How Do I Recycle That

We all want to do the right thing by the environment, but it isn’t always easy to find the resources we need. Below is a list of resources I have found that might help. It's not a comprehensive list by any means, but one I will continue to add to it as I find more information.

Batteries - Aldi will take AAA, AA, C, D, and 9-volt batteries, single use and rechargeable as do IKEA, Officeworks and Battery World.

Bottle caps - Both metal/aluminium and plastic bottle caps are recyclable. Put them into a larger container made of the same material and when the container is full, it can then go into the recycling bin. 

Don't put individual bottle caps in the recycling bin as they can slip through the sorting process or cause the recycling machinery to jam. 

Bread tags - Aussie Bread Tags for Wheelchairs collects bread tags nationwide. The tags are recycled and funds raised are used to buy wheelchairs for disadvantaged people in Africa. You can find a list of drop-off points here. 

Brita water filters - Terracycle has a program for recycling these.

Car Batteries - Battery World, Repco Auto Parts, Super Cheap Auto accept old car batteries.

Coffee pods - Nespresso has it's own recycling program, you can read about it here.  

L'or, Moccona and Illy have a partnership with Terracycle. There is no cost involved, but you will have to sign up, and there is a minimum weight requirement of 2kg.

As well as the coffee pods mentioned above, Terracycle has programs for several other brands. Check their website to see if a program is available for the brand you use.

If you would like to check out what other programs Terracycle have available you can do so here.

If you would like a more sustainable option for your coffee pods, Pod & Parcel makes fully compostable coffee pods, including the packaging they come in.

Doonas -  Boomerang Bags will accept donations of doonas, quilting fabric and pillow cases. 

Ink cartridges - Australia Post accepts empty ink cartridges.

Flora and Fauna - Have a recycling program for all types of personal care products, including blister packs. Check it out here. You will have to create an account, and pay for posting, but you will receive a credit towards any future purchases.

Light globes - Can be dropped off at your nearest Mitre 10 store. 

Mattresses - This one is going to take some more research to find recycling centres nationwide. I will leave it here though and get back to it when I have some information.

Oral care products - Terracycle have set up a partnership with Colgate to recycle your old toothbrushes, toothpaste tubes ( remove excess paste before posting), and empty floss containers. they also have a separate program for electric toothbrushes. Check their website for more information. 

Organic material -The easiest way to deal with organic waste is to compost it at home. There is a variety of compost bins on the market, but if this doesn’t appeal, contact your local council and ask if they have green waste bins available for residents. Also, be sure to ask what you can or cannot put in them.

Pillows - Before you chuck those old pillows in the bin could you upcyle them? Make a bed for your pet, draught stopper, floor pillows, ottoman, and throw pillows are just a few ways to re-use them.

Postal satchels - Official Australia Post satchel can be recycled through the REDcycle program via Coles and Woolworths. 

Sports shoes - Tread lightly accepts athletic lifestyle shoes, any sports branded shoe, thongs and slides, football boots, sneakers, trainers, runners, and golf shoes. Click here to find a drop off point near you.

Towels - Can be made into unpaper towels, Confessions of an Overworked Mom has a tutorial. Alternatively they can be donated to your local animal shelter.

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Blogtober Day 22 - 29

Warning, a long catch up post following.

My apologies for not having posted over the past week but my life has been a bit busier than it normally is.

Day 22 - I spent today tidying the house and changing bed linen as I have a guest coming to house sit as myself and my youngest daughters are going away on Sunday to the Adelaide Hills for three days. I also walked into town to return some clothes that I had had on layby that either didn’t look as good as they had in the shop or were a wee bit tight.

Day 23 -I mowed the grass today. I won’t call it a lawn, as it still has weeds from winter in it. They will die off as soon as the weather gets hot. I also spent a lot of time watering the gardens and I put the vegetable seedlings into trays of water, so they didn’t dry out while I was away. In the evening, I ironed the clothes I am taking with me and packed my bags.

