Glass and plastic bottles, aluminium cans, paper, cardboard . . . they are all recycled in growing numbers.

Armidale’s record, however, is far from good when it comes to recycling plastic bags.

It’s a national problem: every hour, 429,000 plastic bags are dumped in landfills across the land.

Armidale is part of it, with most plastic bags being disposed of within general garbage and so ending up at the landfill.

The plastic bag ‘curtain’ that covers the fence at the Long Swamp Rd landfill is testimony to that.

Plastic bags not only create visual pollution, they are dangerous to wildlife and livestock.

Some residents may not even be aware that they can recycle plastic bags, but the recycling centre has been accepting them since 2006.

Now there’s a new campaign aimed at having plastic bags become part of the city’s impressive recycling mindset.

Armidale Dumaresq Council has called on residents to put their plastic bags into the recycling crates with other plastics.

The bags can also be placed in recycling bins provided by Armidale’s major supermarkets.

Council’s process officer, Mike Porter, said the best solution to the problem was to avoid using plastic bags in the first place.

“Reusable ‘green’ bags are widely available and cost only a few dollars each,” he said.

“But council is urging residents with plastic bags to start recycling them.

“The best way to dispose of plastic bags is to put them all in one bag and tie it off before placing it in the recycling crate.”