Recycling tips

Why does recycling correctly matter?

Items which are not recyclable but placed in your recycling bin or sack can cause issues during the recycling process. Items are often sorted by hand and may be unsafe to handle. They may also damage machinery, reduce the recycling quality and lead to greater costs when dealing with recycling.

How to improve your recycling

All items placed in your recycling bin or sack should be clean and dry. Unclean items, such as items with stains, food or liquids on them may soil other items meaning they can no longer be accepted for recycling.

To avoid unclean items, follow these easy recycling rules:

• give plastics a quick rinse in leftover washing-up water. Squash plastic bottles and pop the lids back on
• give tins and cans a quick rinse. Pop the lids inside and squash the sides to stop the lid falling out
• give glass bottles and jars a quick rinse and pop the lids back on
• ensure paper and card is clean and dry with any tape, decorations or glitter sections removed before recycling
• remove plastic lids from aerosols and place both items in your recycling

How to recycle clothing and textiles

Clothing and textiles should not be placed in your recycling bin or sack with other recyclable items. If your local council accepts textiles at the kerbside, they should be clean and placed in a separate bag.

Clean clothing, textiles, and shoes can be taken to local bring banks often found in supermarket car parks or at any Essex County Council recycling centre. Remember to check the list of accepted items as this can vary.

Find out more about textile recycling.

Recycling logos explained

The easiest way to check if an item is recyclable is to look out for the on-pack recycling labels. Find out what recycling logos to look out for on Recycle Now.