Orange's Michelle and Peter Young throw out the Bin Buster Challenge

That's what Michelle and Peter Young learned when they took part in last year's Bin Buster Challenge, which is on again this year.

"You learn a lot," Ms Young said

"There were some things that surprised us about what can go in the green bin, things like serviettes and tissues which would never have occurred to me before. I would have put them in a red bin.

"It was about minimising what goes in the red bin by working out what you may not have known can go in the yellow or the green bin. It's definitely worthwhile."

Orange City Council is looking for 15 households to take on the Bin Buster Challenge which encourages the safe disposal of hazardous waste items and eliminates contamination in resident's three bins.

During the eight-week challenge, which starts in March, the households will be provided with free resources and tools to assist in their waste reduction and resource recovery.

The households will be encouraged to challenge themselves to avoid single-use items, maximise the use of their recycling and food and garden waste bins and specialised waste services, and reduce the amount of waste entering the red, or general waste, bin.

Council's aim is to meet the NSW Government's targets, where 80 per cent of domestic household waste is diverted from landfill, by 2030

An information evening will give participating households the opportunity to learn more about waste services in Orange and will provide each household with a breakdown of their bin usage.

Orange Mayor Jason Hamling said the Bin Buster Challenge will encourage residents to think differently about how they look at waste and explore options for resource recovery.

"We are looking forward to seeing strong interest from residents leading to improved resource recovery and increased confidence in recycling," Cr Hamling said.

Based on annual waste audits and bin inspection programs, Council has collected important data about waste behaviours and disposal patterns in the Orange area, which will be shared with challenge participants.

"The Bin Buster Challenge will present an opportunity for residents to improve their waste generation and disposal behaviours and, in turn, encourage friends and family to do the same," Cr Hamling said.

Orange residents can nominate their household by visiting https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3FRNJKR to register interest. Registrations close Monday February 21.

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