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Recycling FAQs

Click a question to reveal the answer.

Q: What can be recycled in the orange sacks/banks?

Q: What can’t be recycled in the orange sacks and recycling banks and why?

Q: Why can’t I recycle all the materials that have the 'recyclable' symbol in the orange sack or recycling banks?

Q: What happens to recycling during collection and sorting?

Q: Why isn’t a food waste collection provided?

Q: Why is the recycling collected mixed together in the orange sacks and recycling banks?

Q: How can I recycle materials that aren't collected through the orange sacks or recycling banks?

Q: Where does the recycling end up?

Q: Can I recycle envelopes with windows?

Answer:

If the envelope window is paper-based you can recycle it, but if the window is made from plastic film it is helpful if you can remove it first. 

The paper reprocessing system is designed to deal with small amounts of contamination. "Contamination" is the term used for items found in the recycling that are not asked for, such as plastic film and bottle tops.

Therefore if you mistakenly leave the plastic window in place the envelope will probably still be recycled, and the film panel will be removed during the pulping process. It will just take more time and energy to sort out further along the recycling process.

Q: Can I recycle bottle tops?

Q: Can I recycle shredded paper?

Q: Can I recycle aluminium foil?

Q: Can I recycle biscuit tins?

Q: What plastic numbers can I recycle?

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