Coleraine residents are getting their recycling right

The bulletin which featured on BBC Newsline last week reported that up to 40% of recyclable material is contaminated. However, Council said that it collects over 15,000 tonnes of waste for recycling every year and over 98% of this waste is recycled.

Regular and controlled checks are made by refuse crews on the items put into the borough’s 30,000 blue bins, which are sorted by Glassdon Recycling in Toomebridge. Contamination, which is wrong items put into blue bins, ranges from 4-6% for the Coleraine Borough area.

At Council sites in Coleraine, Portrush, Portstewart, Kilrea, Garvagh and Castlerock, all permanent site staff are trained in Waste Management Operations and are kept informed about the correct contents for recycling containers. Stringent efforts are made to ensure that only the correct items go into each recycling bin.

Overall contamination from blue bins, recycling points and compost amounts to 1.7% of all materials collected for recycling in the Coleraine borough.

In other words, less than 2% of all materials collected for recycling have to be rejected and sent to landfill. This is a low contamination rate.

Fiona Watters said: “We strongly reject the claim by BBC Newsline that up to 40% of what we collect for recycling goes to landfill. Our residents are clearly listening to Council advice and putting the correct items into blue bins, recycling banks and our garden waste skips.

“Every load of blue bin material that we send to Glassdon Recycling is assessed for contamination - which currently stands at 5%. Overall, we have to send 2% of our recyclable waste to landfill because it is deemed to be inappropriate material for recycling. It is in everyone’s interest to keep our contamination rate at this low level.”

Fiona continued: “I would urge everyone in the rorough to continue recycling as much of their waste as possible. Recycling reduces waste to landfill, saves valuable natural resources, is cheaper than landfill, helps reduce our carbon footprint and contributes to the local economy. If you are not sure what to put into your blue bin or recycling bank, please phone us, we will be happy to advise you.”

Recycling has been made even easier. More can go into Coleraine Borough Council’s blue bins, including: paper (no shredded paper), phone directories, catalogues, soft-backed books, envelopes (please tear out the plastic window), post, printer paper, photocopier paper, card, cardboard, juice cartons, food tins, drink cans, aerosols tins, plastic bottles, plastic food containers, clothes and shoes (please give charity shops first choice) and small electrical items (no glass) up to the size of a four slice toaster.

A wide range of materials can be recycled at Council’s Recycling and Disposal Centres in Coleraine, Portrush, Portstewart, Castlerock, Kilrea and Garvagh, including garden waste, batteries, paint, cardboard, glass, paper (including shredded), larger electronic and electrical items, fridges and freezers, wood, scrap metal, cooking oil, engine oil, juice cartons, fluorescent light tubes, textiles (please give charity shops first choice) and plastic bottles.