Wrong recycling will be rejected warning

Plastic film is one of the main items that is found in the boxes that contaminate the recycling, Powys County Council says.

Councillor Heulwen Hulme, Cabinet Member for Waste and Recycling said the council was impressed that residents were keen to recycle as much of their rubbish as possible, but said it was important to remember to only place the correct items into the kerbside recycling boxes for their weekly collections.

"Adding incorrect items to the boxes makes life very difficult for our crews. If collected, these products must be removed by hand back at the depots before being sent to the recycling processors, who will reject material if contaminated with these items," she said.

Previously crews would leave the incorrect items in the boxes with a note to explain why they hadn’t been taken with the rest of the recycling.

"Over the past 18 months we have been more lenient in collecting the full contents of the boxes due to Covid-19 restrictions and ensuring we minimise the risk of spreading the virus and keep our crews safe. But, as restrictions ease, we must once again concentrate our efforts into ensuring we only collect the correct material from the kerbside.

“This means that residents may find that any incorrect items in their recycling boxes will be left behind. In some instances, where there is a lot of contamination, the full box may be left, with a note explaining that it will be emptied next time, once the offending items have been removed.

“We understand that remembering what can and cannot be collected can be difficult, which is why we will always leave a note explaining what we can and cannot accept. Powys residents have proved time and time again that they are committed to recycling much of their waste, and we thank them for their continued efforts with helping us collect, good quality recyclable material.”

The council has stressed that the only items to go in the red recycling boxes were clean and empty plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays, tins, cans, aerosols, foil and lids.

For a full list of what can and can’t be collected in each of the boxes, go to powys.gov.uk/article/726/What-do-I-do-with-my-recycling-and-rubbish-household.