The colourful packs of festive treats that we CAN’T recycle

SUPERMARKETS are adding to the tide of plastic waste with festive products that will go straight to landfill.

Christmas has brought a surge in demand for coloured plastics, which are far harder to recycle than the clear equivalents.

Plastic sweet packaging, mince pie trays and Christmas pudding wrappings are hitting the shelves in hues of gold, red and purple.

But experts say these coloured plastics cannot be recycled to make much apart from garden furniture and pipes. However, clear plastic can be made into clothing and bottles, slashing the chances it will end up being burnt or going to landfill.

Simon Ellin, chief executive of the Recycling Association, said: ‘There is no reason why all of these products could not come in clear plastic, apart from marketing and bling. At this time of year, across various supermarkets, there are a monumental number of colours.’

A survey of products from Waitrose, Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury’s and Tesco showed many used coloured and black plastics. Favourites such as Roses, Celebrations, pictured, and Quality Street come in bright plastic tubs, while chocolate selection boxes use black trays to hold the bars.

These are not recycled by many councils because recycling centre machinery cannot detect them.

But a Nestle spokesman said Quality Street packaging had been tested at a recycling facility.

Both Mondelez, which owns Roses-maker Cadbury, and Nestle said the polypropylene used to make the tubs that hold the chocolates is widely recycled.