Helping to save the planet: changes to recycling plastics from October

Lancashire County Council and Blackpool Council have announced that more plastic materials will be eligible for recycling from October 1.
You can recycle a wider variety of plastics from October.You can recycle a wider variety of plastics from October.
You can recycle a wider variety of plastics from October.

In addition to the plastic bottles for liquids which are already collected, residents will be able to put clean plastic pots, tubs and trays in their recycling bins.

These include yoghurt pots, margarine tubs, and meat, fruit and vegetable trays of any shape or colour.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

County Councillor Albert Atkinson, Lancashire County Council cabinet member for waste management, said: "Recycling these extra plastics is very simple – the colour and shape of the container doesn't matter – the main thing is to check that that it can be recycled, and give it a rinse.

"This helps to make sure things aren't rejected when they go through our system."It is easy to see whether an item is recyclable by checking the number stamped onto it. Anything with a number 1, 2 or 5 within the recycling triangle should go into your recycling bin.

Councillor Fred Jackson, Blackpool Council cabinet member responsible for the environment, said: “We are committed to recycling as much waste as possible.

"It’s a positive move for the environment that from October we alongside Lancashire County Council will be collecting a wider range of plastic items placed in recycling bins.“The fact that the recycled plastic can be made into new products can play an important role in tackling plastic pollution."

What can be made from recycled plastic?

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Clothing, toys, furniture, headphones, kitchen utensils, paint pots, car parts, soft cuddly toys, filling for duvets and sleeping bags, pens and pencils, garden furniture, and more plastic bottles can be made from recycled plastics.

How much waste do the councils collect?

In 2018/19 districts in Lancashire and Blackpool Council collected:

394,517 tonnes of residual waste

73,468 tonnes of garden waste

170,774 tonnes of recyclables.

What happens to our waste when it leaves our property?

Recyclable materials are sold to a number of different companies who then carry out further processing, such as granulating the plastic, so that it can be sold to manufacturers of new products.

In 2018/19 around 64% of waste was recovered, recycled, reused or composted, and 36% landfilled.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

However, the recycling rate for Lancashire is around 45%. This is because the recycling rate is based on the percentage of recyclable material collected by district councils, and at recycling centres.

Waste that is diverted from landfill after being collected, such as extra glass/plastic/metal recovered during processing is not included.