New beginnings for waste material

Ever wanted to know what becomes of your recycling and why recycling right is important, here's more information on what happens to recyclables and why council only accepts certain types of recyclable materials.

Recycling (Yellow-lid bin and Randwick Recycling Centre)

Recycling is the process of turning used materials into new products, helping to reduce waste, save energy, and conserve natural resources.

For recycling to truly work, there must be a market for the recovered materials — which means buying products made with recycled content is just as important as putting the right items in the bin.

Many industries are now incorporating recycled materials into their products. For example, cardboard, glass containers, aluminium cans, and even some plastic packaging can contain recycled content. In construction, recycled materials are being used in roads, pipes, and building products. The NSW Government is also supporting recycled content through procurement targets and programs to boost demand.

Randwick Council is committed to recycling the most we can through our yellow bin kerbside service and Recycling Centre, ensuring valuable materials are recovered and kept out of landfill.

Find out more about how your recycling is processed by our contractor.

Food Organics Garden Organics (Green-lid bin)

Did you know that the food and garden waste you place in your green lid FOGO bin gets turned into compost?

Once collected, your FOGO waste is taken to a specialised facility where it’s shredded, composted, and transformed into nutrient-rich compost. This compost is then used to improve soil on farms, in parks, and even in home gardens — helping to return nutrients to the earth and support healthier soils.

The composting process only works if we all do our bit. That means keeping your FOGO bin free from plastics, packaging, and other non-organic materials.

By recycling right, you’re helping to turn food and garden waste into something valuable — instead of sending it to landfill.

Reducing Resource Use at the Source

Recycling and FOGO turn waste into valuable resources, keeping it out of landfill. While these services are significantly cheaper and far better for the environment than landfilling, they still use considerable resources — including trucks, energy, water, and processing equipment.

That’s why reducing waste at the source is so important. It cuts down on the need to produce, collect, and process materials, lowers environmental impacts, and creates a more efficient and cost-effective waste system overall.