Don't get your blue ♻️ bags left behind – here's how...

In a release, Guernsey Waste said:

"What attracted attention to this now is parish collection contractors are beginning to leave behind bags which contain thin film plastic (we will explain what that is in a moment). The first thing to say though is we are genuinely not trying to make life difficult for anyone. There is a real issue that we need to tackle, and we hope to do that with least possible inconvenience. 

"The issue is a lot of material is currently being put into blue bags that we can’t recycle. It is what processors call ‘contamination’. Most of all it is these thin film plastics – carrier bags, bread bags, crisps packets, pet food pouches, peel off lids, cling film, biscuit wrappers - all those sort of items.

"We know most people are genuinely trying to do the right thing. It really doesn’t help that some manufacturers using this packaging claim it can be recycled. We can’t – at least not yet, because although the material is technically recyclable, there is simply not the processing capacity in the UK to deal with all the packaging out there. So the problem is not unique to Guernsey. 

"Why is it such a big issue now?  Two main reasons –

"First, it is costing a lot more money, because we now see so much film we need additional sorting to pick it out. And that cost is ultimately going to be passed on. 

"Second, it gets tangled with ‘good’ materials that can be recycled, and no matter how much sorting they do, our processor can’t get it all out. So it ends up being wasted, which no-one wants to see.  

"So, the aim now is simply to reduce contamination. That will reduce the cost of sorting the materials and improve the quality of recycling, so less chance of it being rejected." 

Guernsey Waste understands that having your recycling left behind is a pain. But if it has the wrong materials in and still gets picked up, householders naturally assume they have put in the correct items.

"The only way to break the cycle is to leave it behind. We are sorry, but hopefully we can quickly get the message out there about thin film plastics and other contamination, without too much inconvenience to anyone." 

Good news
There is also some good news. A lot of work is going on right now to tackle the issues that prevent thin film packaging from being recycled, so there may be a better solution in the next couple of years.

Guernsey Waste said it would be delighted when that happens and will let islanders know as soon as it happens. Meanwhile, the message is really clear – please leave it out. What should you do with it? Put it in the bin, along with general waste.

"Given all our efforts to encourage recycling – and make it easier for people to recycle – there are not many things we ask you to throw in the bin. But this is an exception, and one that won’t cost you more. These thin film materials are super lightweight (that’s why they are so widely used) and easily compressed. So they won’t take up a lot of space in your black bags," said Guernsey Waste.

It also say that there are some other less common items that crop up in blue bags that really shouldn’t – such as rigid plastic items like toys, washing up bowls, and electricals.  "We also see the odd pot and pan, which also don’t belong in there (they can go to the Household Waste & Recycling Centre though). These are another reason why bags may get left behind. However, the main issue right now is film. 

P.S. Blue bags that include dirty plastic food containers that still have their contents or residues are also likely to be left behind, because they are deemed to be contamination and cause problems in sorting. But so long as they are rinsed out properly, clean containers can go in your blue bags.