Most if us love to recycle, but many of us ‘wish cycle’,
that is we think something should be recycled so put it in our kerbside bin
anyway, says Planet Ark. Although well intentioned, this behaviour causes contamination.
When a nonrecyclable is mixed in with recyclable items, it
affects the recycler’s ability to recycle any of the batch, leading to more
materials going to landfill. If in doubt, leave it out of your recycling bin.
These items do not belong in the recycling bin, says Planet
Ark, but are frequently found there. This does not mean some of them cannot be
recycled elsewhere, just not in the kerbside bin:
- soft plastics (like bread bags
and bubble wrap) - food waste
- food containers with food in them
- crockery
- nappies
- clothes/fabric
- polystyrene
- CDs/DVDs/videos
- window/drink glass
- batteries
- mobile phones
- paper towels
And do not put your recyclables into a plastic bag. They
cannot be sorted and are manually removed, with the whole bag sent to landfill.
Put your recyclables into your bin loose.
Items that cannot go in your recycling bin may still be
recyclable. Items such as mobile phones, printer cartridges, televisions,
computers, whitegoods, paint and more may be able to be dropped off at a
recycling depot.
Check your local area or google recycling in your local
area.
