What Went in Wheelie Bins in 2022?

What went in wheelie bins in 2022? Well, lots of the wrong things apparently! If your bin wasn’t emptied or you got a sticker on it, chances are you put something in it that you weren’t supposed to. Then there are the weird and wonderful things that were found in bins this year. It’s all in a day’s work for refuse teams.

What Went in Wheelie Bins In 2022?

Lots of the wrong things

Do you ever throw something in the wrong recycling bin and not give it a thought? It can cause problems for refuse teams.

For example, did you know…?

Tins are now recycled with plastic

You used to be able to recycle tins with paper but now you recycle tins with plastic. Refuse teams and recycling facility workers often have to separate tins by hand. This can be a time-consuming and arduous process.

Paper items aren’t always recyclable

Paper tissues, used napkins, paper plates, towels, tissues, and other used paper products are almost always non-recyclable. The main reason is they’ve usually come into contact with bodily fluids, food, grease, and dirt.

You can’t recycle all types of glass

Glass is a very recyclable material but you can’t put some types of glass in your recycling bin. You can’t recycle items like Pyrex dishes or lightbulbs.

Pyrex is glass, but it’s been treated to withstand high oven temperatures which makes it non-recyclable. If you have a broken Pyrex dish, put it in your general waste bin. Light bulbs contain hazardous materials like mercury and lead, so you should always recycle them at a recycling centre or recycling point. Find your nearest location here.

Weird Things That Went In Wheelie Bins

In a newspaper feature on refuse workers from Bristol Waste, the team were asked what weird and wonderful things went in wheelie bins this year. Here’s what they said:

• Mannequin heads
• Nappies
• ‘Adult’ toys
• A machete

This goes to show that people really will try to recycle anything!

Tips for Being a Better Recycler

To make life easier for refuse teams and avoid the dreaded sticker on your bin, here are some handy recycling reminders.

• Rinse food and drink containers out before you put them in your recycling bin.
• Don’t put items inside of one another. Hands up if you’ve squashed a plastic bottle inside of a cardboard box. Don’t. It just makes more work for refuse teams and recycling centre workers.
• Unless your council says not to, leave plastic caps on bottles. They are valuable and can fall through machinery and get lost at the recycling facility.
• Read recycling labels. Make yourself familiar with what recycling symbols mean, especially the numbers on plastic. If you’re still not sure, check your local council’s website to see if an item is recyclable.
• Don’t put plastic bags in your recycling bin. They can choke up machinery at recycling plants. Reuse them at home or take them to a supermarket collection point instead.
• If you think an item is hazardous, don’t expose refuse teams or recycling centre workers to it. Don’t put waste like paint in your recycling bin. Not to mention sanitary products, PPE, or used nappies.

Are you surprised by what went in wheelie bins in 2022? Do you recognise some of your own recycling mistakes on the list? Follow our tips and make 2023 the year you become a better recycler! For more interesting articles on all things wheelie bins and recycling, check out the rest of our blog.