Recycling isn’t always as simple as it may seem at first glance. When you dig a bit deeper in to being more eco-friendly, it can actually be a bit confusing. Is all plastic recyclable? Do you need to take off the lids on glass bottles? Can wrapping paper be recycled with the cardboard? These are all questions i’ve asked myself and tried to find answers for over the years. So, incase like me, you’re not 100% clear on what can and can’t be recycled, here are a few common mistakes people make when it comes to recycling.
Plastic Caps
Yes, plastic caps on bottles can be recycled. However, make sure you take off the plastic caps from glass bottles and add them to your plastic recycling bag. They CANNOT be recycled if they are still on the glass bottles. Also, make sure you take off the lids and add them to your recycling separately as some recycling centres won’t take them still on the bottles.
Coffee Cups
Due to the thin layer inside the coffee cups that make them waterproof, means they cannot be recycled. Switch to re-useable cups whenever you can to save waste.
Dirty Cardboard
Dirty or greasy cardboard or paper can actually make your entire bag of cardboard become un-recyclable. For example, if you have a greasy pizza box, tear out the greasy part and recycle the clean part. Also, if you receive a card that has glitter on it, this also can’t be recycled so this will need to go straight in to the bin.
Glossy Paper
Contrary to common belief, magazines can actually be recycled! These can go in the recycling with your newspapers.
Wrapping Paper
Even though wrapping paper is made mainly from paper, it is NOT recyclable. Normally because it’s laminated with plastic, foil or other non-paper materials. If it has sticky tape still on it, or glitter, that also means it can’t be recycled and can disrupt the recycling process.
Nappies
No, nappies like pampers cannot be recycled! If you want to be more eco-friendly wen it comes to nappies, you’ll need to find a different brand.
Plastic Bags
ANYTHING you put in to a plastic bag, whether recyclable or not, will go straight in to landfill. Make sure you separate anything out that can be recycled. If you have any plastic bags, reuse them as much as you can as these cannot be recycled. Do not buy new plastic bags, instead take your own bags to the shops with you.
Drinks Cartons
Cartons such as milk cartons with a plastic lining should be recycled in with your plastics. Do NOT put these in the cardboard recycling as they will end up in landfill. Depending on your area, Tekra Pak cartons can now also be recycled in with your plastic recycling. Check your area BEFORE you recycle as each area is slightly different.
Batteries
Due to the chemicals in batteries, these cannot be recycled. If you need to use batteries in your home, opt for the rechargeable ones instead so you can use them again and again.
Disposable Face Masks
Single use disposable face masks are not widely recycled by local councils because separating the materials that make up these face masks is a difficult, time consuming and costly process so don’t put them into your household recycling. There are however specialist collection boxes for these masks in supermarkets like Morrisons where they will be recycled. Waterhaul recycles single use face masks into rubbish pickers and litter picking equipment.
Food Waste
ALL food waste can be either recycled or put in to a compost bin. If you put food waste in to your general waste, it too will end up in landfill in your non-biodegradeable bags. Sat there forever, when it could have gone back in to the ground as nutrients. Make sure you use bio-degradeable bin bags for all your food waste and NOT the normal plastic bin bags.
Old Clothes
Old clothes often find themselves in the bin, even though they can quite easily be recycled in a few different ways. Once you are done with your old clothes, instead of throwing them away, perhaps you could give them to a charity shop. You could even make them in to something else. For example, if you have a pair of jeans that are ripped at the nee, perhaps you could cut hem down to be a new pair of shorts. Or that old smelly towel could be cut in to smaller pieces and used as cleaning rags. You could even sell them on local Facebook group pages, or through places such as eBay.
Aerosol Cans
Once your aerosol can is empty, remove the plastic cap and put BOTH in to your plastic recycling bag. Do NOT try to pierce a hole in the can as it is likely to explode on your.
Foil
Aluminium foil and foil trays/dishes can be recycled. These need to be clean of food waste and can be recycled in with your plastics and tins.
Frozen Food Boxes
Due to the waxy coating on frozen food boxes (as with the coffee cups), makes them difficult to recycle, so should be thrown in the bin unless the box states otherwise. However, some boxes do not have this waxy coating so check before you throw it away.
If you enjoyed this article, you may also like our article on 50 Simple Ways To Be Eco-Friendly
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