It's getting tough out there. Feeling the pinch?

YorksLass

We can recycle plastics that have # 1, 2, 4 and 5 in the triangle or white plastics without a number in the triangle (not other colours though).  Also tins, foil, empty aerosols, paper and card (but not shredded paper).   All of these go in a green bin and we have black bins for general waste.  I'm glad we don't have to separate the items into different bins, boxes, bags etc - there's just no room in my small kitchen for more than the two lidded bins I have.  I also have a carrier bag hooked over the door handle for clean soft plastics.

There are food waste collections for some parts of the city (not ours, but we have precious little food waste  ) and garden waste collections for those living in houses (but not flats etc without private gardens).  Glass bottles go to bottle banks.  Spent batteries go to dedicated collection points in retailers or council premises eg library, sports centre, schools etc.

Our council website has a handy A-Z of re-using, recycling and where/how to dispose of different items plus details of various charities and re-use organisations where unwanted items can be taken.  Some, but not all, can arrange collection if required.

Then there are council run recycling centres for furniture etc that isn't suitable for donation; for these you have to have a car to take stuff there and book an appointment, in advance, plus proof of address that you live in the city but there's no charge.

If you can't get to a recycling centre, the council will collect from outside your home - 5 items per collection, 4 collections per year - free of charge, for private residents only, not landlords or businesses, with a booked appointment.  Even then, this is more complicated than it first appears.  For example, a bed has to be dismantled and will be counted as 4 items - frame, slats, mattress and headboard.

This is before we start on the different schemes, permits and charges for trade waste disposal.  No wonder there's so much fly tipping!

euronorris

Here's an article about soft plastics and the lack of transparency: https://wickedleeks.riverford.co.uk/features/where-do-supermarket-plastic-collections-really-go/

ETA: From what I remember from looking into this in the past there were only 2 places in the UK capable of recycling the soft plastics and I think one of them either closed, or stopped doing it because it wasn't commercial/too expensive. 

So sadly, I'm still of the opinion of this being a bit of an easy 'green washing' tactic by Sainsburys, and that the actual motivation behind the change is probably a cost saving on the packaging thereby increasing their margins. I know that's a bit cynical, but history points to this being the more likely truth behind the change.

dreaming

I think the plastics issue needs serious investigation and a concerted agreement by manufacturers/packaging suppliers/supermarkets  to solve. I try to reduce my plastics-use but since becoming ill last year I have relied on supermarket deliveries for much of my grocery shopping and although I always stipulate no plastic bags for the delivery, much of what is available (at my budget) is pre-packed meat etc. and recovering from surgery has meant a greater reliance on ready meals (although I do try to plan ahead and make my own). I always wash out and try to recycle what I can but it can be confusing as to what is re-cyclable by my council, especially when the packaging is changed, and I struggle to see the numbers printed on the it so I risk putting things into the wrong bins. There have been some crackdowns in our area where bins have not been emptied due to incorrect items being put in them but there have also been reports that recycling does go to landfill - possibly due the incorrect items.

Katiehound

I read the article quoted above- interesting.
 It seems to suggest that although the soft plastic is not recycled for food packaging (except for a Heinz project) it is down cycled for bags for life, building products etc and in my book that is far better than being binned.

On the whole recycling stuff goes straight out to the bins, it doesn't loiter long in the kitchen

Round here the landfill rubbish goes to a mega incinerator many miles away (don't get me started on that one!) and it generates electricity

euronorris

If too much of a recycling load is contaminated with non recyclables it will be rejected by the recycling plant. So yes, sometimes whole loads can still end up in landfill.

For this reason, our council will not accept any christmas wrapping paper, regardless of whether or not it is plastic free. They ended up with too much contamination and rejected loads. Not only did this mean more stuff ended up in landfill, but fuel was also expended in both directions (to the recycling plant and back). So they have only accepted brown paper at Christmas time for the last few years.

It's really hard to get the message across. They have put the message out about this in quarterly magazines, emails, on their Facebook and twitter pages, as well as the council waste management pages over, and over, and over again (soooo many times in the lead up to Christmas) and still I spoke to multiple people last year who were unaware of the rule. I really don't know how else they are supposed to educate people on it. When people aren't interested in the subject, it's really hard to make them care.

euronorris

Katiehound said:

I read the article quoted above- interesting.
 It seems to suggest that although the soft plastic is not recycled for food packaging (except for a Heinz project) it is down cycled for bags for life, building products etc and in my book that is far better than being binned.

On the whole recycling stuff goes straight out to the bins, it doesn't loiter long in the kitchen

Round here the landfill rubbish goes to a mega incinerator many miles away (don't get me started on that one!) and it generates electricity

It's frustratingly unclear how much is actually recycled at all though. And how much is exported or incinerated. And when you're comparing one method with another, the numbers matter. Sadly, we aren't able to make any meaningful comparison with the lack of transparency. Not to mention that exporting our soft plastic waste to other countries is a disgusting practice, doing harm to other countries.

QueenJess

Reducing is definitely better than recycling, but sadly it’s left up to the consumer and it needs to be business led.

Just to throw a spanner in the works, I got frustrated seeing our bin men put our recycling into the general rubbish section of the bin lorry and sent a message to the council. They replied saying that if the recycling bit of the bin lorry is full they are allowed to throw it all in the main rubbish to avoid having a partly empty lorry to take back. Made me realise even more how recycling isn’t the answer, although as consumers we can only do so much.

Floss

https://www.morrisons-corporate.com/media-centre/corporate-news/morrisons-to-co-own-world-leading-soft-plastic-recycling-site-in-uk/

And Tesco sell theirs to be made into bin liners.

in_my_wellies

It's frustratingly unclear how much is actually recycled at all though. And how much is exported or incinerated. And when you're comparing one method with another, the numbers matter. Sadly, we aren't able to make any meaningful comparison with the lack of transparency. Not to mention that exporting our soft plastic waste to other countries is a disgusting practice, doing harm to other countries.

 Denmark buys UK rubbish to burn for their district heating. Electricity costs are divided into 30 minute slots, some as low as 1p unit (+ tax @ 18p so not that cheap!) if the wind is blowing but can be nearer 50p at peak times

borefest

Hi Lurker here, found some out of date dried fruit, would like to make a fruit cake with it, do you think I should revive it in cold tea? or just use it as it is.........any tips appreciated thanks x