Thousands in taxpayer cash could be saved if people in Norfolk rinsed their yoghurt pots
Waste going in the wrong bin is costing a fortune
Waste put in the wrong bin is costing Norfolk taxpayers an average of £233,164 per council, the latest figures reveal.
Government data shows thousands of tonnes of recycling collected by local councils was rejected at the point of sorting because it was contaminated, forcing it to go into general waste.
In the 12 months to March 2021, King’s Lynn and West Norfolk had the greatest amount of contaminated waste at 3,151 tonnes.
In contrast, Great Yarmouth had the least with 1,764 tonnes.
Breckland had 2,531 tonnes, Broadland 2,467, North Norfolk 2,606, Norwich 2,327 and South Norfolk 2,704.
The data comes from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and are estimates covering waste left at the kerbside and at other recycling sources.
Recycling charity Wrap estimates that waste wrongly disposed of as recycling costs councils around £93 per tonne to process.
This puts the cost for 2020/21 for West Norfolk at £293,043 and £164,052 for Great Yarmouth.
Breckland £235,383, Broadland £229,431, North Norfolk £242, 358, Norwich £216,411 and South Norfolk £251,472.
Paul Kunes, cabinet member for the environment at WNC said residents in King’s Lynn recycle more material by weight than any other district, city or borough in the county but highlight the need to put the right material in the right bin.
He said: “We recognise that putting only the right materials in the recycling bin are really important in maximising the value to the council-tax payers of West Norfolk.”
Mr Kunes added the overall cost may actually be higher because it does not include collecting and sorting recyclables.
Great Yarmouth’s Paul Wells, chairman of the Environment Committee, said: “Putting the correct items in the correct bin is important.
“Putting the ‘wrong’ items in your recycling bin can spoil the rest of the recyclable items and can result in increasing the cost of your recycling collection service, reduce the quality and value of our recycling material and reduce the amount we recycle, as spoiling your recycling bin can result in it being sent for general waste disposal.”
A spokesperson for Norwich City Council said changing behaviours had led to falling recycling rates for 2020-21 and with more people working from home more waste went into the wrong bin.
She said: “To tackle this we have been trialling contamination reduction solutions, such as reverse lid communal bins and will soon be starting an extensive review of our waste and recycling services aimed at reducing waste, increasing recycling and minimising our impact on the environment. We’ll also be looking to increase public communications.
“Early data for 2021-22 suggests a return to lower contamination levels in Norwich.”
Gordon Bambridge, executive member for waste and the environment at Breckland Council said residents were doing a “fantastic job”, pointing to increases in recycling rates.
But Mr Bambridge stressed the need to “reduce, reuse and recycle”waste to help save taxpayers money and for a greener region.
Nigel Lloyd, the council’s portfolio holder for environmental services at North Norfolk District Council said its recycling figures were among the best in the county, but there was still room for improvement.
Mr Lloyd said: “If you’ve got a pizza box that’s still got half a pizza in it, that will be rejected because the buyer of the recycled cardboard cannot deal with cheese and pizza.
“Plastic food pots for everything from yoghurt to beef mince can all be recycled, they just need a rinse. Tetra packs – drink cartons for milk and fruit juices – are also fully recyclable.”
Broadland District Councillor Judy Leggett, echoed calls to rinse waste before putting it in the bin warning food waste getting mixed in can contaminate the whole lorry forcing it to go into general waste.
Graham Minshull from South Norfolk said South Norfolk residents can recycle more than ever before but when things go in the wrong it costs money which could go on services.”
How can you stop recycling mistakes?
Norfolk Recycles, part of the Norfolk Waste Partnership, a group made up of the region’s councils offered some advice for minimising recycling mistakes.
Keep it clean
Giving recycling a quick rinse means leftover food is less likely to spoil other recycling.
Keep it dry
Wet items can spoil other recycling, making papers and cardboard stick together. A spokeswoman for the group advised letting it dry first.
Don’t bag it.
A Norfolk Recycles spokeswoman said bagged materials have to go into the bin. Recycling is sorted by hand at the depots and without knowing what is in there it has to go in the bin.
Definitely don’t recycle nappies
Nappies can be a big source of contamination, with the spokeswoman warning they can ruin an entire lorry of recycling.
She said: “If you have a bin full of cardboard and someone puts in a nappy in the wrong bin and the gets over the cardboard you cannot use that cardboard.
“We sell that cardboard on to be made into cardboard again but you can’t wash it off if it gets contaminated.”
Don’t put batteries in the recycling
Batteries can combust when crushed and that does not mix well with areas full of cardboard and paper. Batteries can be recycled in many supermarkets instead.
Check the website
If there is any doubt, Norfolk Recycles advises checking their website first www.norfolkrecycles.com and if you are still not sure do not put it in the recycling bin.