Day 25 Challenge
Today’s challenge is about getting to grips with the tricky world of plastic recycling.
Plastic is an amazingly versatile material that has transformed our lives over the past 50+ years. However, when it comes to disposing of it, it isn’t always such a happy ending. Plastic does not decompose readily and can remain in the environment and often a risk to wildlife for many many years.
Recycling waste plastics is a good option but isn’t always easy or economical to do so. In Nottinghamshire, we collect the types of plastics that we know can be recycled and that have long term sustainable end markets.
In Notts you can put a range of clear and coloured plastic bottles from around your home, in your kerbside recycling bin including; milk, juice, sauce, pop (fizzy drinks), water, shampoo, shower gel, handwash, washing up liquid, laundry detergent, cleaning sprays, bleach, plant food etc - but throw the lids in your general waste bin. You can also put in clean yoghurt pots and margarine/butter tubs.
Other plastic packaging items like fruit punnets, food trays, bags, pouches, tubes, tubs and ready meal containers and their film lids can not be recycled in Notts and should be placed in your general waste bin.
Larger plastic items like buckets, ring binders, plant pots, old toys and coat hangers etc should either be re-used, put in your general waste bin or taken to your local recycling centre to be disposed of.
If you put them in your recycling bin they will NOT be recycled and will just slow the process down at the MRF as staff will have to pick them out.