Recent recycling waste audits have shown that there have been higher rates of contamination in yellow-lidded recycling bins across Alpine Shire, with people using this bin to dispose of items that cannot be recycled.
With another audit set to be conducted in October, Alpine Shire Council urges residents to place the right rubbish in the right bin so as to avoid having to pay higher waste fees.
The audits are carried out centrally at Cleanaway's processing facility on samples from Alpine Shire kerbside collections.
If non-recyclable items are placed in the yellow-lidded bin, Council is charged a significant penalty fee to process this waste, which is then passed onto residents and ratepayers through waste charges.
Items that cannot be recycled in the yellow-lidded kerbside bin include any sort of textiles or fabric, including clothes and shoes, e-waste, household items such as fry pans or appliances, timber or wood, and waxed cardboard.
Soft plastics can also be recycled through the Residential Soft Plastics Recycling Program, but only when they are bagged up using the orange bags provided as part of the program.
The orange bags can be picked up from the Council office in Bright, or libraries and visitor information centres in Bright, Mount Beauty, and Myrtleford.
Items that cannot be recycled or placed into the green-lidded food organics, garden organics (FOGO) bins can generally be placed in the red-lidded bin or taken to Council's transfer stations in Mount Beauty, Myrtleford, and Porepunkah for appropriate disposal.
Alpine Shire Mayor, Cr Sarah Nicholas, said that it is important to put the right rubbish in the right bin for the benefit of people and the planet.
"This is a collective effort, where we need everyone to be doing the right thing so that we can save costs for all residents and ratepayers in our shire," she said.
"It is also important to recycle items properly so that they can be remade into new materials and objects, which contributes to a sustainable, circular economy."
Council has posters with detailed lists of what items can be placed in what bin, which can be placed near household bins as an easily accessible reminder.
These posters can be picked up from the Council office in Bright, or the libraries and visitor information centres in Bright, Mount Beauty, and Myrtleford.
For more information, including online lists of what can and cannot be placed in different household bins, residents are encouraged to visit https://halvewaste.com.au/recycling-waste/