Cutlery (plastic)
Can I put this in my recycling bin?
Put plastic cutlery in the rubbish bin.
Update: If you or someone in your household has coronavirus (COVID-19), put the item in a sealed plastic or paper bag and place in your rubbish bin. If other recyclable items have mixed with affected item, they should also be placed in the rubbish bin.
Why can’t plastic cutlery go in my recycling bin?
Plastic cutlery is lightweight and flat. So when it is being sorted at the recycling facility, the sorting machines can’t tell it apart from paper. It ends up bundled up with paper and cardboard and reduces the quality of any new recycled products made.
Waste and recycling during coronavirus (COVID-19)
Household waste and recycling collections will continue as normal.
In metro Melbourne, council waste and recycling facilities are not open to the public. These facilities include collection, treatment, disposal and transfer stations. They will remain open for commercial contractors only.
In regional Victoria, facilities are open. Visitors must follow all directions and instructions for maintaining a COVIDSafe environment.
If you have unwanted items at home, hold onto them until these facilities re-open. For other options, check the waste and recycling advice for your local council area.
For more information on the roadmap across Victoria please refer to the Department of Health and Human Services.
Want to recycle something else?
Search for another item to find out if it can go in your home recycling bin or if it needs to be dropped off somewhere else.