Keep recycling out of waste

Did you know that here in the Cairns region, more than 9,000 tonnes of recyclable material ends up our waste bins each year.  Every time we place something recyclable in our waste bin, its recycling journey stops in landfill, forever.

So let's lift the right lid with our recyclables and make sure to keep these resources in use for generations, let's keep recycling out of waste.

Getting Started 

We need to keep the following 4 materials out of our Waste Bins and place them in our Yellow Lid Recycling Bins instead.

  • Steel & Aluminium Cans
  • Hard plastic bottles and containers
  • Paper and cardboard
  • Glass bottles and jars
Check out our tips below on how to keep recycling out of waste!

To learn more about what belongs in your yellow lid recycling bin visit our recycle right homepage.

You can also look up individual items (to confirm if it belongs in the yellow lid recycling bin or waste bin) with the Recycle Mate app.

What actually happens to waste and recycling in the Cairns region?

Every wondered what happens to waste and recycling after it’s collected? View our ‘What happens to Waste & Recycling in the Cairns Region’ page.

Last Updated: 17 February 2026

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