Recycle Now’s Recycle Week is the largest celebration of sustainable recycling in the Nation. It began on the 17th of October and concluded on the 23rd. This year it specifically targeted the issue of contamination, but what does this mean and how can we prevent it?

 

Contamination is the process of non-recyclable items being disposed of in recycling bins and the Council aims to prevent this, as well as improve other recycling behaviours. It is a nationwide issue and negatively impacts our otherwise proficient and effective recycling system, and can cost Councils significantly.

 

Contamination is common all across the UK. In Durham, 35.8% of all recycling was contaminated, meaning only 1 in every 3 lorries of recycling can be recycled efficiently. Furthermore, contamination is costing taxpayers around £93 per tonne to process and in Norfolk, this totals £1.6 million per year.

 

It limits the immensely positive impact of recycling, as it potentially prevents a whole lorry of recyclable materials from being recycled. Recycling employees may come into contact with toxic rubbish and other physically harmful materials when incorrect, non-recyclable objects contaminate the sorting bins.

 

During Recycle Week 2022, Merton Council used their various social media outlets to demonstrate the positive impacts that recycling has on everyone. These platforms were also used to display the detrimental effects of contamination, excessive waste and fly-tipping.

In order to avoid contamination when disposing of rubbish in our daily lives, Recycle Now suggests checking their recycling locator tool to see what can and cannot be recycled. Rubicon.com suggests that communication with your recycling provider or Council helps to avoid contamination and to determine the appropriate recycling method based on your provider's requirements, residents should do some further research or contact them.

Below is a link to the Recycle Now page, to find out more about contamination and how we can recycle more effectively.

https://www.recyclenow.com/how-to-recycle/tips-to-help-reduce-contamination