The everyday waste everyone puts in the wrong bin

Food scraps and dinner leftovers belong in the green garden organics bin, not the red general waste bin, a common mistake made by Australian households.

Despite being a staple of the driveway, the green organics gardening bin is actually the most misunderstood of the big three household bins (red general waste, yellow recycling, and green organics gardening).

According to Cleanaway’s 2026 Recycling Behaviours Report, many households are still accidentally sorting their waste into the wrong categories.

Yasmin Assis, a Sustainability Officer at Cleanaway, told nine.com.au that while rules can vary slightly by council, the majority now welcome food organic waste alongside your garden clippings.

“Most councils do allow food scraps in the green bin,” Assis said. “So food leftovers, food that’s been in your fridge, anything that’s mouldy, any salad that’s slimy, carrot peelings, leftover rice, mouldy cheese, and weeds from your garden (excluding priority weeds), can go in your green garden organics bin.”

Next time you’re cleaning out the fridge, it’s worth checking your local council’s guidelines to see just how much you can divert from the red bin.

There is one item that could be a little more confusing when it comes to deciding which bin to place it in: Medications, which shouldn’t go in any of them.

Read more

Surprise item you can’t put in your kerbside bin due to fire risk

“Medications should not go in your household bin. You can take them to a participating pharmacy for safe disposal,” Assis said.

She added that these also cannot be washed down the sink or flushed down the toilet because they pose a contamination risk.

Then there’s the yellow recycle bin, which continues to cause confusion, particularly when it comes to so-called ‘recyclable plastics’.

“So that would probably be one of the most common mistakes that we do see in the kerbside bins. A lot of people will bag their recyclables or just put loose plastic bags in them.

“So plastic bags or any you can scrunch up with your hands, including lolly packets, should not go into your recycling bin.”

Read more

Korean food goes mainstream as supermarkets embrace ‘K culture’

Some hard plastics can, including water bottles and other similar containers that “maintain their form”.

Again, Assis recommends checking your local council website for specific rules which can vary.

Food refuse can be placed in the recycle bin as long as they are “clean, empty, there is no food inside, and they are not to greasy”.

Then there are takeaway coffee cups, which can’t go into the recycle bin due to their plastic lining and plastic lids.

This is one of the most common items mistakenly placed in the recycle bin.

Assis also stressed the importance of ensuring no electrical, wired, or battery-operated rubbish is placed in any of the three kerbside bins as they pose a fire risk.