You’ve learned a lot here on Greenredeem, but we know that there is still significant improvements to be made in recycling. It would be easy to think that all plastic is recyclable, all paper, and all metal. While in most cases it can be it’s important to know what isn’t recyclable. In this blog, we’re going to dive into the unrecyclables and some items that live in the ‘grey areas’ of recycling. If you’re passionate about recycling, pay attention, this one is going to be important!
Polystyrene is not recyclable – ever!
It comes in many forms, but none of them are recyclable. In some cases you’ll be able to spot polystyrene because of the letter embossed into the material, in others, you’ll need to spot it yourself.
Polystyrene, also known as Styrofoam, is often white and when crumbled, it squeaks. You’ll find it commonly used as a protective layer for fragile products or as an insulator for food. If you’ve ever ordered a TV from the internet, there would have been plenty of it inside the cardboard box. Alternatively, if you’ve ordered a kebab recently, chances are it came in a polystyrene box.
So, what should you do with polystyrene? Sadly, it has to go in your rubbish bin. It can’t be recycled, anywhere.
Common household products
We’re hoping that there are a few household products that make you pause before you throw them in the bin. Is it recyclable? Can you put this in a different bin? Well, these are the ones we want to dive into a little deeper. Just to clear things up:
– Toothpaste tubes – not recyclable at home
– Cling film – not recyclable at home
– Blister packets from medicine/contact lenses – not recyclable at home
– Kids plastic toys – not recyclable at home
– Crisps packets – not recyclable at home
– Salad bags (and other soft plastic bags) – not recyclable at home
– Film lids – not recyclable at home
– Disposable razors – not recyclable at home
The good news is that some of these items will be part of a nationwide recycling programme. However, these are typically done by the brands that create them and therefore are incredibly location specific, for example:
– Colgate have a toothpaste tube recycling scheme
– Specsavers have a contact lens recycling scheme
– Superdrug have a blister pack recycling scheme
– Walkers have a crisp packet recycling scheme
– Warburtons have a bread bag recycling scheme
Most of these schemes are hosted alongside TerraCycle, so be sure to head to their website to see if there are any most schemes that you can get involved with. More importantly, take note of which schemes you can make the most of near you. It’ll get even more rubbish out the bin and safely to a recycling location.
What to do if you’re still unsure?
We’re hoping that you’re only ever using your recycling bin if you’re 100% certain that it can be recycled – not because of what the packaging says or what you think in your mind can be recycled. But because you’ve checked your local council’s website. Even in Surrey, some boroughs and districts have different recycling capabilities.
The worst thing you can do is consider all plastics recyclable. There are many different plastics, you’ll regularly come across 7, and they’re all recycled in different ways (if they can be recycled at all!) which is why it’s so important to separate them accordingly.
A mixture of materials
A lot of unrecyclables are considered so because of their complex nature. Carboard glued together with plastic film or laminated – that’s not recyclable! What’s worse is that those laminated types of carton can’t even be separated in order to be recycled like you can with a sandwich box. If you’re not sure on what material a product is, the chances are that it’s a hybrid of several, which means – it can’t go in the recycling bin! It might have a specific scheme for recycling like TetraPak’s do, but it certainly won’t be recycled if you put it in your kerbside bin.
Have we shed some light on the whole unrecyclable debacle for you? We’re hoping that you’re more confident than ever on how to use your recycling bin. Bottom line: Don’t unless you’ve checked your local council’s website recently! Recycling capabilities are changing, and we’re hoping soon they’ll be universal across the country. But for now, it is our job to pay attention to what can and can’t go in the recycling bin so that we can avoid purchasing items that will end up in the rubbish bin.
