07903853136 Waste contamination is something no one really thinks about; quite often, when faced with the task of rinsing out a can which has some food in it or a plastic container that still has a few strands of mince meat in it, we’ll shrug our shoulders and toss it into the recycling bin, thinking that a small amount of food won’t really make a difference. The truth is, whilst a small amount won’t cause too much harm, if we continue to shrug our shoulders, this behaviour will lead to contaminated waste that can’t be recycled – now that’s a serious issue.
But what exactly is waste contamination?
What is contaminated waste?
Contaminated waste is simply waste that has been mixed with another type of waste; for example, if cardboard waste was to be mixed with food waste, this would contaminate both sets, making them unrecyclable.
Waste contamination often occurs due to incorrect items being put into the recycling bins – this can be something as simple as throwing away a cardboard container which has plastic film on it into the cardboard recycling bin. This contaminates your waste which can then contaminate the entire bin lorries load.
Why it’s important to reduce waste contamination?
Small amounts of contamination are okay; having a few scraps of food in a massive container full of cardboard isn’t going to spoil the day. The issue is that a lot of people who recycle tend to contaminate their waste which, when gathered altogether results in a large amount of contamination – this prevents the entire bin lorry of waste from being recycled. That is a big issue. This goes for any sort of waste contamination, polythene and cardboard may not seem like the worst combination to have on your hands but they cannot be recycled together.
If your waste is clearly contaminated, your bins may not be emptied by the binmen and an informational hanger will be placed on your bins, instructing you to either sort the contaminated waste out ready for the next collection date or to arrange disposal yourself.
Okay, so how do we reduce waste contamination?
How to reduce waste contamination?
Thankfully, there is a very simple solution to this big problem. Segregate your waste – put the right things in the right bins. Most households which recycle should have been provided with instructions as to what waste goes into what bin. For the most part, the general advice on what to recycle and what NOT to recycle is as follows (it’s important to check with your local council because each council will have different recycling rules).
Items that should NOT be recycled:
- Animal waste
- Used Nappies
- Carrier bags
- Covid 19 tests, masks and and other PPE
- Tissues and kitchen towel
- Sticky tape
- Wet wipes and cotton buds
Items that should be recycled:
- Plastic bottles or containers
- Cardboard boxes such as cereal boxes
- Letters, magazines and newspapers
- Paper
- Metal cans made from tin, steel or alumium
- Glass bottles, jars or containers
Common recycling myths
- Recycling is a lie, it goes straight to landfill
I don’t even know where to start with this one. Recycling is not a lie, your recycling doesn’t go to the landfill, it goes to recycling plants which treat the rubbish accordingly. The majority of your recycling is processed in the UK with a minority of it being shipped to other countries on returning boats (boats which would otherwise be making the journey back empty).
- There’s no point separating your recycling, it all gets mixed up in the rubbish truck
Once again, this is a big fat myth. Recycling collection vehicles have separate compartments for each type of waste. Whilst it may look like they are all being loaded into the same compartment, I can assure you that in reality they are kept apart inside the vehicle.
- It doesn’t matter if I put something in the wrong recycling bin, it gets sorted anyways
Whilst it is true that waste is sorted by machines and by hand in recycling centres, this myth is harmful because it may prevent the recycling process from taking place. This brings us back to the topic of contamination. If you choose to believe this harmful myth, you will contaminate all of your recycling – meaning that none of it will actually be recycled.
Summary
Waste contamination continues to be a large reason why waste is sent to the landfills instead of being recycled so it’s important to try and prevent it wherever possible. If you find yourself with a contaminated bin which the bin men refuse to take, consider using our residential waste removal services. We will come and collect your rubbish for you, recycle it wherever possible and then dispose of it accordingly. We operate in Durham, Darlington, Hartlepool, Feryyhill, Trimdon, West Cornforth, and the surrounding areas.