A bag full of plastic taken to a Midlands rubbish tip to be recycled was turned away by staff because it contained a lone yoghurt pot.
Bill Gardner was told his load could not be accepted at the site in Aldridge because of the offending pot which, he was told, is the wrong type of plastic.
The father-of-three, of Gwendoline Way, Walsall Wood, was furious that his collection of plastic would instead be sent to the landfill. His family has spent years recycling as much as possible and regularly drive to the tip in Merchants Way.
Walsall councillor Louise Harrison, cabinet member for environment, confirmed that only plastic bottles that bear the recycling triangle logo and the number one or two could be processed.
Mr Gardner claimed the authority had not been clear about its policy for recycling plastics. “We have all these boxes outside our houses but we canÕt put plastic in them.
“Instead of just putting plastic bottles, yoghurt pots, margarine containers or other packaging in the bin, we drive to the tip. But this time I was told our collection would be landfilled because of just one yoghurt pot.”
Councillor Harrison said the council was working hard to find a way to recycle other plastic containers.
2 Comments
What a clot, why not simply remove the yoghurt pot and take it back home with him?
If he’s been recycling for ‘years’ then you’d think he’d realise the processes involved and what is or is not recyclable.
It’s all a bit foolish really, isn’t it?
I agree with Mart, but by the same token, then surely the waste disposal people could have done the same and put it in a separate bin. The whole thing is stupid beyond belief.