The Guardian: "What is a general waste bin, and do we really need it?"

Link to The Guardian

"In the last five years we have witnessed the rise of a new service called either co-mingled or dry mixed recycling, whereby a single bag or bin can hold paper, card, tins, plastics and (sometimes) glass. These materials are easily separated in something called a materials recycling facility, the type of which waste companies have been silently building across the UK to take advantage of the high value of commodities, such as paper and card, that can be resold in bulk to generate excellent returns.

"No landfill, no landfill tax and double profits – once from the customer being charged for collection, and again on the resale of the material. It is smart and sustainable. ...

"... This brings me back to my original question: with all of the services described above, what is general waste, and do we really need it?"

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One of the comments on the Guardian web site:

"They can't be separated well in a materials recycling facility. Contamination is a real problem, with the result that one gets lower prices.

"If a job's worth it's worth doing properly. Reduce and reuse. If forced to recycle, separate items as early as possible to avoid contamination."