Council’s call to keep blue bin items loose and not placed in bags when recycling
The council’s waste and recycling team has noticed that some residents are putting their recyclable items into black bin bags, or other plastic bags, before going into the blue bin – and that is causing a problem.
Leaving items loose in the blue bin can make sorting the waste much quicker and more efficient for the recycling plant.
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Hide AdResidents can also fit more inside their blue bins if they don’t use plastic bags – and there’s no need to buy them especially.
Black bags cause an issue because they can’t always be split open, or the waste inside separated, and they can also damage some sorting machines.
Using black bags can also make it more difficult for bin crews to check what’s inside a blue bin and make sure all the items are correct for recycling.
Councillor Chris Matthews, the council’s portfolio holder for environment and climate change, said: “The quality of recyclable materials placed in blue bins is more important than ever.
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Hide Ad“The cost of waste disposal is increasing year on year, but we can offset that by ensuring our recycling is high quality and only the right things are being included in the blue bin.
“Now we really need residents to help us by keeping their recycling clean, dry and loose, in order to reduce contamination.”
Paper, cardboard, glass bottles and jars, steel and aluminium cans and foil can go in the blue bin along with plastic pots, bottles, tubs and trays (no other plastics though).