Public service announcement: Recycling Green Dot Symbol

DB_SamX · 29 May 2019 at 23:33

I was watching BBC Watchdog earlier and learnt that the recycling green dot symbol does not mean the packaging is necessarily recyclable. https://www.valpak.co.uk/beyond-compliance/green-dot-licence
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/SnyYNX98JK1NhXp0HnqXX0/green-dot
I was shocked, especially given that I am a keen recycler, as were other people I shared that info with (yes, I am that committed/sad).

The good news is that Watchdog contacted several big brands who said they would remove it from their packaging.

This of course means that people have been putting anything with that logo in their recycling bins when they shouldn't. The best advice I can give is to follow the guidelines of your local council's recycling team as to what can or can't be collected from doorstep recycling.

An alternative to recycling plastics not collected by your local council is Terracycle's proprietary schemes, which I have been promoting locally, especially at work, but that's for another thread of its own. https://www.terracycle.com/en-GB/brigades/

DB_SamX · 30 May 2019 at 19:18

That's not a good idea. Whilst all recycling does get sorted to a certain extent, if a recycling bin is too contaminated with unrecyclables, the whole lot just goes to landfill or gets burnt, so everyone else's recycling efforts goes to waste (pardon the pun).

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-48185036

DB_SamX · 3 Jun 2019 at 11:43

Marky said:
I’m confused... did you mean that packaging with the logo on is not recyclable now? Because it says in your post that it is recyclable?

I try and recycle wherever possible - my recycle bin is almost always so much more full than my standard rubbish bin

Which link?

Having the logo does not automatically mean recyclable. It may or may not be, depending on who/where collects it, or where you take it for disposal.

DB_SamX · 3 Jun 2019 at 23:29

Kenai said:
I think you've made a typo in your opening post...

"I was watching BBC Watchdog earlier and learnt that the recycling green dot symbol does mean the packaging is necessarily recyclable"

... I think you meant doesn't

Thanks!