7 Common Recycling Mistakes You Should Avoid

There’s no denying it, if we want to help save our climate we need to recycle more. The problem is, with so many of us committing common recycling mistakes, we might just be doing more harm than good. So, to make sure you’re doing the best that you can for the planet, we have identified the most common recycling mistakes you should avoid:

1. Not Emptying Containers

So, you’ve got most of the soap out of that plastic container, do you just leave the remaining residue and chuck the container in the recycling? No! That’s because, when you leave liquids or sauces in items such as cooking jars or shampoo bottles, this liquid can easily contaminate paper or cardboard within a recycling bin.

Which means, when it comes to recycling, that entire bin’s worth of rubbish may need to be discarded and head for a landfill rather than getting recycled. So, make sure you rinse or wash anything before you put it in your bin.

2. Putting Plastic Bags in Your Recycling Bin

For most of us, lining a bin with a plastic bag is something we’ve done for years. However, when it comes to our recycling bin, this is a major no-no as rubbish collection will face good deal of difficulties in sorting it. That’s because, plastic bags cannot be recycled – which is why more and more supermarkets are removing bags from their shops.

Plus, for most of us, a plastic bin bag is used to stop food contaminating and causing our bin to stink. When it comes to recycling, all your rubbish should be washed before you put it in the bin. So, you really don’t need the plastic bag!

3. Not Removing Tape and Plastic

When we receive online shopping  or food deliveries, most packages come in cardboard boxes. Which, yes, can be recycled. The problem is, most of us just stick these boxes straight into our recycling thinking we’re doing our bit for the planet.

Actually, though, before we put any cardboard into the recycling, you need to remove all tape and any plastic wallets that might hold something like your invoice. As these parts cannot be recycled. You should also remove any plastic windows from envelopes before adding to your recycling.

4. Removing Paper Labels

While many of us don’t realise that you need to remove tape from cardboard, many of us waste a lot of time removing paper labels from jars or tins. Indeed, many of us are put off the idea of recycling together, as they can’t be bothered spending ages peeling off labels.

Well, luckily for you, these sorts of labels don’t need to be removed, as the paper is recyclable. So, don’t waste your time on jars and tins – just wash them out and chuck them in your recycling bin.

5. Recycling Items That Cannot Be Recycled

Before you start recycling, it’s important to know which common items cannot be put into a recycling bin. Some of the most common of these are:

• Plastic drinking straws
• Coffee cups
• Used kitchen roll

6. Not Washing Out Containers

Whether it’s your ready meal container or that jar of Nutella you’ve all but scraped clean, it’s very important that you take the time to wash out containers. As any scraps of food left on these items can contaminate large portions of recycling.

7. Focusing Too Much on Little Items

When it comes to recycling, if something is smaller than a post-it note, then you shouldn’t bother. So, rather than adding all your bottle tops to your recycling bin, instead stick them in the rubbish. Otherwise your rubbish removal company or local recycling plant will need to waste time separating them.