Let’s talk about the ‘C’ word. No, not that one, the recycling one. When it comes to recycling, the “C” word is “Contamination” – and it’s causing big problems in our yellow-lidded recycling bins.

Everything you place in your recycling bin travels to a Material Recovery Facility (MRF), where materials are tipped onto fast-moving conveyor belts, sorted and baled into single material types (e.g. cardboard bales, aluminium bales, plastic milk bottle bales, etc), ready to be sold back to factories and turned into new products. Sorting happens quickly using machines, magnets and by hand.

Contamination is anything that cant get baled or doesn’t belong. That includes items that are too big, too small, too dirty,or made of mixed materials (like broken toys or scissors).

But the most surprising contamination type for Brighton? Bagged recyclables. People doing the right thing, but then leaving their recycling in plastic bags. Plastic bags are not accepted at the MRF as they get tangled in machinery. At high speeds, they also can’t be safely opened, so anything in plastic shopping or garbage bags is removed immediately and sent to landfill. What a waste!

Please be a good sort. Let’s keep the ‘C’ word where it belongs – out of your recycling bin.