Disposing of business waste correctly is not just a legal duty; it's a vital step toward a sustainable future. To help you and your team get it right, we've put together this blog based on our latest recycling training video.
The 6 waste streams: what goes where?
At Westminster, we offer six different waste services (excluding specialist services) to ensure every material is processed in the most environmentally friendly way possible:
- General waste: For non-recyclable items, including used tissues and blue roll.
- Mixed recycling: A convenient stream for everyday dry recyclable materials.
- Glass recycling: Specifically for glass bottles and jars, which are recycled into brand-new glass products.
- Paper & cardboard recycling: For office paper, newspapers, magazines, and clean cardboard.
- Food waste: For meat, fish, dairy, fruit, vegetables, bread, coffee grounds, and paper tea bags. This is processed into liquid fertiliser and biogas to generate green energy!
- Garden waste: For grass cuttings, leaves, flowers, weeds, and hedge trimmings, which are sent to a composting facility.
Common misconceptions
Many people assume certain items can be disposed of in the mixed recycling bin because of the signs on packaging when they actually cannot. Putting these in the wrong bin means that all the other correct recycling will be unusable. This could mean bags and bins of recycling have to be put in general waste instead of being recycled.
Items that DO NOT belong in mixed recycling:
- Blue roll, paper towels, and used tissues have poor fiber quality and are unhygienic.
- Wooden stirrer sticks, polystyrene, bubble wrap, and plastic carry bags cannot be processed in this stream.
- Sweet wrappers, crisp packets, and food-contaminated packaging (like greasy pizza boxes) should also be kept out.
Items that DO belong in mixed recycling:
Clean paper and cardboard, plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays, food tins and drink cans, juice cartons (Tetra Pak), and glass bottles and jars (if no separate glass bin is available) are all welcome in your mixed recycling bin.
Test your knowledge: the recycling game!
Think you and your team are recycling experts? Take our quick quiz to find out!
Question 1: Where should used blue roll and paper tissues be disposed of?
- A) Paper & Cardboard Bin
- B) Mixed Recycling Bin
- C) General Waste Bin
- Answer: C) General Waste Bin. Blue roll has fibers that are too poor to be recycled, and used tissues are unhygienic.
Question 2: Which of these can be placed in the Food Waste bin?
- A) Leftover soup and milk
- B) Coffee grounds and tea bags
- C) Greasy pizza boxes
- Answer: B) Coffee grounds and tea bags. No liquids should ever be put in the food bin, and pizza boxes belong in general waste if contaminated with food.
Question 3: What does food waste get turned into?
- A) Compost for gardens
- B) New plastic packaging
- C) Liquid fertiliser and biogas (for heat and electricity)
- Answer: C) Liquid fertilizer and biogas. This biogas helps generate heat and electricity for the national grid!
Question 4: Can bubble wrap and polystyrene go into the Mixed Recycling bin?
- A) Yes, they are plastic-based.
- B) No, they are common contaminants and must go to general waste.
- Answer: B) No. Polystyrene and bubble wrap cannot be recycled in this stream.
