Recycling plastic food trays near M25

JimmyTheWig

Hi, got a recycling question for you guys.

For a while now we have been recycling all our mixed plastics near where I work in Hertfordshire.
They've now said that the company who has been processing them is facing a drop in sales due to the economic downturn and so only wants the "best quality" stuff. Basically that means they don't want anything that may be contaminated with food or anything else.

I know that recycling mixed plastics isn't particularly cost-effective which is why it's not done in many places. We will probably now have to throw out our plastic food trays, yoghurt pots, bottle lids, etc.
But as it stands I've got a few black bag-fulls of the stuff that's already been sorted out as plastics that I haven't got around to taking to the dump. What would be good is if I could find somewhere to take them for recycling having already gone to this effort.

I go pretty much half way around the M25 each week for work (and so, being half-way, I can go either way if necessary). So does anyone know anywhere that accepts mixed plastics (including food trays) for recycling near the M25?


Thanks.

JimmyTheWig

So no-one knows of anywhere I can recycle plastic food trays in Kent, Surrey, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Essex or Greater London?

No wonder we're running out of landfill space!!

A_fiend_for_life

Hi JimmyTheWig

:eek: thats a long time without a reply.

The only thing i can think of off the top of my head is asking if a local school would take them for seedlings. It does sound quite a volume though.

Girl Guides and Cubs or Scouts might be another option.

You might be better phoning these up rather than walking through the school gates.

Not sure if nurseries (gardening / plants) will take these though - might be worth a try.

As for recycling I don't know who takes them - we only have milk bottle recycling here.

Last resorts - store them until the market recovers or take them back to the supermarket as a protest against overpackaging.
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JimmyTheWig

Thanks fiend.

I like the idea of taking them back to the supermarket. Not sure I've got the guts, though!
The trouble with giving them to schools, etc, is they'd need a good wash first. As much as I want to reduce our waste, I'm not sure I'd go to that length to do so. Especially as some of the food trays are going to be a couple of months old. Am hoping for a solution that would avoid washing them...

JimmyTheWig

If anyone's following this thread, then I've got an answer for you...

Tesco's in Lakeside retail park - RM20 1TX.

I had a look on www.recyclenow.com. It's a bit clunky as you have to put your postcode in first and then select what you want. I picked four points of the compass around the M25 and this was by far the best match.

Means going the "wrong way" around the M25 for me (I normally go west) but it doesn't make much difference - just means paying the toll.