There’s lots of false information about recycling. These are some of the most common myths.
The caps should be taken off plastic bottle before recycling.
False. The only way that the whole plastic bottle can be recycled is with the lid on! Please rinse the bottle, squash it flat and then put the cap back on. If the cap isn’t on, it won’t be recycled as it is too small to go through a recycling machine.
Products made from recycled materials are poorer quality.
False. It may have been true of some products years ago but no longer. Modern recycled paper, for example, is almost identical to paper made from virgin wood pulp.
I need to thoroughly wash everything before recycling it.
Partly true. At the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) all the mixed dry recycling is sorted by type (paper, cardboard, steel cans, aluminium cans and plastics). This process involves a lot of complex machinery which can get damaged by excessive amounts of waste. Many UK MRF’s also have a section where material is hand sorted, so not a pleasant job if the material is covered in food remains. So, please rinse old tins etc, but they don’t need to be spotless.
Recycling uses more energy than it saves
False. Up to 95% less energy is needed to make products using recycled materials. Your recycling helps to save valuable resources and protect the environment for our future.For more information, visit Recycle Now.
Did you know, recycling one aluminium can saves enough energy to run a TV for four hours?
Recycling is a waste of time as it all goes to landfill anyway
False. The vast majority of the waste collected in Kent is recycled, composted or used to generate energy. Only a tiny fraction goes to landfill
Many materials can only be recycled once
False. Metals can be recycled time after time and retain the same quality. Paper, though, has a limited lifespan and can only be recycled seven times – after that its fibres become too short for it to be made into a new product.
Did you know is there is no limit to how times an aluminium tin can be recycled?
Many plastics can’t be recycled
Partly true. Things like cling film, plastic toys and black food trays can be hard to recycle and some councils don’t want you to put them with the rest of your plastic recycling but the vast majority of plastics can be given a new lease of life. For a handy guide to which plastics can be recycled, visit https://www.pledge2recycle.co.uk/kent