Minefield of Domestic Recycling
When I first thought about writing a short piece on domestic recycling, I had no idea that it would take some time to research.
I’ve been chatting to different people about how they recycle different waste products, and the usual answer is that residents usually throw it in their domestic recycling bin.
Unfortunately, it seems there is a long list of items we take for granted that can be recycled in our green bins at home, but they cannot. Many items need specialist recycling techniques which are not available to local councils and they need to be collected and recycled by specific organisations. Crisp, biscuit, and sweet wrappers, food packaging, pet food sachets, medicine blister packs, some beauty products and other household items can be recycled but not in your green bin.
If fact, just about anything and everything can be recycled in some way, much of it heated and remoulded and used to produce recycled products.
I’ve tried to put together a ‘list’ of ways to collect and recycle household items, but it is by no means complete! If any residents know of any other recycling ideas, then please feel free to contact us via contactus@bgp2ra.uk and we will pop them on the website.
Let’s start with the most common and one of the easiest waste products to recycle.
FLEXIBLE FOOD PACKAGING/ SOFT PLASTICS
This is all those bags that potatoes, peppers, salad leaves, other veg items, bread and rolls come in, waxy cheese wrapping, yogurt pot lids, cereal bags and the cling film type flexible plastic that covers pizzas and hard plastic trays for meat and fruit. This type of flexible plastic cannot be recycled at home (although the hard plastic trays can be). However, they can be taken to supermarkets. Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrison’s, and Co-Op have now started to advertise this service much more although they have been doing it, on the quiet, for years. The bags that garden compost comes in can also be recycled in this way along with the large plastic bags that cover furniture. I also use this service to recycle unwanted bubble wrap and other plastic packaging that protects products in transit. Crisp bags, sweet wrappers, confectionary, biscuit wrappers, and pet food pouches can all be recycled at these supermarkets. However, the packaging needs to be washed especially if it’s meat wrappings and pet food pouches! Indeed, any flexible plastic that says it cannot be recycled on the back of the packaging can be taken to these supermarkets. You’ll be very surprised, as I was, just how quickly this type of plastic mounts up. Unfortunately, Waitrose only recycle actual carrier bags.
This type of plastic packaging amounts for much of our domestic waste and needs to be recycled in specific ways, unfortunately NOT in our domestic recycling bins at home.
MAKE-UP
There are a few new recycling points springing up so please let the Residents’ Association know if you are aware of any. One that I have seen recently is at Sainsbury’s, Longwater and is a box to recycle ANY brand of make-up products. It’s located near the make-up stands.
MEDICINE PACKETS
Any empty medicine/ tablet blister packs can be dropped off at participating Superdrug stores. The nearest store to us is St. Stephens Street, Norwich.
COFFEE PODS
Both aluminium and plastic coffee pods can be recycled through an organisation called Podback.org The organisation provides kerbside collection in some areas but unfortunately not in Wymondham as far as I can see. The alternative is to take your coffee pods, including Nespresso, Tassimo, and Dolce Gusto to designated collection points that generally show the ‘collect+’ logo. The nearest to us for both aluminium and plastic pods is Co Op, Cuckoofield Lane, Mulbarton. NR14 8AY. You need to bag your coffee pods in the correct bags available from the coffee manufacturers themselves with online orders (no charge) Podback.org or ocado.com and eBay for a small charge. You can find out other places to take them via the manufacturer or podback. .org. The coffee pods just need to be placed in the appropriate bag, usually around 150 pods per bag, and an easily downloaded label added. I had to go through the system a couple of times on Podback.org before I got the hang of it but it’s fairly straightforward. Some manufacturers, for example Nespresso, offer a doorstep collection service. ( see their website for details).
Sainsbury’s also provide a recycling service for its own brand aluminium pods, found in store.
TERRACYCLE
There are also many other products that can be recycled effectively but will need a bit more effort. One company that is fantastic at this is terracycle.com
TerraCycle break up, heat and rework waste products and recycle and it won’t cost us a penny. Through their programs, TerraCycle has recycled around eight billion tonnes and is also able to donate to charities and has so far donated around $45,000,000 worldwide. Not bad considering it all comes from rubbish.
