I work in recycling & waste management AMA

[amawaster]

I've worked in waste & recycling for the last 12 years for various different councils. I've worked on waste reduction projects, Home composting, waste & recycling collections, waste disposal & contracts & lots & lots of communication projects!

Waste & recycling are something people always seem to discuss & the media coverage of my industry is rarely positive despite all of the incredible efforts of the many committed individuals working in it.

Hoping I should be able to answer your questions!

[amawaster]

It's ok, I've probably talked enough rubbish for this week I'll get my coat....

[ThePencil]

How does the stuff actually get sorted at the recycling place? In my head it's a massive conveyor belt for the recyclables, with people standing on both sides removing anything that can't be recycled (and somewhere in the process there's a big magnet that lifts out the metal). Is it more sophisticated than that?

And what happens if someone has, say, put in something like a cereal box but it has something inside, like plastic, that's a different material? Are all boxes checked to see whether there's anything inside?

And should I collect my Creme Egg wrappers into a ball and put them in the recycling bin?

[amawaster]

@ThePencil In part it's exactly as described, but there are also lots of very cool bits of kit in there- ballistic separators, trommels, magnets & eddy currents, infrared optical sorters, and lots & lots of conveyor belts!! If you YouTube how does a MRF work you'll see quite a few U.K. facilities on there.

[travelmonster]

I use recyclable wipes for my toddler's bottom but resort to wet wipes packets for when we're out and about. The plastic clip flap (if you know what I mean), can I pull that off and recycle it?

Our cat's food comes in foil lined cardboard tetrapaks. I cannot work out if these are recyclable or not.

[ThePencil]

Oh, @amawaster , I just checked YouTube - really interesting!

I also now realise that I probably shouldn't stick the contents of the hole punch (the tiny little cut-out holes) in the recycling! Can I throw them into the food waste bin?

[kaitlinktm]

When we first got our plastic (and glass/metal) recycling bins - oh years ago now I can't remember exactly - we were told to only recycle plastic which had a number 1 or 2 in a triangle on the bottom. I have done this religiously since then but I don't know if this has changed. For instance it doesn't apply to my yogurt pots.

Also I have just realised that I now recycle the plastic punnets that tomatoes or strawberries come in and I don't think they have that triangle number on them - for years I didn't recycle them but then someone said I should be doing.

[amawaster]

@travelmonster cat food containers, unless you're cutting them open & cleaning them out would be a no-no.

Plastic lid sounds like a no to me too. Pots tubs & trays is a useful mantra

[amawaster]

@kaitlinktm seriously don't sweat it! You've clearly been paying far more attention to your recycling than the vast majority of people. Councils have changed their messaging since first introducing schemes to make them a little more customer friendly!! Guidelines in place for best practice communications now say to use "pots tubs & trays" as people are more likely to be able to relate to that description.

[travelmonster]

Thank you for this, it's so helpful.

I imagine a lot of stuff is incorrectly sorted. What do you actually do with batteries and/or items that can't be recycled at your faculty? Do you incinerate them or send them on to landfill? Or sell them on?

I find this fascinating.

[amawaster]

Some stuff which we call non target material can be sent on for recycling, but we don't advertise that we collect it as the markets are not reliable/established enough/material not always good enough to have guaranteed off takers all the time. Other stuff gets sent to energy from waste on my patch. It depends on what other facilities/contracts are in place locally.

[Utini]

We use a dishwasher rather than washing up in the sink, and if there's space I'd prefer to put in any plastic raw meat containers to save washing up water and for good hygiene. If I do this they get a bit misshapen and shrunken. Is this a problem, or are they still ok for recycling in this condition? I'd assume plastic has to be melted down for recycling anyway?

[Utini]

And another question - I recently discovered that you can take all sorts of plastic wrapping such as potato / bread bags, wrappers from can multipacks, toilet rolls etc to be recycled at some supermarkets.

Any tips on identifying what can go in? A lot of Sainsbury's brand packaging says it's recyclable at supermarkets, but very similar packaging from m&s says not recyclable. I've been putting in any wrappers made of stretchy plastic, assuming it's all the same material as carrier bags, is this ok or am I contaminating the recycling?

