Recycling contamination occurs when materials that cannot be processed through a given recycling stream are placed into it. A soft plastic bag in a paper bin. Food residue left in a container. A ceramic mug in the glass stream. Each of these — in sufficient quantity — can cause an entire load of recyclables to be rejected and redirected to landfill, regardless of how well the rest of the bin was sorted.

 

In Victoria, contamination remains one of the most costly and persistent challenges across both kerbside and commercial recycling. The financial impact runs into tens of millions of dollars annually, covering rejected loads, additional processing costs, and the landfill levy applied to material that should have been recovered. For businesses, this is not an abstract sector problem, it directly affects the value of the recycling services you are paying for.

 

From what we're observing across our client base, contamination issues most commonly stem from three sources: unclear or absent bin signage, insufficient staff training on what belongs in each stream, and soft plastics entering hard plastics or comingled recycling. Each of these is addressable.