Bundle Waste
Commingled recycling collects an agreed mixture of recyclable materials in one service. The provider’s current acceptance list determines what belongs in your bin; a plastic resin number alone is not an acceptance instruction.
Start with your contracted service
Ask for the accepted and excluded materials in writing, including glass, cartons, aerosols, rigid plastics, lids and packaging. Cleanaway describes a commingled service alongside separate paper/cardboard and glass services; that operator example is not a universal acceptance list.
Check items that cause confusion
Photograph the actual packaging your team handles and have the provider classify it. Ask about food residue, liquids, bags and composite packaging. Keep batteries, electrical items and any regulated waste on their appropriate separate routes instead of assuming a mixed-recycling bin can handle them.
Decide whether a separate stream would help
Compare your material mix and storage space. A site with a concentrated cardboard or glass stream can request a separate-service quote alongside commingled collection. Account for extra bins, collections and staff handling before assuming it will cost less.
Set up the bins around the work
Put the instructions at the disposal point and use examples from your own premises. Brief cleaning contractors so separated material stays separated. Agree who checks reported contamination and updates instructions when the provider changes its acceptance.
Understand the charging basis
Request collection, rental, weight allowances and the conditions for rejected or contaminated material. Ask what evidence accompanies an additional charge. There is no universal contamination percentage or price penalty that applies to every contract.
Verify what happens after collection
Ask which facility handles the material and how any recovery reporting is calculated. Distinguish material collected for recycling from verified recovered material. Compare invoices and reports with the accepted schedule rather than treating the bin colour as evidence of the final outcome.
Related guides
Sources
Checked 18 September 2026. Apply sources within their stated jurisdiction and service scope.
- Cleanaway — Recycling services. Commingled; cardboard and paper; glass.
- EPA Victoria — Electronic waste. E-waste and the law; Standards and codes.