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Dr Margaret Bates, a fellow at the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management, has worked on policy issues for more than two decades. Here she answers some common recycling questions. Do I need to wash out my yogurt pots and other food containers?
"It doesn't really make a difference to whether it can be recycled or not. What it does do is make a difference to how pleasant or unpleasant it is for the people involved in the collection, transporting and sorting of [the rubbish]. If I can help reduce people working in situations where there might be rats, I will." Can I recycle wrapping paper?
"Mainly yes, but avoid foil and glitter and remove bows and ribbons. A good way to check if wrapping paper is recyclable is the scrunch test. Hold it in your hand and scrunch it into a ball.
If it stays in the ball when you release, it is probably recyclable. If it springs back, then it probably contains foil or plastic and it is not." Can I recycle pizza boxes and chip cartons? "Yes, so long as there are no lumps of food on it.
If there are, get rid of that and recycle the rest." Are there any recycling no-nos? "Do not put things in your recycling because you think they should be recycled, even when your council says not to. 'Wish-cycling' does not convince the council to recycle it. 'Wish-cycling' causes contamination and costs councils money. If in doubt, check a recycling locator , external ."
Source: BBC
