Why is it important to wash and squash the cans and plastic bottles?
Even though cans and plastic bottles are very light they take up a large amount of space in the bin and the refuse lorry. Washed and squashed cans and plastic bottles take up much less space, this means the lorry will only need to make one trip to the recycling depot a day, instead of three or four trips. Reducing the number of journeys made by the lorry helps save the environment as it means that less greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere. Washing helps to keep your bin and its contents clean. This reduces smells and makes the whole thing more hygienic – especially for our manual sorters at the Carnaby bring site. In addition, if the paper in your blue bin becomes soiled with food waste and liquids, then it will not be suitable for recycling and will have to be landfilled.
