BDR Waste Partnership

We want to help residents recycle as much waste as possible and one of the ways is to reduce the amount of contamination in recycling bins.

The wrong waste in the wrong bin can stop good material from being recycled. More than half a million tonnes of household recycling was rejected in 2019/20 according to figures from the Local Government Association which represents councils in England and Wales.

When the wrong items go in recycling bins it is called contamination and this can cost the local authority (and therefore taxpayers) a lot of money – up to hundreds of thousands of pounds a year.

It also means a loss of precious resources as materials cannot be recycled into something new. Recycling materials requires a lot less energy and creates less carbon dioxide (CO2) compared with extracting raw materials – helping us to protect the environment.

For example, reusing aluminium from items such as cans and foil uses 95% less energy than making it from scratch. Recycling paper uses 40% less energy than processing virgin wood fibres. Reduced energy use means fewer carbon emissions.

Some items that need to stay out of recycling bins include:

* disposable nappies

* animal waste

 * tissues, wet wipes, cotton buds

* glass cookware – such as Pyrex

*  plastic food wrapping, carrier bags and greasy takeaway boxes

Check what can go in recycling bins

What can be recycled at home will depend on which local authority area residents live in. The best place to check what you can and cannot put in your bins is your Council’s website or the Recycle Now locator tool https://www.recyclenow.com/recycling-locator

Check what types of plastic are accepted

Although many items are called plastics, there are many different types of plastics with different properties that are used for different things. Therefore, they are recycled in different processes.

Your Council will clearly state what type of plastics they will accept in their recycling. For example, if it states plastic bottles only, do not add any other plastic items such as pots, tubs, and trays.

Some items cannot be recycled at home… but can be recycled elsewhere

Soft plastics like bread bags and crisp packets can be recycled at many supermarkets. Other items like textiles, electricals and batteries can be recycled at household waste recycling centres. If you have a specific item in mind, check your Council’s website or the Recycle Now Recycle an item page: https://www.recyclenow.com/recycle-an-item

Abi Reid is the Community Education Liaison Officer based at the award-winning waste treatment facility at Manvers, which diverts 97 per cent of Barnsley, Doncaster, and Rotherham household waste from landfill.

“By correctly recycling their waste residents in Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham are helping to make a positive difference to protect the environment. That’s why it is so frustrating when some recycling has to be rejected because it is contaminated with the wrong waste.

“Just a quick check on what can and can’t be recycled will help to avoid problems in future and means more of our waste can be recycled into something new.”

Note to Editors:  The waste treatment facility at Manvers processes around a quarter of a million tonnes of leftover waste a year from 340,000 homes across Barnsley, Doncaster, and Rotherham, turning it into useful products rather than sending it to landfill.

For further information contact Abi Reid or Rebecca Wilson on 07814 302297 or abi.reid@renewi.com or rebecca.wilson@renewi.com