Day 24 -I was up early this morning and once breakfast was over, my youngest daughter, who stills lives at home, and I packed the car, we then drove over to my other daughter’s home to pick her up, transferred everything from our car into hers, her car is larger and has more room for all our luggage and the food we are taking with us. Because we knew we weren’t able to get into our accommodation until this afternoon, we planned to go to the market at Stirling which only happens once a month, it was so much bigger than we thought it was going to be. We arrived at 10 o’clock and didn’t leave until 1.30pm. Almost all of my purchases were food, including some Belgian chocolate, vegan cupcakes, which, although a little sweet, were delicious, and some delicious raw, locally produced honey. The only other thing I bought was this. 

It pretty much sums up how I feel about my life.

We stayed at McLaren Cottage, in Mount Barker a lovely little 19th-century cottage, which had everything you could want, including a wood fire which we were happy to make use of because, although it is spring here, the nights are still a little chilly. 

Day 25 - The next morning, we packed a picnic lunch and headed out to do some op shopping. Our first destination was Hahndorf. I have visited this lovely town founded by Lutheran migrants in 1839 before, but always on a weekend when it was teeming with tourists, so it was a pleasant change to visit on a weekday when it was far less crowded.  

After a wander around and a visit to the op shops, we had lunch in the park, then we headed back to Mount Barker to try our luck at the op shops there and on the way dropped into two others that we had been told about.

The two books cost me $7, the pottery was $7.50, the painting was $2.00 and the top was a bargain at just 50¢ because it had a stain on it which came out in the wash.

Day 26 - The last day of our mini-vacation we spent at Victor Harbor, a well-known whale watching spot, intending to go to Granite Island to see the penguins, unfortunately, the causeway was closed for maintenance so that will have to wait until our next visit. 

After a wander around down and a picnic lunch, we headed back to the cottage for a rest and to pack our bags, ready to leave in the morning.

Day 27 - We arrived home at around 11am unpacked the car, I did my washing, and just had time to check on my seedlings in the greenhouse before it started raining. I spent the rest of the day relaxing before getting my uniform ready for work tomorrow. 

Day 28 - It was cloudy this morning when I got up, then the skies cleared, but by the time I was ready to leave for work, the clouds had gathered and I could hear thunder in the distance. 

I had intentions of walking to work as I usually do until I saw lightning and thought better of it and caught a bus instead, which turned out to be a smart decision as not long after I had boarded the bus, it started pouring. 

By the time I left work, the sun had made an appearance, but the sky was still cloudy.

Around 6 o’clock, the wind picked up, and the rain came down in torrents and I feared what damage I might find in the morning, as the winds seemed almost cyclonic.

Day 29 - It turned out I needn’t have worried as the storm caused only minor damage to our town. The surrounding areas were not as fortunate. The tomato seedlings in the greenhouse got blown off the shelf but were undamaged. I had to go into town to take some money out of the bank as I have a skip bin coming this afternoon so that I can finally get rid of all the rubbish that has accumulated over the years. While I waited for it to arrive, I stewed some rhubarb, which is now in the freezer ready for rhubarb and apple crumble. 

Day 30 - The skip bin is full, and it is ready to be picked up, anything that I thought might be useful to someone else I put out onto the verge, hopefully, it will be gone in the morning.

Day 31 - Today is normally a rest day for me but as I am having my second Covid vaccination tomorrow and I’m not sure how it will affect me, I finished the yard work today and will make tomorrow a rest day instead. Everything that I had put on the verge had gone this morning when I got up. I’m glad somebody could make use of it.

There you are, my life over the past week, and if you read this post until the end, thank you for sticking with me. I take my hat off to anyone who writes a blog post every day. I don’t know how you do it.

 Writing a post every day wasn’t easy for me, but I’m glad I did it, it will be good to have a record of a month of my life to look back on. I enjoy writing, but I’m not a natural writer. I agonise over grammar, punctuation, readability. It takes a sizeable chunk of my day; I wish I wasn’t so critical of myself. It would make things so much easier. 

Well, that’s all for now. I hope you enjoyed a glimpse into my everyday life.

Until next time, stay safe and be kind to each other. Janette.  

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