Putting wrong waste in recycling bin cost Eastwood and Kimberley taxpayers £100,000 last year

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs data shows 986 tonnes of waste collected by Broxtowe Borough Council were rejected at the point of sorting in the year to March – more than the 852 tonnes rejected the previous year and the largest volume since records began in 2014-15.

Recycling charity Wrap, which works with governments and companies on sustainability, estimates that waste disposed of as recycling, which is then found not to be recyclable, costs councils around £93 per tonne to dispose of.

It would mean rejected waste cost taxpayers in Broxtowe an estimated £91,698 in 2020-21 alone.

Overall, the authority collected 47,148 tonnes of waste, up from 43,673 the year before.

The Local Government Association is calling for labelling on packaging to be made clearer, to avoid recyclable waste getting mixed-up with non-recyclable items.

David Renard, environment spokesman for the LGA, pointed the finger at manufacturers who produce non-recyclable plastic packaging, which is then put in the recycling bin by people “in good faith”.

He said: “The burden then falls on councils to not only collect it and dispose of it, but to pay the extra cost of disposing of it.

“At a time when councils are working towards achieving net zero, they are doing so with one hand tied behind their back, courtesy of manufacturers who are littering our communities with plastic they know cannot be disposed of sustainably.”

Across England, 647,000 tonnes of recycling were rejected in the year to March, up from 525,000 tonnes the year before.

Defra said a consultation had taken place on a proposal to force producers to label their packaging more clearly.

A spokeswoman said: “We want to make recycling easier and ensure there is a comprehensive, consistent service. Our landmark Environment Act will also transform the way we deal with rubbish."

The act states food and garden waste should always be collected separately from dry recycling and residual waste.