The Dos and Don’ts of Recycling

Recycling is a practice that we all know is beneficial to the environment. However, managing your household waste according to local recycling rules can be daunting and confusing.
Here we discuss some do’s and don’ts of recycling your household waste.

Dos
•    DO always what materials are accepted with your local council.   Whilst some recycling plants can handle certain materials, others will not have the facilities, so it is vital that you check.
•    DO separate items- again check with your local council for requirements. Whilst some people only have one recycling bin, others may need to separate their recycling waste into plastics, glass and metals.
•    DO remove grease before recycling- It is common for people to place pizza boxes in the recycling bin or believing they cannot be recycled due to the grease and place them in the general waste bin. The truth is that you can tear off the pieces of cardboard that are covered in grease and place in the general waste bin and place the clean cardboard in the recycling bin.
•    DO recycle your junk mail. The majority of the mail you receive is suitable for the recycling bin. Place all your unnecessary paperwork in the recycling bin unless it contains confidential information, which should be shredded where possible. Check with your local council before placing shredded paper in the recycling bin as some areas do not accept it.
•    DO try and reuse items as much as possible. Just because an item is recyclable can be recycled doesn’t mean you should not reuse it as much as you can beforehand.
•    DO flatten cardboard down as much as possible. The flatter you can get it, the more you can fit in the bin and therefore the smaller number of waste pickups are necessary, lowering costs and emissions.
•    DO rinse all containers- Ensure containers are cleaned thoroughly before placing in the recycling to remove any traces of food.

Don’ts
•    DON’T assume an item is recyclable. Even though you are trying to maximise your recycling, adding unrecyclable material to the recycling bin can be more harmful. An entire batch of recycling can be written off due to a very small number of unrecyclable items being found.    Before recycling anything you are unsure of, always check the label first.
•    DON’T recycle plastic bags- Try to reuse plastic bags as many times as possible. When they can no longer be used, take them to a facility that specifically recycles plastic bags. Many supermarkets have areas to dispose of them. Do not just place them in your recycling bin.
•    DON’T recycle food- Food is not recyclable but some of it can be compostable. Consider purchasing a compost bin to place organic food waste to reduce the amount of waste that goes to landfill whilst benefitting your garden at the same time.
•    DON’T recycle plastic containers that contained toxic material such as bleach. Be careful when placing plastic bottles in the recycling bin. Although they are plastic, if they have contained a potentially harmful substance, they will not be accepted at the recycling plant. For example, anti-freeze pesticide containers, spray paints and even some household cleaners
•    DON’T place garden waste in a recycle bin. Order a separate garden waste bin if you have garden waste on a regular basis.
•    DON’T recycle wrapping paper unless it states it’s recyclable- Many people do not realise that most wrapping paper and tissue paper is unrecyclable. Try and reuse wrapping paper as much as possible by storing it away for the future.

Unfortunately, recycling is becoming more complicated and it is important to understand what your recycling rules are in your local area. However, by following these dos and don’ts you can help ensure as much waste as possible is recycled. If you have a lot of waste in your house or garden, then consider hiring a skip to help. One of the major benefits of LSPS skip hire is that we will ensure your waste is separated into items that can be recycled and those that can’t to take the pressure off you.

To find out more about how we can help you with your waste disposal and recycling needs, please contact us on 0800 083 7807 or visit our website for further information.