New campaign aims to reduce contaminated waste
Northumberland residents are being encouraged to recycle right through a new initiative.
The County Council has launched a new campaign aiming to lower the amount of contaminated items ending up in residential recycle bins - such as dog poo, nappies, black bags, food residue, wet cardboard and greasy pizza/takeaway containers and boxes.
The campaign explains what can be recycled and the correct process for recycling cardboard boxes, plastic bottles, tins, cans and aerosols with information about flattening, emptying and rinsing.
More information can be found at nland.cc/mybin
The campaign is reminding people that putting dirty or unwashed items and other non-recyclables in the recycle bin can spoil a lorry-load of good-quality recycling from multiple streets and hundreds of properties.
In Northumberland, 60% of contaminated waste is caused by non-recyclable general waste being put in the recycling bin. Contamination from just one item can make the whole load harder to sort and process so ultimately this ends up rejected and incinerated rather than repurposed or recycled.
Councillor John Riddle, Cabinet Member for the Environment, said: “We know that there are thousands of residents across the county already putting the right waste in the right bin in the right way and you’re all doing an incredible job for the county and also the environment – so a huge thank you.
“One of our priorities is to protect our natural environment by ensuring as much waste as possible is captured for re-use and recycling, as opposed to disposal. Even the smallest changes can make a huge positive impact.
“But unfortunately, it only takes one contaminated item to spoil so much potential recycling, in some cases leading to the whole lorry load being disposed of as waste rather than recycled into new products.
“Almost a quarter of recycling material collected in the county is currently contaminated and last year alone this cost the County Council over £1 million that could be better invested in public services such as our highways, adult social care and children’s services.
“It is vital we all do our bit to avoid unnecessary environmental and financial impacts.”
Items that cannot be put into household recycling bin such as textiles, clothes, and electrical items can be recycled at one of Northumberland’s Household Waste Recovery Centres.
