Recycling up but so is contamination
Harlow Council is reminding residents that
only certain plastics can be recycled at home using the current
household blue box/bin and white bag system.
As recycling levels continue to rise in the
town, Harlow Council has seen an increase in the amount
of recycling loads being contaminated with non-recyclable
plastics.
Anything which can’t be recycled can
contaminate collections. With plastic the kerbside collections only
accept plastic bottles, minus the lids or screwtops, in
blue boxes/bins and white bags. Plastic food trays, yoghurt
pots and other plastic packaging are not recyclable, however,
these items can be recycled at Tesco, Edinburgh Way. The
alternative is to reuse these items where possible
or put them into refuse as a last resort.
Chairman of the Environment and Community
Committee, Cllr Tony Hall said:
"The people of Harlow continue to show their
commitment to helping the environment, by recycling ever increasing
amounts of waste. Unfortunately very few waste recycling
companies accept all kinds of plastics, so we are asking
residents to be careful that their recycling is not contaminated
with the wrong type, as this could lead to some of
the hard work literally going to waste,
as contaminated recycling could be rejected and
diverted to landfill.
"If anyone is in doubt about what they
can and can’t put in their box/bin or bag they should refer to
their recycling literature or visit the Council’s
website."
For more information on recycling and how to
tell which plastics can be placed in your recycling visit:
www.harlow.gov.uk/recycling and
click the "Recycling Symbols Explained" option. For
information on other materials select the "Recycling from Home"
option.