Fact Sheets
Clothing, furniture and household goods
Retail therapy has a nasty side effect—waste—and we know we have to reduce waste. Planet Ark estimates that on average each Australian household throws out 17.7 kilos of waste every week. So let’s think more carefully about the way we get our retail therapy.
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Composting and mulching
How much of the rubbish we put in the bin, and that then goes to landfill, could be put to good use in the garden? Almost half. Yes, about 48% of our waste could be made into compost and mulch
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Construction and demolition materials
Commercial and housing building projects are big business in South Australia. In many urban areas, suburbs and towns, we can see new houses, housing developments, office blocks, factories being built. Renovation and urban renewal projects are just as common. And these projects all generate waste.
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Container deposit legislation (CDL)
What began in the 1970s as a method for reducing litter is now a key part of South Australia’s waste minimisation strategy—and the basis of a thriving industry and employer.
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Do large items get recycled?
This fact sheet clears up what can be done with large items such as old heaters, hot water systems, power tools, household appliances and white goods.
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E-waste (electronic waste)
With awareness about the environmental impacts of sending electronic waste (e-waste) to landfill increasing, many householders are keen to dispose of their unwanted electronic equipment in a responsible way.
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Food waste
Throwing food scraps away also wastes the energy, water, money and resources used to produce, process, store and transport the food. It’s much better to recycle – or compost – the scraps and reuse some of those resources.
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Good for the planet and more
The benefits of recycling stretch further than you might imagine – to business and our economy, to our children, and of course to the Earth.
Hazardous Waste: Let’s start in the shop.
Hazardous Wastes can be particularly problematic when it comes time to dispose of them. This fact sheet highlights which products can be hazardous and how to store, transport and dispose of hazardous products safely.
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Inspirational quotes
A series of quotes and facts designed to convey the concept of zero waste in an inspirational way.
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Other wastes
Some groups of wastes such as Pharmaceuticals, Corks and Toner cartridges and ink ribbons can’t be easily pigeonholed but their safe disposal or recycling is just as critical to the environment as more prominent types of waste.
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Plastic bags
How many plastic bags did Australians use in 2002? About 6 billion, yes 6,000,000,000—that’s just to carry items on one, usually very short, journey and then be thrown away, 80 million of them as litter at a cost to the community of $4 million.
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Recycling - Good for Business
Waste reduction targets set by South Australia’s Strategic Plan and by South Australia’s Waste Strategy are already prompting solutions to waste problems. Innovative South Australian companies are seizing ‘wasteful’ opportunities and turning them to their advantage.
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Recycling made easy: Dry recyclables
Now that recycling trucks take all recycling together, it’s easier than ever to get recycling right. This fact sheet outlines some easy tips to make recycling at home as easy as possible.
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Recycling made easy: Garden Organics
Are you 100% sure about what goes into your garden organics bin? Do you know what happens after your bin has been collected by the truck? This fact sheet explains why ‘Some things just don’t mulch’.
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The Bin Liner Dilemma
The choice of an environmentally friendly bin liner is no simple task. What should you choose – degradable plastic bags, no bin liner, non-degradable plastic bags or newspaper? Every choice has its trade-offs.
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Where does recycled material go?
Voices whisper that the items we carefully recycle at the kerbside go to the rubbish tip anyway. Could this be true? Not on your recycling life!
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Worm farms
Worms are the ideal new age pet—they take up very little room, they don’t smell unless they are ‘sick’, they don’t cost a fortune in vet’s fees and they turn food scraps into garden or pot plant fertiliser.
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