Do you clean out your recycling?

[MarineBlue33]

My new cleaner said that I am the only person who does this. Surely not?
I rinse it out, wash with soap, let it dry and then put it in the recycling bin.
Wondering what others do...

Yeah same, you can’t put dirty recycling in the bin or it will contaminate the whole load

Yes, because our council requests it. We always have some hand washing up to do so we do it then.

Yes, one it’s supposed to be washed, two ours is only collected every 6 weeks so would stink.

We have one of those half size sinks between the main one and the draining board. It only tends to be used for washing our hands and rinsing fruit and veg so we leave empty tins etc in that sink and the run off rinses them.

Yes of course

Yes, always. Partly because I don't want it festering for a week and creating a grim sludge in the recycling crates, partly because ours is hand-sorted at the kerb so why make it harder for them, and partly as contaminated recycling is likely to end up in landfill, defeating the whole purpose of separating it all in the first place.

Yes I wash mine. You’re supposed to and surely your green bin would stink within the two weeks if you didn’t.

Brown him in our case. Green bin is garden waste round here.

Of course. There's no point recycling if you don't do it properly. It just causes additional problems.

Yes, that's what you have to do. No point in recycling if you don't at least rinse things well.

Yes

Yes but I’m a nanny housekeeper and the family I work for don’t wash anything out.

Yes. Didn't think it would be recycled otherwise. Doesn't it contaminate the whole batch if there's food left on it?

We really can’t. We are on a septic tank and food in it messes it up. It’s a common issue here as 90% of the properties are on tanks but the council still request you wash them out.

OK am so relieved that there is a consensus. My cleaner said that none of her other clients tell her to do this. Maybe they just assume she us doing it.

Yes always. I wash out the recycling in the dishwater once I've finished washing pots etc. Takes seconds and doesn't use any extra water.

I do but not everything, and I don't bother too much. Glass jars usually go in the dishwasher and I rinse yoghurt pots etc. so that there isn't a thick film of food on the pot, but I just chuck it in the bin once that's done - no drying or washing with soap. I don't bother to rinse out the milk bottle - just squash and screw the cap back on. Life is too short, and it goes out every day or so, so I don't care too much.

Yes. I wash it out. It messes up the recycling process if its grotty.

I don't wash out the veg punnets unless they're muddy but I rinse most things. Tins are really gross inside and especially need it. I just use common sense - if it looks mucky, I give it a quick wash.

My mother doesn't.

Yes I rinse it so no food is on it. I hope my friends do this too. Though I was putting some stuff in communal recycling bin on holiday and some of the containers in there were disgusting and had gone mouldy.

Just wondering what happens to the mixed recycling bin contents in street bins. Would they get processed separately to household recycling?

Oops, never rinsed/washed anything in my life that’s is destined for the bin..

I give a cursory rinse with water. I dont wash with soap

We don't properly wash it with soap (people do this?), but we do rinse it out so its not got anything 3D on it

Always. I wash it up after washing up crockery, pans etc. otherwise it'll contaminate other stuff in the recycling?