Brighton & Hove City Council has expanded its mixed recycling collection service to include plastic pots, tubs and trays.
From 30 June, residents in Brighton & Hove can put the following items in their mixed recycling bin:
- Plastic pots that are used for yoghurt, prepared fruit, mini desserts, soup and cosmetics, such as skin cream and hair gel;
- Plastic tubs that contained margarine, chocolate, pasta sauces, ice cream, laundry powder, and baked goods, such as bite-sized flapjacks;
- Plastic trays or bowls – these include meat and fish trays, ready-meal bowls or trays, snack and salad containers, fruit punnets, containers for fresh or prepared vegetables as well as cakes and pastries, and trays used inside boxes of chocolates.
Brighton & Hove City Council have instructed residents to remove any plastic film first, as this can’t be recycled, then rinse their items before putting them in the bin.
If residents put their recycling in a sack or bin bag, it won’t be separated and will end up as waste. Food and drink containers need to be cleaned before being put in the recycling.
These materials can be disposed of in kerbside or communal recycling, along with regular plastic bottles, tins and cans, paper and cardboard.
Deputy leader Tim Rowkins, Cabinet member for Net Zero and Environmental Services, said: “Expanding the range of materials we can recycle is a top priority for us and I’m very pleased that we can now accept plastic pots, tubs and trays in our collections.
“With food waste collections also coming in the autumn, we are making major progress on providing more opportunities to recycle. Last year at our communal recycling points we installed 54 more bins (with orange lids) for cartons and Tetra Paks, and 21 new small electrical bins (with pink lids).
“Recycling these plastic items is of course better than putting them in the general waste, but better still is reducing the amount of plastic we use in the first place.”
