At the November meeting of the Ruddington & District U3A, we had a very informative talk and fun quiz about what we should and shouldn’t put in our blue recycling bins. It was given by Lesley Taylor, who works for Veolia. The talk brought to light several items I thought could go in the blue bin – but which I now know I’ve recycled wrongly in the past!
Veolia are the waste contractors for the household rubbish generated and collected in our village and the rest of Nottinghamshire. They have a Materials Recovery Facility in Mansfield where the rubbish is sorted into item types and then sent on to various other facilities.
All clean and dry cardboard, paper, cans, (including aerosols), tins and plastic bottles, margarine tubs (but not the lids – see below) and yoghurt pots can go in the blue bin.
However, shredded paper or card should NOT be put in your blue bin. This is because it’s too small to be sorted and more difficult to make into good quality paper or card pulp due to the short lengths. It can either be put into a compost bin or bagged and put in your grey, general waste bin.
Other things I learned include:
- Tops on plastic bottles should be removed and put in general waste
- Lids on margarine tubs are a low quality plastic and should be put in your general waste
- Food trays, bubble wrap and plastic bags must go in the grey bin, not the blue bin
- Pizza boxes, although made of cardboard, are waxed and often have food deposits left on them so must go in the grey bin
In the past items, that couldn’t be recycled went to landfill. Now, the majority of Nottinghamshire’s general waste goes to an Energy Recovery Facility where it’s turned into electricity and district heating, so literally nothing goes to waste.
Barbara Breakwell