Where Does Our Recycling Go?
Challenge Recycling is a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) that sorts the recyclable contents of the yellow lid bins from around the Tamworth region.
Suitable for Recycling
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Lids in but lids off (put in loose)
Empty plastic bottles and containers
Empty food containers 
Empty steel, aerosol, aluminium cans and foils
Empty glass bottles and jars from the pantry
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Flattened cardboard (including empty pizza boxes)
Paper
Empty milk and juice cartons
Take-away coffee cups and their lids
Contamination
Food or drink left in containers
household garbage in bags
plastic bags and soft scrunchie plastic of any kind
used nappies
garden hoses
chairs
dead animals
needles / syringes
household batteries
ceramic or porcelain (ie tea cup or plate)
building materials such as metal, wire and wood
e-waste
clothing or shoes
pillows or bedding
11.92%
Contamination last month
16.7% Previous month
0.1
28.1
Everyday the plant sorts through 45 tonnes of recycling, with 28 tonnes coming from the daily kerbside collection.
On average 15% of the contents in these bins are contaminants, which can result in recyclable materials having to go to landfill.
Meet
Jordan
MACHINE OPERATOR
13+Years |
LovesTime with his daughter & the Broncos |
5Days/week |
152,100+Tonnes Processed |
What is Contamination?
Contamination in the yellow bin means “something is present that should not be there”
As community recycling increases, staff are spending more time removing contamination from the sorting lines.
Sorting through contaminated recycling potentially exposes them to a number of hazards such as:
ROTTING FOOD
NAPPIES
NEEDLES
DEAD ANIMALS
Meet
AnITA
RECYCLING ASSISTANT
30+Years |
LovesShopping and walking her 2 dogs |
5Days/week |
351,000+Tonnes Processed |
Problems caused by contamination
Damage to the machines that help move the recycling to the people sorting by hand such as:
Soft scrunchie plastics get wrapped around parts of machines and jam machines causing the sorting belt to stop until it can be fixed.
Heavy metal objects can cut or go straight through machine belts causing the sorting belt to stop until it can be fixed.
Textiles (ie clothing, bedding etc) can get tangled around the machinery and jam the machines causing the sorting belt to stop until it can be fixed.
Some recyclables can end up in landfill if they are contaminated with food or drink inside. Challenge Recycling staff cannot empty this out during the sorting process.
Food and liquids left in recyclables could damage paper and cardboard to the point they become unable to be recycled and could end up in landfill.
As at December 2019, the NSW State Average of contamination is 10%.
Hazardous items such as used nappies, needles, and dead animals puts Challenge Recycling staff at risk of needle stick injuries and disease.
The plant employs 39 people, 32 of which have a disability and 7 support workers to assist with administration and management.
Staff sort recycling by sight and manually by hand,
they drive forklifts and operate some machinery.
Challenge Recycling employees sort clean kerbside recycling from the yellow lidded bins by hand into four lines of recycling:
paper and cardboard
glass
aluminium and steel cans
empty hard food and beverage
container plastics
Meet
Nicholas
STOREMAN
15+Years |
LovesGaming, Collecting stamps and coins |
5Days/week |
175,500+Tonnes Processed |
How can you help people like Jordon, AnIta & Nicholas with Contamination?
You can help reduce the amount of contamination in the yellow lid bin by taking extra care when sorting your rubbish and recycling at home.
Update your knowledge regularly on what can go in the yellow lid bin as things could change from time to time. www.tamworth.nsw.gov.au/letstalkrubbish
Ensure there is no food or drink left in your recyclables
Lids in but lids off! Take all plastic or glass container lids off and put them loose in your yellow lid bin with the containers
Staff at Challenge Recycling deserve a clean and safe work environment so please put nappies (baby and adult) in the red lid bin and dispose of needles safely in a puncture proof container in one of the free collection bins located around the region. See the councils guide to sharps disposal.
Meet
Victor
OPERATIONS MANAGER
26+Years |
LovesHorse riding and his Kids |
6Days/week |
365,040+Tonnes Processed |
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