The message comes from East Sussex County Council after nearly 300 tonnes of recycling was rejected during the first three months of the year.
43% of waste is recycled by residents across the county but recently an increase in the wrong items are being placed in recycling bins.
General rubbish, textiles and food are the most common items, when food and other waste have spoiled the recycling, the entire load can end up being rejected.
The council advise that Almost 300 tonnes of recycling collected across East Sussex has been rejected over the first three months of the year, with more than 177 tonnes turned away in February alone.
Once rejected by the processing plant the entire lorry-load of recycling is sent for disposal instead, which has an environmental impact and results in additional costs.
General rubbish and food waste should only be placed in residents’ household waste bins and never in recycling bins.
Food spoils the recycling because it gets smeared over clean materials which means they can no longer be recycled and have to be disposed of instead.
Residents are reminded to empty and clean containers before recycling them. Ensuring items are free from any left-over contents means they can be recycled and improves the quality and quantity of the recycling material.
Although they can be reused, textiles should never be mixed with household recycling as they can get caught in, and cause damage to, sorting equipment.
Karl Taylor, head of operations at East Sussex County Council, said: “By ensuring they put the right items in the right bin at home residents can help us recycle more waste, reduce costs and help the environment.
“And to help make sure your recycling is as clean as possible, please remember to wash pots, tubs, bottles and jars before recycling them. Items don’t have to be perfectly clean, just a quick rinse in your washing up water is enough.”
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