Blue bin recycling - how clean do contents need to be ?

[intexasatthe moment]

I always rinse ,bottles cans etc but I'm never sure about pizza boxes - lots of cardboard but inevitably a bit greasy ,and olive oil bottles .

Should I lever off the plastic pouring bit and use lots of hot water to rinse ?

[red devil]

I try and rinse most things to cut down on smells, but olive oil bottles get left alone. I'm sure everything gets thoroughly rinsed as part of the recycling process anyway. It would be good to know if households rinsing is the greenest way to recycle stuff or not though i.e. is more water used up by individuals rinsing than the amount of water used in the recycling plant process?...

[uncleglen]

There was a story soon after the serious recycling started that a woman received a massive gas bill the next quarter because she had been so diligent in washing up the receptacles for the recycling.....

[sanity girl]

I rinse everything to avoid bad smells/animals trying to get into the recycling bin. I share a recycling bin with neighbours and think it's pretty gross to put in unrinsed milk bottles/ meat/fish containers.

[SoozieW]

I don't rinse anything.

[Salsaboy]

Don't bother. It all goes into landfill.

[TandTGardening]

.

[intexasatthe moment]

sanity girl - my thinking as well .Wish you were my neighbour .

previous neighbour ( a doctor so one would imagine educated ) thought that garden waste for the brown bin included old flower pots .plastic compost bags ,broken garden tools....

[Sue]

sanity girl Wrote:

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> I rinse everything to avoid bad smells/animals

> trying to get into the recycling bin. I share a

> recycling bin with neighbours and think it's

> pretty gross to put in unrinsed milk bottles/

> meat/fish containers.

You should rename yourself Sanitary Girl :))