[Onecutefox]

Lots of waste gets exported abroad. China has stopped accepting it so most of it goes to Malaysia. It is quite embarrassing the UK is doing it. Then we talk about pollutants in the oceans and about high level of pollution in Africa and Asia. Well, if they accept waste from other countries then of course they will become more polluted not the opposite.

[Onecutefox]

Here is one article about the export of waste

UK now exporting more waste to countries with highest levels of ocean plastic pollution
'Instead of just moving our plastic scrap around the globe, we should turn off the tap at the source,' say campaigners

www.independent.co.uk/environment/uk-plastic-pollution-oceans-recycling-export-waste-malaysia-vietnam-thailand-a8400761.html

[amawaster]

Tbh I don't know much about plastic films- I know plastic bags come in about 17 different polymers which makes them difficult to separate into single streams. I have my suspicions that they may not actually be recycled, but I don't have any proof of that.

Shrunken/misshapen plastic is fine.

[amawaster]

@Onecutefox I agree that waste shouldn't be shipped abroad if it isn't going to be managed responsibly, but it's naive to think that none of our waste should leave our shores. We import so many products- if we want any of them to be made of recycled material then we need to provide them with product to do that.

To my mind the problem is the race to the bottom on pricing- generally speaking people don't want to pay for ethical standards on any products & waste management is the same.

To fix the situation we need stronger auditing & more inspections of recyclate leaving the UK & more legal responsibility on companies exporting waste. The problem is that the environment agency is woefully underfunded, continually having its budget cut & business is always looking for the cheapest (not best) solution.

[Onecutefox]

but it's naive to think that none of our waste should leave our shores. We import so many products- if we want any of them to be made of recycled material then we need to provide them with product to do that.

I think if we do have to import food then we need to provide them with recyclable packaging. Otherwise it's a bit hypocritical to blame other countries for pollution if we add to it.

[Onecutefox]

Not only food I meant but products

[friskybivalves]

Amawaster, what would you like to see in the government's new waste strategy? And aren't they about to launch a drs for plastic bottles?

[noblegiraffe]

Do I need to clean out my glass peanut butter jars? I normally rinse everything but peanut butter is a complete pain and seems to take a lot of effort and hot water so I don’t know if it’s worth it.

[FourOnTheHill]

Ooh hello I have questions for you nearly every day. I need to read the whole thread before I post questions and haven’t got time right now but I’m very cheered by the number of people on here who care about recycling.

[amawaster]

Just realised the formatting of my answers has been pants so far- will try harder!!

I think if we do have to import food then we need to provide them with recyclable packaging. Otherwise it's a bit hypocritical to blame other countries for pollution if we add to it.

If industry could agree on a standardised packaging that would go a long way to helping create standardised collection & recycling schemes. But consumers like choice and someone offering something different will always win business, so everyone tries something individual. Personally the only ones I hold accountable are companies exporting waste without proper audits (I'm available for audits in the Far East if required ) and governments who don't invest proper enforcement of environmental standards. They are systemic failures rather than personal ones.

[amawaster]

what would you like to see in the government's new waste strategy? And aren't they about to launch a drs for plastic bottles?

I'd like to see commitment to the sustainable development of recycling facilities in the UK. Some money towards communication.
Extended producer responsibility.

WRT a DRS, it's very much in the discussion phase, it's out for proper consultation in Scotland so it'll be very interesting to see what they come up with. I work in England and I'm very jealous of Zero Waste Scotland! I read a bit more about DRS schemes today and one of the ideas out there is that it's only applied to "on the go" products which would make me happy.

[amawaster]

Do I need to clean out my glass peanut butter jars? I normally rinse everything but peanut butter is a complete pain and seems to take a lot of effort and hot water so I don’t know if it’s worth it.

Depends on how/where you're recycling them. If they're going to a bottle bank/bring site it's not that important. If they're going in a mixed kerbside collection then they could do with a good rinse tbh...

[Scienceforthewin]

I know recycling should be clean but how clean exactly? Mostly clean or could-eat-off-it clean?