By Paul Atkins

Copyright manchestereveningnews

Greater Manchester residents can make a real difference to the environment by recycling everyday household plastics.

As part of Recycle Week (September 22 to 28), Recycle for Greater Manchester is reminding people that plastic pots, tubs and trays – often overlooked in the kitchen or bathroom – can all go into mixed recycling bins at home.

This includes items such as yoghurt pots, soup containers and toiletry pots; margarine tubs, chocolate tubs and laundry powder tubs; as well as trays used for raw or cooked meat, fruit, vegetables and other groceries.

It is important that these items are clean and empty before being placed in the recycling bin.

A quick rinse keeps your bin fresh and prevents food residue from contaminating recyclable materials.

Leftover food or product can lead to unpleasant odours and may cause damage to the specialist machinery used to sort and process recycling.

What goes in the mixed recycling bin?

Plastic pots, tubs and trays should be recycled alongside other materials collected in Greater Manchester’s mixed recycling bins.

This includes plastic bottles such as milk or drink bottles, cleaning product bottles and trigger sprays, as well as glass bottles and jars, tins, cans, aerosols and foil.

By combining these items in the same bin, households can streamline their recycling efforts while ensuring that more materials are given a second life.

Residents are also encouraged to save space by stacking pots, tubs and trays before placing them in their bins.

Simple steps such as nesting trays or stacking yoghurt pots can make a surprising difference to how much a bin can hold between collections.

Soft plastics – what to do for now

While a wide variety of plastics can already be recycled at home, soft plastics – such as plastic film, cling wrap, and some bags – are not yet collected from kerbsides.

Plans are underway for this to change within the next few years.

In the meantime, people should place soft plastics in their general waste bin or take them to larger supermarkets that offer specialist recycling points.

Hard plastics go to recycling centres

Hard plastics, such as garden furniture, chopping boards and other rigid household items, cannot go in mixed recycling bins but can be taken to local recycling centres.

This ensures these items are disposed of responsibly and that valuable materials can be reclaimed wherever possible.

Doing your bit

By following these simple steps during Recycle Week and beyond, residents of Greater Manchester can help keep valuable plastics in use and reduce environmental impact.

Find out more about what goes in your mixed recycling bin and how to recycle effectively at Recycle for Greater Manchester.