The campaign to get 18- to 35-year-olds "re-psyched" about recycling has fallen flat only days after it made its debut on television screens.

Featuring "recycling expert" Ricky Starr - think Will Ferrell if he accidentally wandered onto the set of an Olivia Newton-John music video circa 1981 - the ads promote proper recycling procedures and smash some common myths.

Minister for Territory and Municipal Services Shane Rattenbury described it as a "throwback" to the successful recycling advertising campaigns of the early 1990s.

He said he hoped Ricky's "fun and catchy" slogans would soon be at the forefront of people's minds when recycling.

"The campaign is deliberately tongue-in-cheek but with a serious message," Mr Rattenbury said.

"Items which will feature in the campaign, to be progressively rolled out for the remainder of this financial year, target areas where there is confusion, including aluminium foil, aerosol cans and the fact containers don't need to be rinsed first."

This ad, designed by Canberra marketing company Coordinate, is the first in a string of related advertisements and will screen for the next three weeks.

Ricky Starr's delightful mug will also be popping up on buses, radio, print and YouTube advertising as well as on social media.

The campaign has certainly been the conversation starter Mr Rattenbury hoped for.

"Anyone in Canberra just see that recycling ad during #TBLAU and wondering what in the f--k they just witnessed?" one bewildered punter wrote on Twitter.

"At best it's weird and at worst it's waste of money," shadow minister for Urban Services Alistair Coe said.

"The campaign is pretty bizarre and an odd way to spend $300,000 trying to get Canberrans to recycle.

"For the cost, I hope it works, but I think there are better ways to spend this sort of money in this space and other priorities that it could be spent on. If you're spending $300,000 of taxpayers' money you have to be very careful."

But a spokeswoman for Mr Rattenbury said the advertisement was not funded via taxpayer dollars

"The ACT government's recycling contract requires a percentage of revenue generated by the contractor to be reinvested into waste education, this arrangement funds all marketing and educational activities undertaken by ACT NOWaste," she said.

Since the television advertisement aired on Monday the online video has been viewed more 4000 times, while there have been almost 2000 unique views of the government's recycling website: www.act.gov.au/recycling

The spokeswoman said the campaign stemmed from a random telephone survey of 1000 Canberrans in June.

"The survey identified significant confusion about what can and can't be recycled in the yellow bin," she said.

She said the advertisement was working by grabbing viewers' attention and sparking conversation.

"The public is faced with significant advertising 'clutter' all vying for attention," she said.

"We have also seen a significant increase in environmental advertising in recent years, making it more and more challenging to cut through to the viewer with your message.

"This campaign was designed with the understanding that it may not appeal to everyone, but it is hoped that is quirkiness will help it to cut through."

The ACT government is projected to spend more than $35 million on landfill over the next three years.

The lowest rates of recycling were recorded amongst those aged 18 to 35 years.

A recent audit found a third of recyclable materials were incorrectly disposed of while a survey of 1000 people people discovered one in 10 thought they could bundle their recycling in plastic bags (you can't).

A fridge magnet outlining what can and cannot be recycled will land in Canberrans' mailboxes with the January/February edition of the ACT government's community newsletter.

You can also download a free mobile app which can help you manage your household waste.