WELL over 1,000 recycling bins were refused collection across Wychavon last year as the West Midlands saw a marginal increase in refusals overall.
New data obtained via freedom of information requests sent by Skips and Bins revealed recycling bins had been refused for collection 1,388 times across Wychavon in 2024.
Although data was not available for 2023 across Wychavon, the West Midlands region saw an increase in refusals of 8 per cent, equating to 247,093 refusals in 2024 compared to 229,327 in 2023.
Recycling bins can be refused for a number of reasons relating to contamination of the discarded materials. Mostly, non-recyclable items or inclean materials are placed into recycling bins, leading entire loads to be rejected and sent to landfill.
Scott Hawthorne, founding director of rubbish collection and waste disposal firm, Skips and Bins, said: “Even if a small amount of the wrong material ends up in your recycling bin, it can contaminate the entire truckload, meaning tonnes of perfectly good recyclables end up going straight to landfill.
“The best way to prevent this is to stay up to date with your local recycling rules. Councils may have different regulations, so always check their website for guidance.
“Rinsing out food containers before recycling is also essential, as food residue is a major contaminant. Recycling symbols provide helpful information on disposal, so always pay attention to them.
“If in doubt, it’s better to place an item in the general waste bin rather than risk contaminating an entire batch.”
Residents can also be fined up to £200 for placing non-recyclable items in recycling bins.
