What exactly isn't recycling?

Sully

Setting up a Waste/Recycle policy in work as everything is just thrown into the nearest bin at the moment and I spotted online that take-out coffee cups, their lids and food wrappings (like bags or role wrappings from a Deli) were listed on a graphic as non-recycling and that it goes into general waste. Surely, you can recycle these?

Day Lewin

I rang up Panda (who take my green bins for recycling) because their website did not list plastic bags or other soft plastic wrapping: only certain types of plastic bottles.
Man on the phone confirmed this but suggested I "Chance the bags anyway"
I was shocked: this sounds very much like it doesn't matter what you recycle and you'd have to wonder why?

The takeaway coffee cups are recyclable as paper but they are soiled by liquid (and maybe spit) which disqualifies them.
The lids are usually polystyrene which is also not recycled.

#discouraged

duffman3833

katemarch wrote: »

The takeaway coffee cups are recyclable as paper but they are soiled by liquid (and maybe spit) which disqualifies them.
The lids are usually polystyrene which is also not recycled.

#discouraged

but aren't like beer bottles, fizzy drink bottles and milk cartons all the same, soiled by liquid. cant see why coffee cups cant be recycled

Day Lewin

duffman3833 wrote: »

but aren't like beer bottles, fizzy drink bottles and milk cartons all the same, soiled by liquid. cant see why coffee cups cant be recycled

Fair point. Though recycling instructions always do say to rinse briefly, and I generally do so but it isn't always possible, of course.
Milk cartons soon stink to high Heaven unless rinsed.

I imagine that the process of recycling must involve "boiling them down" in some way so the liquids would boil off and the soilage be sterilised by heat.

But I don't really know how the actual processing of the waste is done- does anyone know this?

Poochie05

Apparently takeaway coffee cups are not recyclable! Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall covered this in a recent BBC programme.
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2016/jul/29/hughs-war-on-waste-fearnley-whittingstall-coffee-cup

Have you looked into getting compostable ones? They are a little bit more expensive but can go in to the compostable bin at least, rather than going to landfill.

Day Lewin

Shocked. I'm going to bring my own from now on.

Coffe cups are not considered recycleable because they are made with a thin plastic film on the inside to make them liquid proof.

It's not so much that they are not recycleable, more that it is not economically feasible to do so.

miss nesbit

Speaking of the fact that paper cups are not recyclable in Ireland ATM (and many people don't know this), there is an initiative in Dublin launching at the moment called the 'conscious cup campaign' aiming at coffee shops offering discounts to customers with reusable cups. The basic aim is to decrease amount of paper cups going to landfill!

Cookie_Monster

Plenty of coffee cups these days use plant based coatings rather than plastic and are fully biodegradable, not just recyclable.

dense

Many plastics that you would expect to be able to recycle cannot be recycled either.
Aldi stores label all packaging and half of the plastic containers in Aldi for example can't be recycled. I'm sure it's the same with most plastics that end up in the recycling bin.
There's also the additional water usage to consider in making your recyclables properly recyclable as mentioned already.

Harry Palmr

We use biodegradable cups - they go in the composter! That said the boss has mentioned getting rid of them and going with proper washable cups/mugs.

ED E

Sully wrote: »

like bags or role wrappings from a Deli) were listed on a graphic as non-recycling and that it goes into general waste. Surely, you can recycle these?

Anything greasy etc is a no go. Clean paper/card only.