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Recycle right: empty, rinse, recycle, repeat

Food and packaging that has not been cleaned can spoil the rest of the items being recycled. Find how to prepare your waste for recycling.

There are certain items most are confident about recycling, like glass jars, tins, paper and plastic bottles.

Almost a quarter of the wrong items in recycling containers are food and food packaging that hasn’t been emptied or cleaned. 

Food and drink should never end up in your recycling container.

A few wrong items we've found in Southwark’s recycling are:

  • unfinished tins of baked beans
  • half full glass jars of sauce
  • cans of fizzy drink
  • unemptied household cleaning bottles
  • margarine tubs containing spread

Paper and cardboard are easily spoiled (contaminated) by food, drink and other liquids. 

If they’re dirty they cannot be recycled and must go into your general household rubbish bin. This wastes your recycling efforts and those of other people in Southwark. 

That’s why we’re asking you to empty, rinse, recycle, repeat. It helps us recycle even more.

Follow these 4 simple steps to make sure you’re recycling right.

Empty

Make sure you empty all containers:

  • pour water and other liquids down the drain, except for oil which you should put in a sealed container and in your general household waste bin
  • use up leftovers
  • shake, scoop or scrape any unwanted food or sauce into your food waste caddy or rubbish bin

Depending on where you live, you might be able to recycle your food waste. This goes into a separate brown food caddy, not in with your other recycling.

Check your services and see how you can recycle your food waste.

Rinse

Give containers and packaging a quick run under the tap. Rinse away any remaining food and liquids like:

  • sauce
  • soup
  • butter, spreads and oils 
  • other bits of food
  • soap or cleaning products

Use a bit of soap and hot water and scrub off anything stubborn.

Recycle

Once clean and empty put them loose in your recycling bin to be collected. 

Recycling should never be placed in plastic bags unless you receive clear bags provided by Southwark Council. 

Our crews will take your recycling to Southwark’s recycling facility to be sorted into different materials. 

Watch this video to find out what happens to your recycling.

Make sorting easier

  • put the plastic lids on plastic bottles then they can be recycled into new plastic items
  • take lids off glass jars and bottles so metals and glass are kept separate

Repeat

Keep emptying, rinsing and recycling everything you can so it does not end up in landfill after all. 

More recycling means less damage to the environment.