We are all pretty au fait with recycling now. Our kerbside recycling makes it easy – we don’t even have to separate the plastics from the paper.

All we have to do it shove the lot into the wheelie bin and roll it out once a week. Simple huh?

But there is more to recycling than just paper and plastic. From old food, old furniture, light bulbs to paint cans, old batteries to electrical appliances, there are many things that need to be recycled after we’ve finished with them. So what goes where? Here’s our guide to making recycling easy.

Food

Even if you have a dog that loves leftovers, chances are you are still going to have lots of kitchen scraps. Australians waste 4,000,000 tonnes of food every year – or about 345kg per household. While there are a lot of reasons why we throw out so much food, it’s easy to stop the waste if we reduce the amount we buy. Try sticking to a shopping list when you go shopping, and you’ll find yourself just buying what you need.

To stop this waste going into landfill, there a number of options. Composting is a great option, and over time creates valuable nourishment for our soils. Another option is a worm farm. These are readily available from hardware stores and some nurseries, and will give you thousands of new pets, plus a ready source of worm juice, which is like liquid gold for gardeners. Finally, a couple of chickens will happily eat up all your kitchen scraps and reward you with manure for your garden. As a bonus, chickens will also provide you with organic and free range eggs each day.

Furniture

The internet is a fabulous resource for those wanting inspiring ideas for repurposing old furniture. A fresh coat of paint and new handles can transform most daggy old furniture into a delightfully modern talking-piece. Broken furniture may only need a simple repair to be given a whole new lease of life.

If possible, try to find a new home for old furniture. You can use eBay or Gumtree, or the classifieds in your local newspaper. If selling is not an option, consider giving it away. Some Op Shops accept furniture, and some charities will even come and collect the furniture for you. Another option is to try the Freecycle network in your area, where you can advertise your freebie, and someone will come and collect it. (www.freecycle.org)

However for badly damaged goods, the tip might be your only option. Try to recycle as much of it as possible, especially if it is made of wood or metal.

Light Bulbs

If your light bulbs are the old fashioned incandescent sort, you should throw these in the waste when you have finished with them (don’t put them in the recycling because they are a different type of glass to bottles and jars).

However, if you have switched over to the new energy efficient lights called Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFLs), you need to be aware that they do contain minute amounts of mercury, and therefore must be deposed of properly. There are recycling schemes and drop-off points for household CFLs where you can safely deposit your old light bulbs – contact your local council for more information. As a last resort, wrap them in newspaper, place inside a plastic bag and put them into your household waste. Do not put them in your recycling bin.

Paint and paint cans

Paint can be stored for up to ten years, so it’s convenient to touch up any marks and scratches around the home. However, if you have large amounts of leftover paint, consider giving it to a local community organisation that could use it.

While empty paint cans may be put into your household recycling bin, do not dispose of excess paint down the drain. Your local council will have facilities for you to dispose of paint and paint cans properly, so call them to find out the details.

Batteries

It’s estimated that over 80,000 tonnes of batteries go into landfill each year. This is despite the fact that batteries are one of the most dangerous wastes discarded by Australian households. Batteries contain many hazardous and toxic metals including nickel, cadmium, mercury and lead, while some also contain valuable metals such as magnesium and zinc. Disposed of incorrectly, these hazardous materials will leech into the environment, polluting our soils and waterways.

So it’s important to recycle all batteries properly, including those rechargeable batteries found in mobile phones, laptops, power tools and cameras – these contain hazardous waste, and should not be placed in the household rubbish bin.

Check with your local council for drop-in places where you can take your used batteries. Alternatively, many retail outlets, such as Aldi and Battery World offer recycling bins where you can take your old batteries. More information about drop-off points can be found on the internet, or by contacting your local council.

Electrical Appliances

Unwanted electrical appliances are a growing problem in our community. From discarded DVD players, televisions and telephones, this e-waste is sent to landfill, despite the fact that quite often it is still in working order. This e-waste, as it is known, is made up of a broad range of materials from precious metals, toxic metals, metal circuitry, plastics, glass and fire retardants. These materials can become hazardous once dumped in the environment, as the materials leech into the soils. However, if done properly, up to 95% of the components can be effectively recycled.

If your item is broken, you could always try fixing it. Some electronic goods are relatively simple to fix and would give you a great deal of satisfaction. Look online for DIY guides, or take it to a local appliance repair shop. If you have electronic goods you no longer want, try finding a new home for them. You could sell them, or give them away to charity or networks such as FreeCycle. While mobile phones and printer cartridges have specific recycling programs and TVs and computers are recycled by the National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme (you can find out more information about these programs online), there is still no coordinated scheme for the recycling of electrical equipment as a whole. Contact your local council to see what facilities they offer for recycling electrical appliances.

Yellow Pages has nearly 2000 listings for recycling services around Australia. If you have goods that you want to find out how to safely reuse, recycle or throw out, call an expert today, or contact your local council for a list of the services they offer.