Where to dispose;
Hard plastics can be placed in the Council provided recycling bins (yellow lid). All comingled recycling collected from the kerbside collection system is sent to Suez recycling facilities where it goes through a range of automated processes for screening, decontamination, sorting and bailing for material streams.
Recycling plastics can be complicated. Plastic can be made from a variety of different materials and depending on this material and how it is made, will contribute to how it can be recycled. The basic idea is if it is hard enough to be unable to poke a hole through with your finger but also flexible enough to be twisted, then it is recyclable.
New labels are currently being developed and integrated into packaging to help remove packaging confusion. The Australasian Recycling Label (ARL) is a standardised system across Australia and New Zealand that has been designed by Planet Ark to reduce confusion, education consumers and reduce contamination of recycling streams. So look for this label to help you recycle correctly. Follow this link for more information.
On most plastic bottles, jars, containers and other packaging, there is a symbol with a number in the middle. This is called the Plastics Identification Code. These numbers identity the type of plastic the item is made from, NOT whether it is recyclable.
Follow this link(PDF, 204KB) for a guide on the 7 different types of plastics, common items made from the plastic type and products that they are recycled into. In general, the higher the grade i.e. 6 or 7, the less recyclable the item is.