Yogurt pots added to recyclables

Friday 21st January 2011, 2:29PM GMT.

States recycling officer Tina Norman-Ross gets the ball rolling as recycling of types 5 and 6 plastics begins. Watching are deputy Public Services minister Scott Ogier and Mayside’s Liam Bourgaize. (Picture by Tom Tardif, 1079794)

YOGURT pots, margarine tubs and plastic food trays can now be recycled.

Recycling of type 1 and 2 plastics, such as drink and shampoo bottles, has been available for a while, but only now has a processing plant been found to recycle the type 5 and 6 plastics.

States recycling officer Tina Norman-Ross said it was excellent news that more plastics could be recycled.

‘It has taken us a long time to get to this position,’ she said.

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1
Mr G

January 21, 2011 at 3:39 pm

Our rates aren’t decreasing so why should we bother recycling? Much easier to shove it in the bin, however as somebody who cares about the environment I recycle.

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2
Mrs Meat

January 21, 2011 at 6:49 pm

This whole thing really gets me: it clearly says on the side of the plastic recycling bins that NO yoghurt pots, food containers etc are to be put in there.

I couldn’t believe that the Recycling Dept would think we’re all too thick or blind to read the label and only put PET1 or 2 into that bin, regardless of shape, so I thought they must only Want bottles. But I was clearly wrong.

So all those PET1 and 2 yoghurt pots and food packets (the majority of my non-recyclable rubbish) which I’ve been sending to landfill could have gone in there after all.

And now – presumably – we’ll have a new bin that says “yoghurt pots in here Only” where we’ll be expected to blindly deposit them regardless of the actual plastic type.

Perhaps the States members figure that seeing as we were daft enough to vote them all in, our judgment can’t be trusted!

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3
Mum22

January 21, 2011 at 10:44 pm

Think you answered your own question Mr G! Great news – every little step like this is a reduction in our landfill so all good. The only downside is cleaning them before recycling – here’s a question for you – why do they make peanut butter jars such silly shapes – so difficult to get the last bit out/clean…..and don’t get me started on shampoo bottles that don’t have removable tops grrrr!

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4
Mr G

January 23, 2011 at 9:18 am

Mum22, yeah but there’s no incentive to recycle, I have a 2 bag limit every week, when recycling I put out about 1, if I don’t I put out 2 bags, it costs the same. No incentive, our rates should reduce if we’re recycling.

Whilst the bloke who owns Mayside recycling is sitting on a pot of gold…

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5
Rosie

January 23, 2011 at 12:05 pm

Mr G.

You are quite right. It is crazy that those who reduce the amount of ‘residual’ rubbish that they put out pay the same as those who make no effort to reduce their waste. The only way forward is if ‘residual’ waste is expensive and recycling much cheaper and easy to do.

Refusing to buy food/goods in packaging where-ever possible is always the best option…. creating no waste at all. The people who do that should pay the least of all.

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6
Bella Wella

January 23, 2011 at 1:24 pm

Why doesn’t Guernsey liase with Alderney. Over there you can recycle all plastics except for lids and have been able to for a long time. You used to have to seperate bottles as the quality of plastic is different to tubs etc but no it’s all in one bank. Glass on the other hand seems to be crushed and out over the cliff edge!

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7
Paul

January 23, 2011 at 1:32 pm

This is merely fuel that has a high calorific value for waste incinerators. I don’t believe much will get recycled into anything new apart from the glass & metals.

I would like to think I am wrong but I doubt it considering the ever increasing price of oil & gas nowadays.

Most of the public recycle out of common decency towards a more sustainable future. It would be good to know the monetary value of the tonnage for the effort we are putting in.

Further questions might be asked on why it is not possible to introduce kerbside recycling.

If it is the case that substantial profits are generated whilst little incentive or help is given to encourage us further.

A recycler can easily give up an hour of their time each fortnight. That shows commitment. More assistance from the government as a thank you with the message everybody can now do their bit with little to no extra effort required.

I am also wondering if it would be possible to do a trade off with Jersey for so many tons of clean recycled waste to be given with the condition they take a certain amount of mixed non-recyclable waste?

Their EFW plant is a hungrier beast than they can feed. There could possibly be a win-win situation on the horizon.

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