets are now helping shoppers recycle their soft plastics, too.
Drop off any soft plastics you can’t recycle at home (including clean food wrapping such as cling film) in the specially marked bins outside Woolworths and Coles stores.

At Woolies, your soft plastics are then recycled by their partners’ REDcycle (Coles partners with them, too) and Replas, and made into benches, bollards and other items that are then used in Woolworths stores and carparks. 

Also good to know, every time you buy a 99-cent "Bag for Good" shopping bag at Woolworths, the money will go towards their Junior Landcare Grants Program that assists with environmental and educational projects. You might also find it helpful to know that Woolies will replace your damaged "Bag for Good" for free, no matter when you bought it.


Biome
Eco-retailer Biome sells all sorts of gorgeous skincare and fashion products, but they will recycle many of those tricky everyday items homeowners might be tempted to toss in the rubbish bin. The extensive list of items Biome accepts includes: 

• Cosmetics packaging.
• Toothbrushes and toothpaste tubes (no electronic toothbrushes).
• Wine corks.
• Pens and markers.
• CDs, Blu-ray discs, cassette tapes, memory sticks and external hard drives.
• Shampoo bottles, hair spray, hair gel tubes, shaving foam canisters, soap dispensers and makeup containers (they must be opened and cleaned out thoroughly).
• Packaging from any product purchased at Biome, including cardboard and soft and hard plastics.
• Biome Paddington and Balmoral stores in Queensland will also take coat hangers in good condition.

All cosmetics and beauty packaging must be thoroughly cleaned and opened before being handed in for recycling. Pop your clean recyclables in the TerraCycle bins in select Biome stores or hand them to sales staff at any Biome shop.
Alternatively, you can post items for recycling to Biome, 51 Douglas Street, Milton, Queensland 4064. Your items will be sent to TerraCycle, which will clean and melt them into hard plastic that is then remoulded and made into new recycled products.

Aldi
Aldi stores nationwide will recycle your rechargeable and non-rechargeable AA, AAA, C, D and 9V batteries for free, whether you bought them at Aldi or not. Just place your used batteries in the battery-recycling container at the front of Aldi stores.

Since 2013, Aldi has diverted more than 356 tonnes of battery waste destined for landfill. Batteries are sent to Aldi’s recycling partner in Melbourne and converted into feedstock for fertiliser. The process involves separating the metal from the battery using magnetism. What’s mostly left is described as ‘black mass’, which contains zinc and manganese. Both zinc and manganese are perfect for horticulture, with many crop soils in Australia lacking these vital nutrients. This means your old batteries could end up helping flowers grow.


Zara
Forget fast fashion - Spanish fashion supremo Zara has started running a sustainability-collection program that aims to extend the lifespan of your clothes. 

Simply take any clothes in good condition that you no longer wear to a participating Zara store and drop them into the labelled containers (check the Zara website to find out which stores near you are participating). Your old clothes will then be sorted and passed on to people in need.

H&M also accepts old clothing drop-offs for recycling, and I believe they give a discount voucher for each drop-off.