Living plastic free
Simple actions you can take now
- Carry your own reusable bottle and cup
- Keep a fold up shopping bag with you
- Say no to disposable straws and cutlery
- Store food in glass containers.
Plastic Free July action picker(PDF, 86KB).
What can you recycle in Ku-ring-gai?
NSW Plastics Ban
Single-use plastic items such as straws, cutlery, plates and bowls, as well as polystyrene are now banned across NSW businesses. Check out the single-use plastics ban website
Reduce
Single-use plastics
Council’s Sustainable Event Management Policy(PDF, 317KB) and Single-use Plastic Policy(PDF, 289KB) supports our staff, residents and event managers to find alternatives for these items.
Toxic-free DIY
Beeswax wraps - alternative to plastic cling wrap
Wrap bowls of food and wrap vegetables to stay fresh twice as long. Make your own with instructions from One Million Women or purchase from any healthy living store.
Japanese cloth wrapping (Furoshiki)
Use fabric of different shapes and patterns to wrap a range of objects for gifts and other reasons.
Knitting
Create your own woollen dish cloths or make your own clothes! Follow step-by-step instructions here
Bulk food stores
Take your own container or use paper bags supplied to purchase a range of pantry staples at bulk food stores throughout northern sydney.
Plastic in our parks and open spaces
The use of plastic confetti or similar products is prohibited in our parks and open spaces. Check out this video for a DIY natural confetti alternative.
Reuse
Furniture and goods
Bower’s Collection and Rehoming Service takes unwanted goods and recycles or turns them into reusable items. A free collection service is available.
Free reusable bags
Look out for Boomerang Bags at your local supermarket or farmers market. Volunteer sewers make freely available bags out of recycled materials.
Repair
The Repair Cafe is a local initiative where you can take broken items for volunteers to repair. Sydney North Branch meets1st and 2nd Sundays of each month.
Recycle
Visit Waste and Recycling for everything about recycling in Ku-ring-gai.
Ku-ring-gai bins
'What goes in your recycling bins' is a great breakdown of exactly what can go into your recycling bins in Kur-ring-gai. Every Council is slightly different.
Additional Recycling lists the more unusual items like bikes, globes, mattresses and more...
E-waste
The National Television and Recycling Scheme provides multiple locations for you to recycle TV's, computer, printers, electric cables and more.
Tech Collect are a not-for-profit organisation managing e-waste for a range of leading technology manufacturers and importers.
Microbeads
Microbeads are tiny plastic particles that are added to personal care products. Beat the Microbeads is an organisation trying to increase awareness.
Saving our waterways
The Take3 initiative is spreading the plastic-free message and it's impact on our oceans and waterways.
Stay in touch
Subscribe to our monthly sustainability enewsletter.
Expand your knowledge
Junior Landcare
Good Environmental Choice Australia (GECA)
One Million Women
The Guardian
Planet Ark