Bin smart: Government cracks down on recycling missteps

The government has advised people to refrain from recycling certain items such as juice cartons, toothpaste tubes, and takeaway boxes as part of a waste management reform

Britons will soon be advised to be more careful about what they put in their recycling bins as part of efforts to improve waste management.

Households will be urged to stop recycling items like juice cartons, toothpaste tubes, and takeaway boxes that can’t be processed effectively.

The government wants to tackle “wishcycling,” where individuals try to recycle things that can’t actually be recycled, causing problems in the recycling process.

The aim is to encourage households in England to be more selective in their recycling choices.

By doing this, it’s hoped that recycling rates will go up and less material will need to be sorted at waste processing centres and sent to landfill.

The government’s efforts are part of a wider plan to improve waste management

A Defra spokesperson told ELN: “We want to make recycling easier and ensure that there is a comprehensive, consistent service across England. This will help increase recycled material in the products we buy and boost a growing UK recycling industry.

“Local authorities are already required to separately collect types of recycling, but many can and do mix their waste collections – so paper, glass and other material are in the same bin and separated later.

“New rules under the Environment Act mean that councils will be required to separately collect garden waste and food, but the mixing of dry recycling will still be possible.”

Make sure you check out the latest Net Hero Podcast episode:

Latest Podcast