Sound familiar? Too many of us are guilty of ‘wishcycling’ – putting items we aren’t too sure about into the household recycling bin, assuming someone will get them where they need to go.

This attitude doesn’t just complicate life for the people who run our recycling facilities – it contaminates vast quantities of perfectly viable recyclables, defeating the purpose of sorting our bins in the first place.

For the latest in our UQ Mythbusters series, Dr Anthony Halog from the School of the Environment is here to empower us all and give the planet a helping hand with an expert guide to what can and can’t go in the yellow bin.

Key points

• When it comes to plastics, only clean firm/rigid plastics go in the recycling bin.
• Soft plastics aren’t accepted kerbside yet, but there are trials underway.
• Greasy pizza boxes go in the landfill bin, not recycling.
• Tetra Paks – the cartons that most alternative and long-life milks are sold in – are mostly not recyclable.
• Batteries, e-waste, coffee cups, light bulbs and polystyrene are only recyclable via special facilities, not kerbside.
• Broken glass and textiles don’t belong in the yellow bin either.
• Bottle caps are okay, but keep plastic lids screwed onto their bottles!

What do you think is the number one myth about what can and can’t go in household recycling bins in Australia?

The number one myth is that all plastics are recyclable. In Brisbane, only hard plastics (bottles, tubs and containers) are accepted in yellow bins. Soft plastics like chip packets, cling wrap and bread bags are not.

Overseas, many European cities have advanced plastic-separation systems – but, in Australia, putting the wrong plastics in kerbside bins leads to contamination and good recyclables going to landfill.

What’s going on with soft plastics these days – can they be recycled or not?

Soft plastics are in transition. The REDcycle collapse in 2022 left a gap, but Queensland has funded new pilots in Brisbane, Cairns, Sunshine Coast and Goondiwindi to test drop-off and kerbside collection.

For now, soft plastics do not go in the yellow bin. Internationally, Japan and some EU countries recycle soft plastics through advanced energy recovery or specialised collection streams — a model Australia is gradually moving towards.

What about firm plastic – can it all go in the recycling bin or are there parameters?

Firm plastics are widely accepted in kerbside recycling in Brisbane and elsewhere: bottles, milk jugs, shampoo containers and hard tubs. But they must be clean, empty and loose (that is, not inside a plastic bag). Toys, composite materials or oversized hard plastics often require drop-off at resource recovery centres instead.

This mirrors practices in Europe, where only ‘mono-material’ firm or rigid plastics are processed at scale, while mixed or contaminated rigid plastics are excluded.

How ‘clean’ are we talking? Should we ever put pizza boxes in recycling, for example?

Even small amounts of oil or food can spoil entire recycling batches. In Brisbane, pizza boxes are recyclable only if clean: recycle the lid if grease-free, and compost or bin the base if stained.

Overseas, some European plants use de-inking and advanced pulping to handle light contamination, but here at home the golden rule is: if in doubt, leave it out.

Lots of us are drinking alternative milk these days, which comes in a carton known as a ‘Tetra Pak’ – can those be recycled?

Tetra Paks (cartons) are complicated. In Brisbane, fresh milk/juice cartons may be recyclable, but long-life foil-lined cartons are usually not. They require specialist facilities to separate the paper, plastic, and aluminium layers.

In Europe, some countries collect them separately for fibre recovery, but Australia’s infrastructure is limited. For now, check your local council’s advice before putting them in the yellow bin.

If we aren’t sure about whether something can be recycled, should we just pop it in the recycling bin in case? What impact does that have at processing facilities?

No. ‘Wishcycling’ – putting doubtful items in the bin ‘just in case’ – causes more harm than good. Non-accepted items can jam machinery, increase costs and contaminate good recyclables, often forcing whole truckloads to landfill.

Facilities in Germany and Sweden show that high recycling rates depend on strict sorting at source. Queensland’s facilities rely on the same principle: clean, sorted recyclables are more valuable and more likely to be reused.

If you live in Brisbane, the Brisbane City Council has a helpful online guide to what you can and can’t put in your kerbside recycling bin.

Time for a lightning round! Can these go in the recycling bin?

• E-waste – no, take it to council drop-off or resource recovery centres.
• Batteries – no, dispose of them at Bunnings, Officeworks, Aldi or council drop-offs.
• Aerosol cans – yes, if empty.
• Bottle caps – yes, but screw plastic caps back onto bottles before recycling; small, loose lids may fall through machines.
• Coffee cups – no, due to their plastic lining. Compostable options need separate collection.
• Light bulbs – no, these must go to drop-off sites; some contain hazardous materials.
• Polystyrene foam – no, unless taken to specialist recovery centres.
• Broken glass or ceramics – no, as they have different melting points; use general waste or drop-off.
• Clothing/textiles – not in yellow bin; donate, reuse, or take to textile recovery points.