Latest Rubbish, waste and recycling FAQs from Warwick District Council.

Safe storage of batteries for recycling

Tue, 11 Dec 2018 13:07:04 +0000

Question: How should I safely store waste batteries?

Answer:

Most batteries will not short out when put together in a container, but some types can – e.g. button cells. The following provides some safety tips for the safe storage of batteries:

Keep batteries in a plastic bag or other small container away from other waste e.g. do not put batteries in your general waste bin and store them separately to other recyclable material.
Do not let batteries sit in water, as this may allow them to corrode which may lead to them leaking.
If you have any button or lithium batteries it is sensible to place some sticky tape over the terminal to ensure they cannot short circuit.

Why use metal packaging?

Fri, 16 Oct 2015 11:18:00 +0100

Question: Why use metal packaging?

Answer:

Metal offers a highly flexible approach to material reuse and – through recycling – is a proven resource for a sustainable future. Over the last 20 years:

Aluminium cans have become 28% lighter
Steel food cans have become 33% lighter
Steel made from 100% scrap uses 75% less energy than steel produced from virgin raw material
Aluminium made from 100% scrap uses 95% less energy than aluminium produced from virgin raw material
Continuous reduction of the weight of the cans is a main contributor to waste prevention

What difference does recycling metals make?

Fri, 16 Oct 2015 11:17:01 +0100

Question: What difference does recycling metals make?

Answer:

Because metals like aluminium and steel aren’t altered when they are melted down they can be endlessly recycled. The recycling process saves up to 95% of the energy compared to making the metals from their raw materials, as well as cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

This means that every time metals go through the recycling process it cuts the Carbon ‘footprint’ of the next product made.

How can I recycle other non-packaging metal items?

Fri, 16 Oct 2015 11:16:18 +0100

Question: How can I recycle other non-packaging metal items?

Answer:

All metal is recyclable, but not all of it can be recycled in your red box. Household electrical and larger bulky items can be taken to Princes Drive Recycling Centre in Leamington Spa or Cherry Orchard Recycling Centre in Kenilworth. Warwick District Council also offers a bulky waste collection service (charges apply). Please visit www.warwickdc.gov.uk/wastecollections for more information.

Do I need to wash foil trays before recycling?

Fri, 16 Oct 2015 11:14:50 +0100

Question: Do I need to wash foil trays before recycling?

Answer:

It helps if foil trays can be rinsed before recycling. Just wipe clean, or rinse them at the end of the washing up. This stops any residue contaminating other materials, or smells building up.

Do I need to clean cans or take the labels off?

Fri, 16 Oct 2015 11:14:05 +0100

Question: Do I need to clean cans or take the labels off?

Answer:

All your food tins need is a quick rinse – maybe swill them out at the end of the washing up – then pop the lid inside and it’s ready to recycle. You don’t need to remove the label.

Is it just food and drink packaging I should be recycling?

Fri, 16 Oct 2015 11:12:50 +0100

Question: Is it just food and drink packaging I should be recycling?

Answer:

As well as food and drink packaging (including metal lids from jars and glass bottles) look beyond the kitchen! Products like shaving foam, hair spray and deodorant are often packaged in metal aerosols. And don’t forget your bathroom mousse and furniture polish too.

Removing labels and cleaning recyclable items

Thu, 15 Oct 2015 11:28:27 +0100

Question: Do I need to remove labels and clean cans, bottles and foil trays before recycling?

Answer: Your cans, bottles and foil trays need a quick rinse - maybe swill them out at the end of the washing up - then they're ready to recycle. This stops any residue contaminating other materials, or smells building up. There's no need to remove any labels.

How can I waste less food?

Fri, 18 Sep 2015 10:28:25 +0100

Question: How can I waste less food?

Answer: For tips and recipes to help you waste less food and save up to £60 per month, visit www.lovefoodhatewaste.com

What happens to the food waste and garden waste I recycle?

Fri, 18 Sep 2015 10:26:50 +0100

Question: What happens to the food waste and garden waste I recycle?

Answer:

Food Waste

Find out what happens to your food waste once it's collected, and how you can do your bit to reduce the amount of food waste the UK produces each year.

Garden Waste

All of the waste collected in the green garden bins is sent to the In-Vessel Composing site (IVC) at Ufton, near Leamington.

The contract is held by Warwickshire County Council and the site is run by Biffa Waste Services.

Once the garden waste arrives at the site it's shredded and composted at temperatures above 70°c to help speed up the process and kill any harmful bacteria. When finished it's screened and used on local farmland or for remediation.

Why recycle food waste?

Fri, 18 Sep 2015 10:20:23 +0100

Question: Why recycle food waste?

Answer:

Recycling food waste saves Warwickshire tax payers money. If everyone in Warwickshire used their green wheeled bin for food waste, it would save around £2 million every year.

It gets recycled into a good quality soil improver and is used on local farmers' fields.

It is good for the environment - food waste in landfill creates methane gas, thought to be a major contributor to climate change.

Wrapping paper

Mon, 24 Nov 2014 16:52:12 +0000

Question: Why can't I recycle wrapping paper?

Answer:

We are unable to take wrapping paper for recycling

The materials that go into making some wrapping paper result in it not always being accepted by the processors for recycling:

Wrapping paper is often dyed, laminated and/or contains non-paper additives such as gold and silver coloured shapes, glitter, plastics, which cannot be recycled
Some wrapping paper is very thin and contains few good quality fibres for recycling
A lot of wrapping paper has sticky tape attached to it which makes it very difficult to recycle

Reuse your wrapping paper where possible. If not possible then you can dispose of it with your general waste (in your grey bin).