The TerraCycle recycling programs work by taking along specific products to designated collection sites. Unfortunately, there aren’t many of these collection points in Wymondham, most are in Norwich, but I’m hoping I will be able to start up some recycling programs much more locally during 2022! TerraCycle also provide recycling programs for specialist waste, for example, PPE but this is not a free service.
Here is a list of common household products and the relevant collection points. However, the list is by no means complete so if you have a specific product that is not mentioned here, please refer to the TerraCycle website.
Personal Care
This includes single use mask packaging, flexible plastic wipe packaging for personal care and beauty products, (please do not put any other wipe packaging into this program as it cannot be accepted) plastic roll on deodorants, plastic tubes, and pots if they say they cannot be recycled in domestic waste and in particular personal care and beauty product pumps, trigger sprays and rigid plastic caps are accepted. (Rigid bottles used for shampoo etc are not accepted but these can usually go into domestic recycling).
The collection points are Chapelfield Vets, 162 Norwich Rd, New Costessey, Norwich. NR5 0EH. Generally open 8.15 am – 6 pm Monday- Friday and 8-11 am on Saturdays.
The contact here is Susan Simpson – susansimpson99@yahoo.com and she’s happy to answer any questions.
She is responsible for lots of recycling programs at the Vets and also Thorpe Plant centre on Plumstead Road, Norwich. NR7 9LW, open 8 am – 5.30, Wednesday- Saturday where you can also drop off the beauty products.
Pringles
Tubes only can again be dropped off at Chapelfield Vets, 162 Norwich Rd, Norwich. NR5 0EH, Thorpe Plant Centre and Poringland Community Centre. Contact details are clerk@poringlandparishcouncil.gov.uk
Pringles do operate Bring Bank Locations for recycling the tubes. Unfortunately, there are none locally, but Pringles is hoping to extend this service over the next couple of years so it’s worth looking at their website for details.
Home Cleaning
This program recycles any brand of antibacterial surface and floor cleaning wipe packaging (unfortunately these packets cannot be put into domestic recycling). Dishwashing salt bags, flexible dishwashing tablet packaging and the flexible plastic outer sleeves. In theory I think these could be recycled in with flexible plastic at supermarkets as homecare is listed.
If you want to be 100% sure, the recycling programs are located at The Rosebery Pub, 94 Rosebery Rd, Norwich. NR3 3AB and Susan Simpson is again the contact here – susansimpson99@yahoo.com, Bramber House, Hempnall NR15 2LP and the Walled Garden Community shop and cafe, Little Plumstead. NR13 5FA
Pens
Any brand of plastic pen felt tip, highlighter, markers or correction fluid pot, correction tape, plastic/ mechanical pencils ( but not wooden pencils, rulers, glue sticks or erasers).
Hethersett Woodside Infant and Nursery, Firs Rd, Hethersett. NR9 3EQ and is open 8 am- 5 pm Monday to Friday.
Razor Blades
You can recycle all types of razor blades with Gillette and Terracyle. All you need to do is collect your used blades. Order an envelope to be sent to you from the Gillette Recycling website page. The envelope can take a few weeks to arrive but once it does all you need to do is put the blades into the envelope and send them back free of charge.
You can put a maximum of 16 products in each envelope and there is a limit of 4 envelopes per household per year.
Babybels
Everything about Babybels can be recycled in this program – the nets, clasps, wax coating, plastic wrappers, and the rigid plastic sleeves covering the mini roll versions.
The recycling programs can be located at Wymondham College. NR18 9SL. Open 8.30-4.30 Monday- Friday.
Tuckswood Academy and Nursery, main foyer 8 am- 5 pm Monday- Friday
As you can see lots of domestic rubbish can be recycled but needs to be done in alternative ways to just popping it in our green bins. Please feel free to contact Contact Us if you have any other suggestions for recycling domestic waste.
Helen Stewart