CONTAMINATION in peninsula households’ recycling bins has fallen by 1.5 per cent in the last year according to the Mornington Peninsula Shire’s latest bin audit.
The recycling contamination rate peaked at 17.8 per cent last year, adding about $1m to the cost of processing household recycling.
The reduction follows the shire’s ‘Bin it right, future’s bright!’ education campaign, which helps teach residents how to sort their waste correctly.
Mayor Cr Stephen Batty said the reduction was encouraging, but residents still have a role to play in bringing contamination below the shire’s target of 15 per cent.
“We are closer than we have been in a while, having reduced contamination by 1.5 per cent in the last year,” said Batty.
He said even small amounts of incorrect material could have a significant impact because contamination is measured by weight.
“The amount might sound modest, but contamination is measured by weight, which means even small mistakes can add up,” said Batty.
“One of the most effective ways to reduce contamination is to ensure containers are empty before they are placed in the bin.”
The shire said residents should only place paper, cardboard, and empty containers from the kitchen, laundry, or bathroom in recycling bins.
Containers should be emptied and rinsed if necessary, and all items should be kept loose in the bins rather than in bags.
Items such as textiles, food scraps, liquids, and batteries should not be placed in recycling bins.
Batty said the peninsula’s contamination rate compares favourably to some other municipalities, where rates exceeded 25 per cent.
“It’s encouraging to see the downward trend here on the Mornington Peninsula,” said Batty.
“We know our community doesn’t want to see ratepayer money spent on landfill fees any more than we do.”
Residents can find more information about what can and can’t be placed in recycling bins at mornpen.vic.gov.au/waste.
First published in the Mornington News – 1 September 2026
