recycling methods

[filthiestfis]

I live in the epping forest council district and every 2 weeks they collect transparent bags full of recycled material from households. As I understand it, these bags are only to be used for cardboard. However, the majority of residents fill them with all sorts, from plastic, to newspapers, to bottles..my question is, are they supposed to do this? More importantly, does the council then sort out through each bag to separate the different materials?

[Jules001]

Surely your first port of call to check this would be the local Council website. I have just done this and it quite clearly states what is allowed in the clear recycling bags.
http://www.eppingforestdc.gov.uk/Council_Servi ces/Recycling_and_Waste/what.asp

[bigsister]

You are lucky that the council accept all that in the recycling bags. Here in Lewes District, they only take plastic bottles, cans, & newspapers and magazines, and glass. No yoghurt pots, food trays etc etc etc. I wish they did here, the household rubbish would be almost nil. An email will go off to them in the next few days to ask why?

[Myriad2112]

I always wondered why we bother!
If there's a machine that sorts the different stuff out then why do we? If there isn't then 90 precent of the stuff must be contaminated.
I also heard that alot of it ends up on a landfill site in China. Maybe they just like us to be seen to be doing our bit and give the bin men a bit of overtime.