Erewash Borough Council has appealed to residents to recycle properly during the difficult times everyone is facing with the coronavirus lockdown.
The message comes after around 20 tonnes of recyclable waste was rejected by the council’s processor over the last week because of serious contamination – with soiled nappies, food waste, carpets, textiles, soil and electrical items among the things that have been dumped in blue bins and green bags.
This rejected material will not be recycled and will be disposed of as refuse-derived fuel – but at a cost to the council and therefore, ultimately, to council tax payers. It’s estimated that this will cost £2,000 for the week’s contamination.
Councillor Garry Hickton, Erewash Borough Council’s Lead Member for Environment, said: “Let me say from the start that we do understand and appreciate the difficulties people are facing in lockdown – of course we do. But this is why we have urged people to look at minimising their waste at this time. Only buy what you need and please, if you are having clear-outs, only do it if you can store the items until recycling banks and charity shops re-open.
Please let us work together as one Erewash community and not dump non-recyclable waste in our blue bins or green bags. Together we can make this work and we can get through this. We have to take responsibility.”
An A-Z of what can be recycled can be found at www.erewash.gov.uk under the ‘Your Council’ tab.