WET and non-recyclable waste is sorted by re3 and what can be saved from landfill is.
Cllr Pauline Helliar-Symons (Cons) wanted to know if the contents of a resident’s black recycling box were sent to landfill if it met these conditions.
Responding at a meeting of Wokingham Borough Council, held on Thursday, January 23, Cllr Parry Batth, executive member for environment and leisure, said: “It is true that non-recyclable items such as polystyrene, plastic bags, plastic toys, glass and wet paper are materials that we cannot send for recycling.
“However, these items are generally removed at the recycling plant at Smallmead, Reading so the whole load doesn’t have to be rejected.
“In relation to wet paper, we appreciate that it is difficult to keep it dry in open boxes in wet weather, but to enable the Council to recycle as much paper as possible we are asking our residents to help us ‘keep it dry’ by not presenting boxes too early unless they have to, by stacking boxes with the paper/card in the bottom box, and to place blue bags/bags on top of boxes.”
And Cllr Batth said that the current scheme did have an advantage.
“We know that having open boxes puts us at a disadvantage in relation to wet paper/card but our overall contamination is lower than those who use wheeled bins.
“We are currently looking at all options see what we can do to keep paper/card dry and to increase our recycling rate to address the Climate Emergency. We will also be trialling options which will be considered in spring.”
