Recycling can be somewhat confusing

When it comes to recycling, can you be 100% sure what can and cannot be recycled? Where it can be recycled?, and what the symbols for recycling on packaging actually mean?

It would seem recycling waste can be somewhat confusing. We may think we know what is recyclable and what is not, but sometimes when recycling things we all need a little help. Clearer and more detailed instructions on the labels and packaging may help us all to become more environmentally friendly.

For instance plastic wrap or Clingfilm is not recyclable, neither is black plastic if the recycling centre is using Near Infa-Red Laser technology, as this sorting method cannot detect the colour black. Crisp and sweet wrappers are also generally non-recyclable at home, if these are put in with the recycling and sent to recycling centres they could cause costly damage to equipment, in addition to this they must be sorted out and sent to landfills, which raises costs for the facility. This is why reading the labelling is so important, it saves money and reduces the recycling carbon footprint.

Clearer labelling may influence our purchasing decisions, packaging and labels need to be crystal clear on what we can recycle and where we can recycle it. Materials such as paper and plastic bottles can be recycled but what about bottle tops? It seems that if the tops are attached, then yes they can usually be recycled, but if a cap is loose or is from a carton or tetra pack that contained liquid, then that cap can’t be recycled, either because it is too small an item on its own or because it has a liner and therefore is not suitable for recycling.

Recycle?- This label is applied to packaging which is widely collected for recycling by 75% or more of UK local authorities. It will often have other instructions i.e. flatten, cap on, rinse etc

Don't Recycle?-?This label has items that are not recyclable e.g. polystyrene.

Recycle - Rinse?-?If recycling food containers rinse of all food as they can contaminate other recyclable items.

Recycle - Lid On?– bottle tops need to be kept on bottles so everything can be recycled. Some parts are unable to be recycled if they fall under 40 mm in diameter and are too small to be able to be recycled on their own. If your item displays this label, by ensuring the cap or lid is put back on bottle, will mean all of it will be collected and recycled!?

?Recycle with Bags at Large Supermarkets - Don't Recycle at Home?- bread bags, chocolate wrappers and crisps packets will have this symbol. This can be recycled and is collected at specialised collection points at your local supermarkets.

Don't Recycle Remove Sleeve?– At times packaging needs to be separated and the sleeve thrown away. If it is easy to separate you will see this symbol. For this, the sleeve would be removed from the bottle and thrown away; the bottle can then be recycled correctly.

Mobius Loop - Indicates that an object is capable of being recycled but not that it will necessarily be accepted in all recycling collection systems or that it has been recycled. Sometimes this symbol is used with a percentage figure in the middle to explain that the packaging contains x% of recycled material.

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