Most drink containers, bottles and cans can be taken to a local recycling depot in exchange for a refund. Check the packaging to confirm if the 10c deposit applies when sold in South Australia.

Local recycling facilities:

• Newton Recycling
  6 Antonio Court, Newton SA 5074
  (08) 8336 7476
• Scout Recycling Centre
  8 Nightingale Avenue, Magill SA 5072
  (08) 8333 1033

In Australia, an estimated 90 per cent of lamps that contain mercury end up in landfill each year. They are the largest single category of consumer products that contain mercury, and their disposal contributes to Australia’s total annual emissions of mercury.

FluoroCycle is a national scheme that aims to increase the recycling of lamps that contain mercury and reduce the amount of mercury entering the environment.

This fluorescent lighting Recycling Scheme is voluntary, and is designed to promote best practice and safe handling with the scope to becoming a voluntary product stewardship scheme. Businesses, Local Government and other organisations can join as Signatories. The scheme gives public recognition to Signatories for their commitment to recycling. The City of Campbelltown is a signatory through the Eastern Regional Alliance of councils.

Disposing of mercury-containing lamps

A variety of lamp types used in Australia require mercury to operate. Generally, the higher the power usage, the more mercury that is required to operate the lamp. Mercury containing lamps include:

• high intensity discharge (HID) lamps, such as mercury vapour lamps used for street lighting, which contain between 50 and 1000 milligrams (mg) of mercury
• linear fluorescent tubes, as used in most commercial and public buildings, which are required by an Australian standard to contain less than 15 mg
• compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), used mostly in homes, which are required under a new Australian Standard to have a maximum of 5 mg, and
• some neon tubes, as used in signs.

Waste disposal and handling is primarily a state and local government responsibility in Australia. Landfill disposal of mercury containing lamps such as those generated by businesses, institutions, or councils is now forbidden in South Australia.

For more information please visit the FluoroCycle web site.

Contact your local pharmacy to see if they have a collection box for unwanted medicines. Alternatively, visit the Return Unwanted Medicines (RUM) website at http://www.returnmed.com.au to see how your unwanted medicines can be disposed of.

Polystyrene recycling drop off locations are located at:

• Heathfield Resource Recovery Centre
  32 Scott Creek Road, Heathfield
• Electronics Recycling Australia
  301 Grand Junction Road Ottoway
• NAWMA’s Resource Recovery Centre
  Gate 3 Bellchambers Road, Edinburgh North
• Coolfoam
  25 Barfield Crescent, Edinburgh North
• All Axis
  9 Maxwell Road, Pooraka

Alternatively, you can return it to the store where you purchased the goods from eg. Harvey Norman, Good Guys, Bunnings etc and ask them to recycle the packaging. They are likely to have a compactor for the polystyrene at their premises and will then send this off for recycling as it is much cheaper to recycle it than pay for a landfill skip for it. It also encourages these retailers to put pressure back on their suppliers to choose more sustainable and easily recyclable packaging such as moulded cardboard instead.

If recycling isn’t an option for you, then please place it in the general waste to landfill bin. Note: To prevent polystyrene from becoming lodged and stuck inside the bin, blocking materials from being emptied, please ensure that the polystyrene is placed inside of a plastic bag and broken up into small pieces. Make sure the bag is tied at the top to prevent pieces from falling out and expel any air inside of the bag before sealing it.

'Cartridges for Planet Ark' run the national printer cartridge recycling program. Used and empty laser and inkjet printer cartridges can be taken to participating Australia Post, Harvey Norman, The Good Guys, JB Hi-Fi, Office National and Office Products Depot outlets.

Visit the Cartridges for Planet Ark website for more information on this program.

Unfortunately soft plastics recycling is no longer being collected at supermarkets.

While this is disappointing, it is an important reminder that while recycling is important, avoiding waste is always the best option. Where you can, we encourage you to reduce your single use plastic.

Please place soft plastic waste that cannot be avoided, into the landfill bin (blue lid). Please do NOT put soft plastics into the yellow-lidded recycling bin.

X-Rays can be recycled at Eco Cycle, 1A Portsmouth Court, Gillman.

Please do NOT place X-Rays in your recycling bin (yellow lid) as they can easily get caught up in the paper/cardboard stream and are plastic coated with a silver halide emulsion which must be separated for recycling.