ARE YOU A RUBBISH RECYCLER?

Don’t just chuck any old thing in the green bin – follow our handy guide and sort it out!

Realistically, most of us will never live a zero-waste lifestyle, but when it comes to sending less to landfill, we could all do better. Recycling is really our last resort – better to consume less and choose wisely. ‘Most packaging has issues, whatever it is made of,’ says author James Piper in The Rubbish Book. ‘Why does a toothpaste tube come in a cardboard box? Why is a paper straw acceptable when it is not needed? We should focus on what is important, reducing all packaging and reusing wherever possible.’ In the meantime, swot up on some of the more surprising dos and don’ts of recycling.

Sort it out!

‘For recycling to be effective, it is essential that certain waste types are kept apart,’ says James. ‘For example, leaving liquid in a bottle without a lid could cause it to splash on to paper, which would lower the quality of the recycling. Or grease on a pizza box would cause speckles to appear in the recycled paper it comes into contact with. You can help by always rinsing out your food and drink packaging and allowing it to dry before you put it in the recycling bin.’

Divide & conquer

Plastic comes in many forms, which makes it harder to sort, but you may have noticed a ‘resin code’ on packaging, ranging from 1 to 7. Most widely accepted are 1 and 2, while 3 (PVC) is trickier. Numbers 4 and 5 are generally accepted but 6 (polystyrene) and 7 (mixed) may not be. Lighter plastics, such as food wrap or carrier bags, should be taken to special collection points. Enter your postcode at recyclenow.com/local-recycling and find out your local authority’s rules.

Put a lid on it

‘You would be forgiven for putting metal lids in the metal bin, but the trick is to put them back on the empty bottle,’ says James. ‘Small items like lids are not very effectively recycled (a good rule is that it’s easier with items larger than a tennis ball), so regardless of whether a lid is metal or plastic, the best thing to do is put it in the correct bin for the bottle material so they can be sorted at the materials recovery facility.’

Pump it up

A trigger spray on, say, a bottle of cleaning solution, is more easily recycled

than a pump dispenser. This is because the pump usually contains a metal spring. Throw the pump section in your normal bin or, better still, buy refills so you can use the bottle again and again.

Glitter = litter

‘Any decorations on a greetings card that are not paper-based are likely to contaminate recycling, so it is important to remove them,’ says James. ‘If the glitter can’t be removed, rip off that section and recycle the remaining card. Better yet, ask people not to give you cards with glitter, which is essentially tiny pieces of plastic that will never be recycled due to their size.’ Remove sticky tape too – it can’t be recycled.

Rags to riches

All clothing can stay out of the waste bin. If it’s in good condition, donate or sell. Some councils accept textiles in recycling collections, or look out for special bins in supermarket car parks or at the local tip. Hangers are often trickier to recycle. Donate to charity shops and refuse new ones in the store.

Coffee pods

‘These are difficult to collect and recycle due to their size and the fact they retain liquid,’ says James. ‘But much of their environmental impact comes from the coffee itself, not the packaging. Pods are efficient because they require significantly less coffee. This actually could make them better for the environment than other brewing methods. Thankfully the industry has recognised the need to collect and recycle the packaging and rates are increasing.’