THOUSANDS of tonnes of recycling collected by Warrington Borough Council were rejected last year.

Data released by the Office for National Statistics highlights that more than 2,000 tonnes of waste collected for recycling could not be recycled.

The inclusion of a number of items can result in the rejection of waste that is set to be recycled.

Overall, 2,516 tonnes of waste was rejected from recycling in Warrington in 2021 - which makes up almost six per cent of all waste collected for recycling in the town.

This averages at one-in-20 blue bins being rejected by recycling plants.

According to the ONS, 'material can be rejected due to contamination by water or dirt, chemical treatments (such as preservatives or paint), the inclusion of non-target material or lack of market outlet.'

Warrington Borough Council has released a list of items that can be placed in blue bins for collection:

  • Aerosols (empty)
  • Cardboard
  • Envelopes (with windows) and junk mail
  • Glass bottles and jars
  • Plastic bottles - drinks bottles, household cleaner bottles, shampoo bottles etc
  • Plastic food trays/tubs/pots i.e margarine tubs, yoghurt pots

  • Newspapers and magazines
  • Shredded paper
  • Tetra pak drink cartons
  • Food and drink tins and cans
  • Tin foil, and clean foil trays
  • Yellow Pages and phone directories

Items that will cause your blue bin's waste to be rejected include plastic bags, coat hangers, PPE (including face masks), wood, and batteries.

Warrington Guardian: Stockton Heath houses one of Warrington's three tipsStockton Heath houses one of Warrington's three tips (Image: Newsquest)

There are 33 registered 'recycling banks' across Warrington that residents are able to use in order to recycle waste, the full list can be found on the council's website.

The council also recommends the usage of the three tips across Warrington - Gatewarth, Woolston, and Stockton Heath - in order to recycle certain waste products.

A Warrington Borough Council spokesperson said: “More than 9 out of 10 households recycle correctly. The current contamination rates for Warrington are around 13%, and this is due to bins containing incorrect items which therefore cannot be recycled.

“We encourage residents to double check what items go in each bin to make sure they are not unknowingly contaminating their bin, which can lead to that bin not being collected. All materials in the blue bin must be kept loose, as if they are not, the contractor cannot recycle any plastic materials such as bin bags or carrier bags at the Material Recycling Facility (MRF).

“Items we don’t accept in the blue bin includes food, nappies, dog waste bags and also bagged waste such as materials in black bin liners or carrier bags. You can also find a full list of what you can put in your black, blue and green bin on our website.”

Though tips will accept most waste, some of the items you cannot take to a tip include:

  • Car tyres/wheels and other vehicle parts
  • Fire extinguishers
  • Fridges and freezers
  • Gas bottles including butane, propane, camping gas and oxygen cylinders
  • Hazardous or inflammable liquids and chemicals
  • Pallet

A full list of items accepted for recycling in your blue bin, what can/cannot be accepted at the tip, and what you may need a permit for, can be found on Warrington Borough Council's website here.