Wigan taxpayers forced to shell out to deal with waste placed in the wrong recycling bins

The Local Government Association is calling for labelling on packaging to be made clearer, to avoid recyclable waste getting mixed-up with non-recyclable items – an issue estimated to have cost English councils around £60m last year.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs data shows 2,510 tonnes of waste collected by Wigan Council were rejected at the point of sorting in the year to March – though this was less than the 3,296 tonnes rejected the previous year.

Recycling charity Wrap, which works with governments and companies on sustainability, estimates that waste disposed of as recycling, which is then found not to be recyclable, costs councils around £93 per tonne to dispose of.

It would mean rejected waste cost taxpayers in Wigan an estimated £233,430 in 2020-21 alone.

Overall, the authority collected 156,704 tonnes of waste, up from 139,987 the year before.

David Renard, environment spokesman for the LGA, which represents councils, pointed the finger at manufacturers who produce non-recyclable plastic packaging, which is then put in the recycling bin by people “in good faith”.

He said: “The burden then falls on councils to not only collect it and dispose of it, but to pay the extra cost of disposing of it.

“At a time when councils are working towards achieving net zero, they are doing so with one hand tied behind their back, courtesy of manufacturers who are littering our communities with plastic they know cannot be disposed of sustainably.”

Defra said a consultation had taken place on a proposal to force producers to label their packaging clearly, so that people would know if items are recyclable or not.

A spokeswoman said: “We want to make recycling easier and ensure there is a comprehensive, consistent service across England.

“Our landmark Environment Act will transform the way we deal with rubbish.”

The act states food and garden waste should always be collected separately from dry recycling and residual waste.

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