COUNCIL'S PLEA OVER SOGGY PAPER AND CARD - IF IT'S TOO WET IT CAN'T BE RECYCLED

A PLEA has been sounded to North East Lincolnshire Council residents to keep their paper and card recycling boxes out of the rain when the weather is wet.

Recent heavy rain has left paper and card sodden at some households, but people can avoid this if they keep their blue recycling box sheltered.

If people don’t have anywhere covered to leave their recycling boxes, they can stack their recycling boxes in a way that keeps the blue box dry and stops plastic bottles in the orange box from blowing away.

It helps if the green box is on top to weigh everything down. This also stops the paper and cardboard from blowing away too.

Councillor Stewart Swinburn, portfolio holder for environment, said:

“More and more people are recycling and it really helps if people can keep paper and card dry. 

"When the paper and card is too wet, it can’t be recycled.

“We know the recycling boxes aren’t great, but we need to keep using them until we hear more from central government about how the government wants councils to collect recycling and household waste in the future.

“A report is expected to be discussed by cabinet members in the next few months to set out the time scale for a future waste collection review.

“The government is proposing some big changes to how recycling and waste is managed in England and this will shape what we do in the future.”

Here’s a reminder of what is recycled in North East Lincolnshire:

• Blue box for paper and small card (cardboard should be broken down)
• Orange box for plastic bottles, food tins, drink cans and household aerosols
• Green box for glass bottles and jars
• Green wheelie bin for other household waste
• Brown wheelie bin for garden waste (chargeable service).

The only plastics that go in your orange recycling boxes are plastic bottles – please wash them, squash them and put the lid back on.

Squashing the bottles means  a lot more can be accommodated in the recycling box.

Cardboard boxes should be broken down before putting them in the blue box.

All recycling collected by North East Lincolnshire Council stays in the UK to be recycled.

Most rubbish that can’t be recycled goes to the Energy from Waste Plant to be burnt to make electricity. 

Only a small amount goes to landfill, says the council.

More info at: www.nelincs.gov.uk/recycling