Why cereal boxes could be banned from recycling bins

CEREAL boxes and letters may be banned from household recycling collections because China is rejecting British waste.

More than a million tons a year of so-called mixed paper rubbish was shipped to China before Beijing brought in a ban on ‘foreign waste’.

Now the Local Authority Recycling Advisory Committee (Larac) has admitted to a ‘possibility’ that previously accepted materials could be rejected.

Simon Ellin, of the Recycling Association, said it could be just months before some councils have to reject items such as cereal packets, newspapers and mail.

He added: ‘We have to be candid with people about the potential crisis we are facing at the moment, and I can see councils in a few months having to tell households they can no longer take cereal boxes, letters and mixed paper.

‘They will have to take some very difficult decisions, which may also affect whether they can take plastic pots, tubs and trays.’

There are fears the problem could lead to cuts to services or a rise in council tax.

Lee Marshall, chief executive of Larac, said: ‘We are not aware of any councils that have yet told households they will have to stop collecting certain items and we are hoping it will not come to that.

‘It is a possibility, but at the moment we hope it is a fairly slim possibility.’