Did you know, in Surrey a staggering 298 tonnes of recyclable material had to be rejected for recycling last year? The recyclable material had been contaminated by unrecyclable items that prevented it from being made into something else.
This is a massive issue because rejected loads and contamination of dry mixed recycling is expensive for local councils to sort out – and that extra cost is passed on to councils and the taxpayer. Recycling makes financial sense for councils as it is cheaper than disposing of waste as rubbish, and leaves more cash available for other essential services. It also generates less carbon dioxide than rubbish disposal, so it has additional environmental benefits.
It’s widely recognised that recycling can be confusing, though. Putting the wrong thing in the recycling is easily done. The good news is you can follow these five steps to help make it a little easier.