The program was designed as an educational initiative to better understand household waste sorting behaviours, identify common recycling contamination issues and provide practical feedback to residents about how to use their recycling and general waste bins correctly.
As part of the program, recycling and general waste bins at selected households were visually inspected before collection, with educational tags used to provide residents with feedback about their waste sorting.
The results have established a baseline that will help guide future waste education, service reviews and repeat auditing. While residents are making an effort to recycle correctly, the results show there is significant room for improvement.
What did we find?
The results provide a clearer picture of how households are using their bins and where improvements can be made.
Key findings included:
- Around three in four recycling bins presented contained at least one contaminant.
- Recyclables were found in more than one-third of general waste bins presented.
- Common recycling contamination included plastic bags and packaging, unrinsed containers and recyclables placed inside bags.
- Of the 2,278 recycling bins presented, 394 inspection records (17.3 per cent) involved a recycling bin recorded as full or overfull while recyclables were also recorded in the corresponding general waste bin.
- These occurrences related to 338 unique addresses.
The findings provide the City with useful information about both household recycling behaviours and potential service-related barriers to recycling correctly.
Why does contamination matter?
Once your recycling bin is collected, its contents are sorted and processed so materials such as paper, cardboard, rigid plastics, glass and metals can be separated and recovered for recycling.
When incorrect items are placed in recycling bins, they need to be removed during processing and can make it more difficult to recover recyclable materials.
For example, soft plastics can interfere with sorting equipment, while food and liquids left in containers can contaminate otherwise recyclable materials. Heavily contaminated material may be unable to be recovered and can ultimately be sent to landfill.
Correctly sorting your waste helps:
- Reduce contamination in recycling streams.
- Improve the recovery of recyclable materials.
- Reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill.
- Improve safety for waste collection and processing workers.
- Ensure hazardous materials are disposed of appropriately.
Common recycling mistakes
Some of the most common issues identified through the program can be avoided with a few simple changes.
When using your recycling bin:
- Keep recyclables loose – do not place recyclables inside plastic bags.
- Empty and rinse containers before placing them in the recycling bin.
- Keep soft plastics out of the recycling bin.
- Place recyclable materials in your recycling bin rather than your general waste bin.
Items such as food waste, soft plastics, bagged recyclables, batteries, gas bottles, chemicals and hazardous waste should not be placed in your recycling bin.
Recycling found in general waste bins
The program also found recyclable materials in more than one-third of general waste bins presented.
Placing recyclable materials in the general waste bin means those materials are sent to landfill rather than being available for recovery through the recycling system.
Where possible, recyclable paper, cardboard, rigid plastic containers, glass bottles and jars, and metal cans should be placed loose in your recycling bin.
Is recycling bin capacity a factor?
The audit identified a possible recycling capacity issue at some properties.
Of the 2,278 recycling bins presented, 394 inspection records (17.3 per cent) involved a recycling bin recorded as full or overfull while recyclable materials were also recorded in the corresponding general waste bin. These occurrences related to 338 unique addresses.
This does not necessarily mean bin capacity was the cause. The City will review these findings further to better understand whether recycling bin capacity, household waste sorting behaviours or other service factors are contributing.
The City will also consider other service-related issues identified through the audit, including damaged bins.
Household hazardous waste
Some items should not be placed in either kerbside bin because they can pose a risk to waste collection and processing workers or require specialised disposal.
Household hazardous waste can include:
- Batteries
- Aerosols
- Chemicals and pesticides
- Oils
- Gas bottles
- E-waste and mobile phones
- Paint
- Asbestos
- EPIRBs
These items need to be disposed of through the appropriate waste or Household Hazardous Waste pathway.
Keeping hazardous materials out of household bins helps protect collection and processing workers and ensures these materials can be managed safely.
What happens next?
The 2026 bin tagging education program has established a baseline for the City to better understand household waste and recycling practices.
The findings will help guide future education, service reviews and follow-up audits, with a focus on improving recycling habits and addressing service-related barriers where identified.
As part of this ongoing work, the City will undertake a short follow-up program, known as bin tagging pulse, in November and December 2026.
Bin tagging pulse – follow-up program
Following the initial bin tagging education program, the City of Karratha will undertake a short follow-up program from November into December 2026.
Bin tagging pulse will revisit a selection of households to assess whether recycling habits have improved following the education and feedback provided earlier in the year.
The program will help the City identify ongoing recycling contamination issues, determine whether further education is needed and consider appropriate action where bins continue to be used incorrectly.
What can residents expect?
- A selection of households will be included in the follow-up program.
- Recycling bins will be visually inspected to assess whether they contain the correct recyclable materials.
- Recycling bins containing too much contamination may be collected by the general waste truck instead of the recycling truck. This means the contents will be sent to landfill rather than processed for recycling.
- The findings will help inform future recycling education and any further action required.
Why is the City undertaking follow-up checks?
Recycling bins are intended for recyclable materials only. When general rubbish and other incorrect items are placed in these bins, they can contaminate recyclable materials and affect the recycling process.
By revisiting selected households, the City can better understand whether previous education has helped improve recycling habits and identify properties where contamination remains an ongoing issue.
Need more information?
For more information about accepted waste items and correct waste practices, visit https://karratha.wa.gov.au/environment/waste-and-recycling/recycle-right-information.