Residents encouraged to #RECYCLERIGHT

The South Tyne and Wear Waste Management Partnership, which includes Gateshead Council, South Tyneside Council, and Sunderland City Council, are delivering the social media campaign #RECYCLERIGHT to residents throughout July.

The level of waste contamination in recycling bins increased throughout the pandemic, and remains too high, and #RECYCLERIGHT aims to raise awareness with residents on what exactly can be recycled using their recycling bins, and what can't.

Recycling of plastic and glass bottles, aluminium cans, paper, cardboard, and other recyclable materials is widely encouraged, but some residents are putting in black bags and carrier bags, soiled nappies, food waste, greasy takeaway boxes and containers, and full bottles of liquids. These items can't be recycled in your blue recycling bin, and can contaminate the whole bin, and in some instances, an entire lorry load of otherwise perfectly good recyclable materials.

Currently 13% of all kerbside recycling collected in Sunderland is contaminated, costing the council over £251,000 this year. This is unacceptable at a time when budgets are under pressure, and could be better spent on other frontline services.

Councillor Linda Green, Chair of the South Tyne and Wear Waste Management Partnership, backs the #RECYCLERIGHT campaign.

"Collectively we must drive down the current rate of recycling contamination, so it is vital that our residents understand what can be recycled using their recycling bin, what materials can be recycled at their nearest Household Waste and Recycling Centre, and what items can't be recycled at all and should be placed in their household waste bin. #RECYCLERIGHT will spread that message through social media, and I'm sure it will resonate with many. It is great to see high numbers of people recycling now as part of their household routines, but it needs to be done correctly."

"We hope the #RECYCLERIGHT campaign will hit home and make people think about how they approach recycling from now on."

Top tips and instructions advising residents on how to manage their waste will feature throughout the campaign, with the clear message that all unrecyclable items, including all food and unsanitary waste, must be disposed of in a household waste bin, and that the council will refuse to empty recycling bins that obviously contain unrecyclable materials until the offending items have been removed.

For a full list of what items can be recycled and those that can't, please visit www.sunderland.gov.uk/bluebin