No more disposable nappies in recycling bags, please!

Rochford District Council are pleading with residents to stop putting disposable nappies and other sanitary waste in their recycling waste.

Nappies (clean or dirty) are not recyclable. The same goes for sanitary products and incontinence pads (such as ‘Tena’ and ‘Always’), which should be placed in the non-recyclables waste bins.

Rochford District Council’s Portfolio Holder for the Environment, Cllr Dave Sperring said: “We are appealing to those who put nappies and other similar waste into their recycling bins to put their waste in the correct bins. Not only is it bad for the environment, it ends up costing the taxpayer money as an entire recycling load can end up having to go to landfill if found to be contaminated.

“We know the majority of our residents are very good at recycling, it is a great shame that some of these efforts will go to waste if a small number of people continue to contaminate.”

As well as nappies, food, food-stained packaging, clothing and textiles, plastic carrier bags, black sacks and plastic wrapping should NOT be put in with your household recycling. If your bin contains incorrect items, it will not be collected, and the crew will make a note of the contamination on the waste management system. To keep up to date with waste and recycling news, including waste collection information, please sign up for our e-mail alert service at www.rochford.gov.uk/tellmemore