Middlesbrough Council scheme already reducing contamination

Authorities say recycling collections are already reducing contamination levels across the area, after just one month into a new scheme. 

Middlesbrough residents are now required to separate paper and cardboard from other recyclables - and the council say that most are embracing the changes. 

The presence of incorrect items in recycling bins has dropped since the introduction of red-lid bins and clear red sacks for paper and cardboard.

Middlesbrough says the cleaner collections mean more material can be successfully processed and reused.

A video showing mountains of cardboard collected over the last month was shared by the council on Thursday (August 6).

On social media, Middlesbrough Council said: "It's been a month of paper and cardboard collections and, thanks to your efforts, contamination levels (putting the wrong items into your bins) are down across Middlesbrough.

"Before we introduced the new collections, we were mixing all of our recycling together.

"Now that paper and cardboard are collected separately, everything arrives clean and dry which has really helped improve our recycling."

Reducing contamination is vital for improving recycling rates, as cleaner waste is more likely to be successfully processed rather than discarded.

The council encouraged residents to continue following the new system and thanked them for their cooperation, as they focus on boosting recycling quality and diverting more waste away from disposal.