Learn where your recyclables go this National Recycling Week

National Recycling runs from November 13 to 17, and throughout the week residents can learn firsthand how recycling is processed, where it goes and why recycling right is so important.

Mayor Greg Williamson said the MRF played a crucial role in the recycling process.

“Our MRF processed 12,635 tonnes of recyclables from Mackay, Whitsunday and Isaac region kerbside bins in the 2022-23 financial year,” Mayor Williamson said.

“Everything you put in your yellow-lidded bin is first manually sorted by MRF employees to remove any non-recyclable items or contaminants,” he said.

“It then travels through the state-of-the-art automatic sorting machinery before being bailed and sent to market to be recycled and remade into something else.”

Mayor Williamson said high-quality recyclables were processed and sent to market to be turned into new items for everyday use, like recycled paper and cardboard.

“Residents might not realise that various types of infrastructure around the region have been made from recycled products,” Mayor Williamson said.

“The ramps at the Bluewater Trail and staircases at Town Beach, Blacks Beach and Sarina Beach are just a couple of pieces of infrastructure created from recycled plastics – so what we put in our yellow-lidded recycling bins really does matter,” he said.

Mayor Greg Williamson urged families and individuals to register for a tour to see what happens to our recyclables and learn how they can improve their recycling habits at home.

“We know that the Mackay community is constantly raising the bar when it comes to recycling rates, but there’s always more you can learn,” he said.

“It’s worth coming along to take a tour through our MRF and find out how you can reduce, reuse and recycle everyday household items.”

If you’re unable to make it to a tour but would like to know more about recycling, then head over to council’s A to Z of waste disposal page mackay.qld.gov.au/wastedisposal or download the Recycle Mate app. The app is a new, nation-wide app allowing people to take photos of items and find out how and where they can be disposed of. Download the app at recyclemate.com.au

The MRF tours will be held Monday to Friday from noon to 1pm at the MRF at 42 Crichtons Road, Paget. Community groups and seniors are encouraged to participate. To register your interest, visit mackay.qld.gov.au/mrf

Resource Recovery Officer Bruce Thompson inspecting recycled glass ready to be reused for a variety of projects and products, including in local council roads.