Recycling bags should be free of food waste
ISLANDERS are being asked to make sure items they put in their kerbside bags are clean and free of food remnants to maintain Guernsey’s good record for recycling.
The plea comes on the back of a recent study, when Guernsey Waste analysed the contents of recycling from more than 200 local households to check on contamination levels. It looked at more than 700 bags.
Guernsey Waste recycling officer Tina Norman-Ross said overall the findings were very encouraging with people clearly making the effort to recycle as much as they can.
The biggest concern was contamination in the blue bags, as a result of food containers not being emptied properly or rinsed out.
Processors of recycling exports do not need all items to be pristine, but the States cannot afford for them to be considered low grade.
‘One message that has always been really important to us is that with recycling, it’s not just about the quantity. Quality also counts, and because islanders have been so good in the past, we’ve always been able to secure a market for our materials,’ she said.
‘Having been through the contents of nearly 400 blue bags, I think we would just like to remind islanders of that. We don’t want people thinking that they need to scrub everything until it’s spotless, but if they could empty any leftovers into their food waste bin and rinse out any remnants, that will help.
‘A lot of it is for their benefit. Blue bags can sit around for a fortnight between collections, and if they have dirty food containers in them they can start to smell and potentially attract vermin.
‘Equally, at the end of the two weeks, it’s also not that nice for the staff at Mayside, who have to go through all the bags to sort the contents. They’ll be really grateful for any help we can give them.’
The study found clear bags were largely free of contamination, with the exception of a few that contained tissues or paper towels.
Since the last study, in 2019, there had seen a big increase in the amount of corrugated cardboard, which has doubled, now making up around 20% off the total by weight. This has been attributed to the rise in internet grocery shopping.
Newspapers and ‘flat’ cardboard packaging made up the highest proportions, each account for 25% of the contents.
Plastic tubs, trays, pots and bottles account for nearly 50% of the contents of blue bags. Metal tins and cans comprised 25%, and food and drink cartons just over 12%.
Some 15% of blue bag contents should not be included in kerbside collections. These were primarily other plastic items, such as toys and CDs, and carrier bags.
