TRIVIA: Things that aren't recyclable, but ought to be

[AY1975]

How many things can you think of that you ought to be able to recycle, rather than simply sending them to landfill, but for which recycling facilities do not exist or are very few and far between?

Two things (or rather three) that I can think of are old door and window keys (although I believe some scrap metal places will take them) and audio or VHS video cassettes. Until recently most charity shops would take audio and video cassettes, but many have now stopped accepting them because not many people want them anymore. Of course you can always try selling them on eBay or offering them on free giveaway sites like Freegle or Freecycle, but you will probably struggle to find a taker for them.

The www.recyclenow.com website tells you what you can do with just about every type of domestic waste. In terms of audio and video cassettes it contains a link to a company called Tiptop Media which it says currently accepts them for recycling, but when you go to their website it is not at all clear whether they still do accept them or not. I rather suspect that they may have got do inundated with cassettes sent in by the general public, that they probably had to stop accepting them.

Two other things I can think of that aren't even mentioned on the Recycle Now site, are toothbrushes and toilet brushes.

 

[Howardh]

As it happens I took some stuff to the tip today and in the "non-recyclable" skip there was stuff which I'm sure could be used again, from electeonics to old jumpers. Just wonder if the public shouldn't be allowed to have a rummage round to see what they can salvage. OK< that makes us like one of those countries where toddlers scavege with the seagulls, but for us it would be a way of reducing waste. next to me a bloke was unloading a desk chair which was in two. Sure some of it could be re-used.

 

[A Challenge]

Plastics in household recycling everywhere in the UK.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Plastics in household recycling everywhere in the UK.

Our local authority collects all plastics in the recycling bin.

https://www.epsom-ewell.gov.uk/resi...cycling/mixed-recycling-bin-weekly-collection

Please recycle:

• Cardboard - any type, such as boxes, packaging, cards), coloured paper and envelopes
• Cartons - such as drinks or soup cartons
• Plastics - all types of plastic such as plastic bottles, tubs, cups, trays, pots, blister packs and plastic bags
• Paper - white or coloured, printed or plain, including envelopes (even with windows)
• Tins and cans - both steel and aluminium, including aerosol cans (fully expended please)

Put recycling in your bin loose, not bagged. It's easier and cheaper to sort them out afterwards

Video
Watch our recycling video ,

produced with the help of Epsom and Ewell residents.

Hmmm.... who is that in the second segment on the recycling video, I wonder...?

 

[507021]

Interesting link, thank you for sharing.

I noticed a few things on there which I didn't know I could recycle, so I'll be making sure they go in the recycling bin in future rather than the waste bin. I suppose it's just as well the local council sent me another recycling bin, even though I contacted them to complain about not emptying the one I already have for four weeks, not to order another one.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Interesting link, thank you for sharing.

I noticed a few things on there which I didn't know I could recycle, so I'll be making sure they go in the recycling bin in future rather than the waste bin. I suppose it's just as well the local council sent me another recycling bin, even though I contacted them to complain about not emptying the one I already have for four weeks, not to order another one.

Double check first because not all authorities collect as much as ours does; I posted the link to make the point that across the country as a whole a lot more can and should be recycled than is often the case. Those whose authorities don't collect as much as they should perhaps ought to raise the point in their local media in order to encourage greater recycling.

 

[BluePenguin]

The plastic packet inside cereal boxes really should be recycle like the box it comes in. But it is not so has to be thrown away. So many of them are chucked away in my house it is sad.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Double check first because not all authorities collect as much as ours does; I posted the link to make the point that across the country as a whole a lot more can and should be recycled than is often the case. Those whose authorities don't collect as much as they should perhaps ought to raise the point in their local media in order to encourage greater recycling.

MK take a very enlightened attitude of only rejecting recycling bags if they contain food, otherwise they take them, separate them at the recycling factory and bin what isn't recyclable. This causes a very high level of recycling as it's dead easy and doesn't feel like a punishment regime, even if it perhaps costs a little more than the strict enforcement line.

But then MK has been recycling for years, way back to when you had a metal dustbin in other places let alone a recycling bin.

 

[BluePenguin]

Interesting link, thank you for sharing.

I noticed a few things on there which I didn't know I could recycle, so I'll be making sure they go in the recycling bin in future rather than the waste bin. I suppose it's just as well the local council sent me another recycling bin, even though I contacted them to complain about not emptying the one I already have for four weeks, not to order another one.

Haha this is classic! It sounds like they instead wanted to give you more storage to keep your rubbish until they are ready to collect it. That way you can't complain the bin is full and overflowing because they haven't come

 

[507021]

Double check first because not all authorities collect as much as ours does; I posted the link to make the point that across the country as a whole a lot more can and should be recycled than is often the case. Those whose authorities don't collect as much as they should perhaps ought to raise the point in their local media in order to encourage greater recycling.

They need to around here, in my view. Only the local councillors seem to make an effort to highlight the recycling centre in our area, but other than that I haven't really noticed anything to encourage recycling, which is disappointing really. Our wheelie bins are collected every fortnight here, alternating between general waste and recycling/garden waste.

Haha this is classic! It sounds like they instead wanted to give you more storage to keep your rubbish until they are ready to collect it. That way you can't complain the bin is full and overflowing because they haven't come

I think that's the reason too, to be honest. Although the funnier thing is they gave us another one AFTER they'd finally emptied the full one, which I'd emptied slightly to see if that was the reason (they're supposed to leave a note, AIUI) for non-collection. Still, at least they didn't charge us for giving us another bin which we hadn't even ordered. We've kept it though, in the event we end up filling the old one again!

 

[Peter Mugridge]

The last time I put our landfill bin out was sometime in April last year.

It's still; only about 75% full. No, it doesn't smell - there's nothing organic in it.