East Cambs residents are being urged to keep nappies, vapes and un-rinsed food containers out of their blue recycling bins.

Placing these items into blue bins can contaminate a whole bin – meaning it must be treated as rubbish rather than recycling.
Instead, residents are being asked to:

• rinse food from recycling before placing it in a blue bin
• put nappies into black bags
• recycle vapes at household waste recycling centres or shop collection points, the nearest of which can be found at RecycleYourElectricals.org.uk 

The messaging is being supported by information tags which collection crews have been leaving on blue lidded bins around the district.

Cllr Julia Huffer, chair of the council’s Operational Services Committee which oversees the collection of waste and recycling in the district, said: “Firstly we want to praise everyone in East Cambs for their commitment to recycling. We currently rate in the top 25 recycling authorities in the country.

“However, we’re finding the number of blue bins being contaminated with nappies, vapes and unwashed recycling is increasing. 

“Containers with leftover food or liquid cannot be recycled. When recycling is rejected, it increases disposal costs. Reducing contamination helps keep council spending down.

“Our community has the power to improve recycling rates. Small actions, such as checking labels, rinsing containers, and keeping bins free of non-recyclables, has a significant impact.

“By only putting the right materials in the recycling bin, residents can ensure that their efforts truly count. When in doubt, check before you chuck.”

If you are unsure if something is recyclable, the council’s website contains more information.