18.09.26 | Press Releases
Food waste, clothing and vapes are among the items incorrectly finding their way into household recycling
A Hartlepool recycling company is using Recycle Week to shine a light on what really happens to household recycling – and the everyday items that can cause problems when they end up in the wrong bin.
J&B Recycling, which has its head office and main materials recycling facility (MRF) in Hartlepool, processes household recycling on behalf of local authorities across the North of England, including dry mixed recycling collected from homes in Hartlepool.
Every day, tonnes of mixed household recycling arrive at its facilities to be separated into different material streams, including paper, cardboard, plastics and metals, before being sent for further reprocessing.
But alongside those valuable recyclable materials are items that shouldn't be there.
In Hartlepool, some of the contaminants J&B regularly sees arriving amongst household recycling include food waste, textiles such as clothing and bedding, and disposable vapes.
During Recycle Week, which runs from 14–20 September, J&B Recycling is encouraging residents to think carefully about what they put in their recycling bin – because getting it right at home makes a significant difference further down the recycling process.
Ashleigh Sweeney, Operations Manager at J&B Recycling said: “People in Hartlepool recycle a huge amount of material and we see the results of that coming through our facility every day.
“But we also see what happens when the wrong things are put into recycling bins. Food waste, clothing, bedding and vapes are some of the items we regularly find mixed in with materials that should be there.
“One item in one household bin might not seem particularly significant, but when you consider the thousands of bins being collected across an area, those small mistakes can quickly become a much bigger issue.”
Food waste is particularly important following the introduction of separate weekly food waste collections in Hartlepool. Residents now have dedicated food waste caddies for items including fruit and vegetable peelings, leftovers, meat, fish, dairy products, bread and plate scrapings.
Putting food into the recycling bin can contaminate otherwise valuable dry recyclable materials, particularly paper and cardboard.
Textiles can create a different challenge. Clothing, bedding and other textiles don't belong in Hartlepool's household recycling bins and can become tangled with other materials and recycling equipment. Items that are still usable should instead be considered for reuse or donation.
Vapes present an even more serious concern.
Disposable and rechargeable vapes contain batteries and electrical components and should never be placed loose into household recycling. Batteries can become damaged during collection, sorting and processing, creating a potential fire risk at waste and recycling facilities.
For J&B Recycling, tackling contamination isn't simply about producing cleaner recycling. It also helps protect employees and equipment, improves the efficiency of the sorting process and gives recyclable materials the best opportunity to be successfully recovered.
Ashleigh continued: “Recycling doesn't end when the bin is emptied – that's really where the process begins.
“Once recycling arrives with us, there is a considerable amount of technology, equipment and expertise involved in separating those mixed materials and preparing them for their next destination.
“The cleaner the material is when it arrives, the more effectively we can do that.
“Our message for Recycle Week is a simple one: recycle as much as you can, but make sure you're putting the right things in the right place.
“If you're standing at the bin and aren't sure, take a few seconds to check. Keeping food, clothing, vapes and other contaminants out of your recycling can make a genuine difference.”
Established in Hartlepool in 1998, J&B Recycling has grown from a local business into one of the North of England's major waste management operations. Its Hartlepool facilities remain at the heart of the business, processing household and commercial recycling from across the region.
