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Housekeeping

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Original poster

Do you clean out your recycling?

109 replies

MarineBlue33 · 13/01/2022 14:24

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...

OP posts:
PinkSyCo · 14/01/2022 23:47

No, I don't waste water washing rubbish.

I use the water I’ve just washed the dishes in.

SockFluffInTheBath · 14/01/2022 23:56

I rinse things so they look clean. I don’t wash in soapy water because I hardly ever have a bowlful going and I’m not wasting oil & water bathing my rubbish.

Yubaba · 15/01/2022 00:07

Glass jars I stick in the dishwasher to fill the load up, everything else gets a rinse with hot water, I don’t always use washing up liquid because I don’t hand wash a lot of things.
Our bins are emptied on a 3 week cycle and they would stink otherwise, we already struggle with maggots in the brown bin in summer without having them in our blue bin too.

Angel2702 · 15/01/2022 09:10

@user1493494961

No, I don't waste water washing rubbish.
It’s not wasting water, you use water you are already using for washing up etc. or adding to a dishwasher load you are already putting on.
RampantIvy · 15/01/2022 10:06

Do those of you who put the jars in the dishwasher have a problem with the labels coming off and causing problems?

I have always worried about this happening and "gumming up the works", but if it isn't an issue I will start putting jars into the dishwasher.

LethargicActress · 15/01/2022 10:35

It’s not wasting water, you use water you are already using for washing up etc

That only works of you do your washing up in a stagnant bowl or sink full of water. Not everyone does that, some of us prefer to wash up in running water, so more washing up for recycling automatically means more water.

Caspianberg · 15/01/2022 11:41

It’s barely any water though. If you had a 30second shorter shower, you could just use that water amount all week to rinse out stuff so it can actually be recycled. It’s fAr better to use a bucket of water extra per week than filling landfill

Nemorth · 15/01/2022 11:53

Yes always. I'll pile a load of containers destined for the recycling and empty and grey water into them.

If I have recycling and gaps in the dishwasher then those gaps are filled with the recycling.

Some things shrink in the dishy. It's fascinating really.

UserError012345 · 15/01/2022 12:48

No i don't.

LemonViolet · 15/01/2022 12:50

@RampantIvy

Do those of you who put the jars in the dishwasher have a problem with the labels coming off and causing problems?

I have always worried about this happening and "gumming up the works", but if it isn't an issue I will start putting jars into the dishwasher.

If the label is papery it will do this, but then it’s a separate recycling stream anyway so I peel them off and put them in the recycling on their own. Plasticky labels don’t cause an issue. Usually they are loose out of the dishwasher and can be peeled off to go in general rubbish and clean jar in recycling.
Riapia · 15/01/2022 12:55

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

FrankieBoyleSezLoveOneAnother · 15/01/2022 13:17

@LubaLuca

I rinse things, but I don't wash them. I'm thinking of the opening credits of 'Keeping Up Appearances' that showed Hyacinth Bucket putting her milk bottles in the dishwasher.
I put milk bottles in the dishwasher. They come out clean and dry and go back to the milkman on his next visit. I can't be arsed swishing water and soap around when I can just use the dishwasher, and I try to make sure that anything that other people will have to deal with is clean when it leaves my house. I've never been compared to Hyacinth Bouquet before, and I can't see that happening again Grin
LubaLuca · 15/01/2022 14:14

Our milk bottles have 'rinse and return' printed on them, they don't expect them to be gleaming on return and they're not dirty/unhygienic items anyway. They're dropped into a far from clean crate full of empties then sterilised back at the dairy ready for refilling.

JurgensCakeBabyJesus · 15/01/2022 14:19

Why would you leave it to your cleaner? Surely you wash it when you finish it?
We clean ours , milk bottles and jars go in the dishwasher, everything else by hand

trickyex · 15/01/2022 14:23

Yes of course, recycling is contaminated and cant be processed if dirty.

For empty peanut butter jars, add boiling water, leave overnight then shake the jar hard with lid on, that usually works. If not then put in dishwasher afterwards to get the residue off.

FrankieBoyleSezLoveOneAnother · 15/01/2022 14:38

@LubaLuca - yeah, I get that. It's not like I think the milkman will judge me or that returned bottles have to be sterilised. I think it's more a point of pride, silly as it may sound.

I don't know if anyone can relate to this, but if you've ever been given an item which is dirty or worn out, e.g. the sofa DH's aunt and uncle gave us which still had dust, crumbs and hair under the cushions, you might feel that you don't want to inflict that on anyone else. Charity shop volunteers may be able to relate?

I don't want to sound ungrateful because we do appreciate people's generosity, but I just think that if you are passing something over to someone, even just stuff on Freecycle or recycling for processing, why not at least make sure it's in a state you'd be happy to receive it in?

Also, also others have said, contaminated recycling can lead to the whole lorry-load having to go to landfill.

Svara · 15/01/2022 15:01

What do people do with cat food tins? At the moment I just rinse as I don't want to cut my gloves or hands on the edge. Should I be buying a plastic sponge on a stick thing?

SomethingSuss · 15/01/2022 18:17

@RampantIvy

Where is "here" *@SomethingSuss*? In the UK councils have provided bins for recycling for many years.
I'm not going to say where I live but yes, our county had weekly collections of general mixed waste grey bins right up until the tail end of last year. No sorting rubbish, no stickers on overfilled bins and they would even take a bag or two from beside them. They'd even take items sitting beside them like broken toys or an old clothes airer for example.
LemonViolet · 15/01/2022 19:31

@Svara

What do people do with cat food tins? At the moment I just rinse as I don't want to cut my gloves or hands on the edge. Should I be buying a plastic sponge on a stick thing?
Dishwasher as well! It’s only food.
Svara · 15/01/2022 19:33

Dishwasher as well! It’s only food.
I don't use a dishwasher. Other tins easily rinse out but the cat food stays in the ridges.

RampantIvy · 15/01/2022 22:37

That only works of you do your washing up in a stagnant bowl

That's a bit of an over reaction. Anything we wash by hand is rinsed off first before being put in a clean bowl of soapy water. It isn't "stagnant" Hmm

hiredandsqueak · 15/01/2022 22:44

Yes always wash out tins bottles etc before recycling, our council expects it but the bin would stink otherwise so I'd do it anyway.

Beecham · 15/01/2022 22:55

Less than 10% of everyday plastic actually ends up being recycled.

MUCH better to choose glass jars and bottles wherever possible.

As for cleaning peanut butter jars, I use a mini spatula to get out every last bit, then soak it.

User6397254 · 16/01/2022 07:23

I just rinse them in the water left from washing odd things that won't go in the dishwasher

YourenutsmiLord · 16/01/2022 07:29

I do but my DDs don't - they are much busier than me though.