Recycling can be tricky, and it’s easy to get caught out by misleading symbols or outdated advice. Our mythbusters section tackles common myths head-on, while our FAQs provide clear answers to help you recycle the right way in Portsmouth. Let’s sort the facts from fiction and make recycling simpler for everyone.
Recycling mythbusters and FAQs
Mythbusters
- What’s the point in recycling, it only ends up in a landfill
- It’s got a recycling symbol on it, that means I can recycle it at home
- Other places recycle other plastics so you must be able to
- It doesn’t matter if I put the wrong things in the recycling bin
- If we throw plastic away in the general rubbish, it could end up in the ocean and harm sea life
What’s the point in recycling, it only ends up in a landfill
False
All the recyclable materials you put in your green bin have value. Things that cannot be used again are burned. Burning waste costs a lot of money, even if we get energy from it. To help pay for this, we sell your recyclable things to sustainable markets. The money we get supports council services.
Only things that cannot be burned go to the landfill. This is about 4.2% of all waste in Portsmouth. Portsmouth has one of the lowest landfill rates in the country.
It’s got a recycling symbol on it. That means I can recycle it at home.
False
Most packaging will have a recycling symbol on it. The recycling symbol means it can be recycled, but not always by us. In Portsmouth, just remember these five things that can be recycled in your household recycling bin or box:
- paper
- card
- plastic bottles
- metal cans/tin
- aerosol cans.
There’s more information on what can be recycled from home and your nearest recycling bank.
Other places recycle other plastics so you must be able to
False
What each council can recycle depends on the sorting facilities they have and the partners they work with.
In Portsmouth, our sorting facility can only handle plastic bottles. This is why you can only put plastic bottles in your green recycling bin.
But we have recently partnered with Biffa Commercial, who have special plastic recycling facilities in the UK. We have set up orange plastic banks around the city. These banks accept plastic pots, tubs, trays, and bottles. Find where the banks are located here.
Biffa Commercial collects these plastics and takes them to their recycling facilities.
We are also working with Hampshire County Council and Southampton City Council to build a new sorting facility. This will allow us to collect and recycle more items.
It doesn’t matter if I put the wrong things in the recycling bin
False
When we take recycling to the sorting facility, anything that is not recyclable is removed. The non-recyclable stuff is then burned or put in a landfill. This costs the council tax payer a lot of money each year – money that could be used for extra services.
The worst things to put in your recycling bin are soiled items (like nappies and food-covered packaging) and glass. If these get into the lorry, the whole load can be contaminated and rejected. This means other people’s recycling efforts are wasted, as well as yours.
The most common wrong items in green recycling bins are plastic pots, tubs, and trays. These cannot be sorted by our Portsmouth facility. If you want to recycle these, take them to one of our orange plastic recycling banks.
If you cannot get to a recycling bank, put them in your rubbish bin.
The only plastics you can put in your green recycling bin are bottles. For example, drinks, cleaning products, and shampoo bottles.
If we throw plastic away in the general rubbish, it could end up in the ocean and harm sea life
False
In Portsmouth, we burn the waste from your black bags or bins, recovering energy. The heat from burning the rubbish makes steam, which turns turbines to make electricity. This electricity goes into the National Grid. So, the plastic you put in your general waste bin will not end up in the ocean.
But, plastic litter left on beaches or in the street could end up in the ocean. So, please take your rubbish home or put it in a public bin.
Frequently asked questions
- Why doesn’t the council collect glass for recycling?
- Why only collect plastic bottles, and not other plastics?
- Why can’t I recycle tin foil?
- Why can’t I recycle cartons?
- Why do we incinerate the rubbish?
- Why is the Council collecting food waste?
- Why is greasy paper and card not recyclable?
- Why are other councils in the country so far ahead of ours?
- How can I recycle more?
Why doesn’t the council collect glass for recycling?
The most recycled things are paper and cardboard. If glass gets into the recycling truck, it breaks and mixes with the paper and cardboard. This lowers the quality of the paper and cardboard and they might get rejected for recycled.
To collect glass from homes, we would need new vehicles and people for a separate collection. This would take time and investment, but we hope to do it in the future.
You can recycle glass containers by taking them to a bottle bank. Find the nearest glass bank.
Why only collect plastic bottles, and not other plastics?
There are many different types of plastics used to make pots, tubs, trays, polystyrene, and plastic bags. Our sorting plant cannot separate all these different types of plastics because we don’t have the technology and equipment.
Some of these plastics also don’t have a sustainable market where they can be reused. However, we are working with Hampshire County Council and Southampton City Council to build a new sorting plant that can handle more types of materials.
In the meantime, if you want to recycle more plastics, you can take pots, tubs, and trays to one of our orange plastic recycling banks. You can also take soft plastics to some larger supermarkets.
Why can’t I recycle tin foil?
Because our sorting facility can only successfully separate paper, cardboard, tins/cans and aerosols. It does not have the technology or equipment to sort other materials.
We are, however, working with Hampshire County Council and Southampton City Council to build a new sorting facility which will be able to handle a bigger variety of materials.
Why can’t I recycle cartons?
These are difficult to recycle as they are made of several different materials. Our facility can’t sort between cartons or card/paper. This means we could end up with a lower quality card/paper product.
You can recycle cartons at four sites in Portsmouth:
Why do we incinerate the rubbish?
The best way to deal with waste is to use less and use things again. If you can’t use something again, the next best thing is to recycle it. We burn things we can’t recycle. This is better for the environment and costs less than putting it in a landfill.
Burning waste makes heat energy that can be turned into electricity. The leftover ash can be used in building, and any metals are sent for recycling.
Why is the Council collecting food waste?
We analysed the rubbish thrown out in Portsmouth and food waste made up the biggest part of our waste – about 40%. If we can recycle it instead, then that’s a big win.
Food waste is made into biofuel and soil improver for farmers. For information to help you reduce food waste, visit Love Food Hate Waste.
Why is greasy paper and card not recyclable?
Greasy paper and card cannot be recycled because the paper and card fibres cannot be separated from the oils during the pulping process – when paper is turned into fibre.
Therefore, please do not place dirty/greasy takeaway containers such as pizza boxes into the recycling.
Why are other councils in the country so far ahead of ours?
Our recycling system was very advanced when it was made, but technology has improved since then. Other councils might have newer technology to sort different materials.
We are working with Hampshire County Council and Southampton City Council to build a new sorting plant. This will help all the councils in our area to collect and recycle more types of materials.
How can I recycle more?
We have over 200 recycling banks around the city which accept glass, mixed hard plastics, textiles, books and CDs/DVDs. Find your local recycling point managed by Portsmouth City Council.
Check out our batteries, small electrical/electronic items, food waste and garden waste webpages to find out how you can get these collected from your doorstep.
Our Portsmouth Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) accepts a large variety of materials for recycling. Visit the HWRC webpage to see what is accepted and to book a visit.
Some supermarkets now have collection points to recycle soft plastics. Check your local supermarket for more details on the materials they accept.