Recyclers issue advice on ‘confusing’ packaging
Ahead of the Christmas period, consumers are being given advice on how to dispose of ‘confusing’ packaging items.
The Recycling Association’s message to the general public is “If in doubt, throw it out” when recycling at home.
According to the Association, packaging is becoming increasingly complex, with local authorities adopting “completely different” collection schemes, adding to the confusion.
The Association made clear that clean, single material plastics, paper, metal cans and glass should always be recycled.
However, if an item of packaging is made of multiple materials – leading to confusion over whether it can be recycled or not – the Association recommends: “It is better to put it into your general waste bin than your recycling bin.”
This is because almost one fifth of the material collected for recycling from households is material that cannot currently be recycled!