Confusing recycling labels lead to rise in items put in wrong bin

MORE non-recyclable household waste is being put in green bins as families are confused by unhelpful labels on packaging, industry experts have warned.

Up to 15 per cent of the items sent to recycling plants cannot be reused, an increase from five per cent in previous years, waste management firm Veolia said. Research by YouGov has revealed the extent of labelling confusion among the public, with just eight per cent of respondents saying they strongly believe that recycling labels on products are clear, and only 12 per cent trusting them.

Although 91 per cent of the 2,000 UK adults surveyed agreed that recycling is “worth it”, public enthusiasm for being environmentally friendly seems to wane outside the home, as nearly 50 per cent said they were more likely to recycle at home than out in public.

The mistakes have led to an increase in contamination in inner cities, according to Richard Kirkman, of Veolia.

He said: “Labels need to be designed so out of the corner of your eye you spot it and you put it in the right container. In inner cities you tend to have one recycling container for everything and in that scenario we have seen contamination rates increase from historical averages of five to 10 per cent up to 10 to 15 per cent, so there’s been a five per cent uplift in contamination.

“If you’re in doubt you put it in because you think, ‘well it might get there’ but then we have to sort it out.

“If there’s contamination, it will cost more to remove it and it will cost more to the local authority, who charge this via the council tax,” he said.

An investigation by The Sunday Telegraph previously revealed there are 58 widely used symbols on packaging, plastic, glass and batteries, but they do not always mean what they seem.

The well known “green dot” symbol, showing recycling arrows, means the producer of the product has made a financial contribution towards the recovery and recycling of packaging in Europe. The decision on whether an item can be recycled is often left up to the consumer, represented through the “check locally” label.

Veolia is calling on recycling labelling to become nationally standardised to help alleviate this confusion.

Mr Kirkman added: “How can we expect people to recycle if they don’t trust the information presented?

“Clearer labelling, signage and the consistency in guidelines to accommodate all locations is fundamental to help people separate their products correctly. These small changes will shake up the system, making the move towards a circular economy and resuscitating the environment.”

A Defra spokesperson said: “It’s clear that the public want to do more for our environment, but confusion over what can be recycled is holding them back.

“We want to bring an end to this, which is why we are introducing consistent collections for recyclable materials in England. We have also consulted on proposals to make producers label their packaging as ‘recyclable’ or ‘not recyclable’ so households clearly know what they can recycle.”