The legal requirement
Legislation in Environment Act / Simpler Recycling requires councils to recycle, so opting to choose to burn instead isn’t legal.
Please be aware that AI is used extensively in this item and overviews quoted.
This item seeks to determine which test procedure gives the better Recycling Rate results.
Compare contamination measurement procedures used by Redcar and Cleveland
Redcar and Cleveland used to test recycling to a standard. AI reports its testing method is with ‘no designated specific acceptable contamination percentage’.
The test procedures used from 2019 to present, have changed. Six years ago the contamination level was measured against a standard, today it appears to be checked using a different procedure. Allowance may be made for the impact of Covid during 2019 to 2021 but working conditions are back to normal so things like recycling rate would be expected to be back to the pre Covid rate.
In 2019 the author was verbally informed that a recycling contamination level of 0.05 % was acceptable!
( 0.05% is 1 part contamination in 2000 parts of recycling is acceptable)
AI was used to determine what the current specification is generally, and what is used by Redcar and Cleveland
Questions put to AI, Sept 6th, 2025
1. How much contamination is allowed in recycling?
but have a maximum total contamination level of 0.5% covering materials such as paper, card, plastics (by weight), textiles and metals. Food waste should be collected and presented to the facility in an appropriate form as agreed with the facility e.g. bagged, debagged, loose.
( 0.5% is 1 part contamination in 200 parts of recycling is acceptable)
2. Four AI searches to find how much contamination Redcar and Cleveland accepts in recycling gave various answers, but no specification:
Search 1
There isn’t a specific acceptable contamination percentage for Redcar and Cleveland residents in the provided search results, but the council is actively trying to reduce its current 40% contamination rate. Acceptable recycling requires items to be clean, dry, and free from food residue. Items that frequently cause contamination include food waste, plastic bags, takeaway boxes, batteries, nappies, cling film, and dirty …
Search 2
Redcar and Cleveland do not accept contamination and are actively working to reduce a current rate of approximately 40% in their recycling, which is costing the council over half a million pounds annually. Starting in January 2025, crews are tagging bins with incorrect items, meaning they will not be emptied until the contaminated items are removed.
Search 3
There is no acceptable contamination percentage for waste, but Redcar and Cleveland Council states that about 40% of their collected recycling is contaminated, costing the authority over half a million pounds. Residents should only place correct waste in their blue bins, as the presence of incorrect items such as general waste, nappies, food waste, textiles, electricals, and polystyrene damages other recyclable materials and causes problems at the sorting stage.
Search 4
There is no designated specific acceptable contamination percentage for residents in Redcar and Cleveland; instead, the council is aiming to reduce the current 40% contamination rate of collected recycling to minimize processing costs and environmental impact. Instead of a specific number, the goal is to decrease contamination by residents placing incorrect items, such as food waste and plastic bags, into the blue recycling bins.
(AI gave no specific acceptable contamination percentage in the provided search results)
3. AI searches to find Redcar and Cleveland historic and recent Recycling Rates, including 2017, 2019 and 2024.
Search 1
Redcar and Cleveland’s household recycling rate was approximately 44.6% in 2019, according to data from GOV.UK. This figure excludes Incineration Bottom Ash (IBA) metal recovery.
For comparison, the rate was 44.4% in 2017, showing a slight increase.
Search 2
The most recent reported recycling rate for Redcar and Cleveland was 33% in 2024, which was described as a low figure compared to other areas in the country. The council aims to increase this rate while also reducing contamination in the recycling stream
(Redcar and Cleveland’s Recycling Rate fell from 44.6% in 2019 to 33% in 2024)
Other things that might have impacted on Recycling Rate
Factors including the collection procedure, using blue lidded recycling collection bins, might have changed and the number of bin wagon loads rejected due to contamination could have affected the Recycling Rate
4. AI searches to discover if the collection, using blue lidded recycling collection bins, had changed between 2017 and 2025 and how many bin wagons were rejected due to contamination.
Search 1
Redcar and Cleveland has had blue-lidded bins for household recycling for at least as long as the national mandate for local authorities to provide separate recycling collections, which began to be implemented after the Household Waste Recycling Act of 2003. This Act required local authorities in England to provide every household with a separate collection of at least two types of recyclable materials by 2010, meaning blue bins were introduced by this date at the latest
(Blue bins were used to collect recycling over the period 2017 to 2024)
Search 2
Specific data on the exact number of Redcar and Cleveland bin wagons rejected due to contamination annually from 2017 to the present is not readily available in public records. However, news reports from October 2022 show that five wagons were rejected due to contamination in that month alone, and the council has noted high contamination rates, with 40% of recycling being contaminated at the facility they use
(Records re the number of bin wagons rejected due to contamination are not readily available.)
Conclusion
Factors that might have affected Recycling Rate, including number of Redcar and Cleveland bin wagons rejected due to contamination, a possible change in recycling collection procedure, specifically the blue bins, testing against a specification or no specification have been considered.
The blue recycling collection bins were used throughout the period so was not considered a factor influencing change. The number of bin wagons rejected due to contamination is not readily available and had to be dismissed. The change in test procedure did occur. It is considered likely to have affected the Recycling Rate change.
The author was verbally informed the measurement specification used in 2019 was 0.05%. However, AI searches did not find a specification but showed, There isn’t a specific acceptable contamination percentage for Redcar and Cleveland residents in the provided search results.
The test procedure used by Redcar and Cleveland in 2019 gave a higher Recycling Rate than the procedure used more recently. The procedure used in 2019 for example required measurement against a set standard, however, AI could not find a more recent test specification.
The test specifications may be attainable through FOI.
Current information shows that testing against a standard vs what AI describes as ‘testing with no designated specific acceptable contamination percentage’ shows a 25% difference in Recycling Rate.
This investigation shows that testing against the standard used in 2019 gave a better Recycling Rate than was found subsequently.
AI found a maximum total contamination level of 0.5% covering materials such as paper, card, plastics (by weight), textiles and metals is allowed.
The author suggests that Redcar and Cleveland review its recycling contamination testing procedure and use the one most likely to give a better Recycling Rate. Probably a standard of 0.5%.
It is outside the scope of this item but it is clear that application of DEFRA schemes will probably increase Recycling Rate further, so the author would recommend applying them as soon as practicable. It could affect the circular economy.
Item by Guisborough Eco Group, Sustainability Group 11.09.25
Copyright © 2025 by Fred Page
I hope you enjoy the post. Please remember the views and concepts covered in this Blog are the views of the author.
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