The Problem With ‘Wishcycling’

Wishcycling is a well-meaning but costly act where people place questionable items into their recycling containers, hoping they’ll be accepted, rather than taking steps to confirm if they’re actually recyclable.

At Brown Recycling, our commitment to responsible recycling for the local areas of Staffordshire, Cheshire and the Midlands means we want to help people maximise recycling wherever possible. That’s why we’re exploring the problem with wishcycling this month.

What is wishcycling?

Over the last few years, the term ‘wishcycling’ has been popping up. This essentially means that people are putting non-recyclable or unclean items into recycling bins out of sheer optimism or confusion. 

In short, people “wish” these items could be recycled, but they cannot.

The root cause of this trend is actually a combination of factors:

• Inconsistent council lists: many councils offer recycling, but they don’t all accept the same waste, and the containers they use can vary, which can be confusing for anyone trying to recycle.
• Hard-to-read labels: packaging can come with a variety of labels, so it can sometimes be difficult to interpret if something can be recycled or not. Many items people believe to be recyclable, due to seeing the logo, also come with a “check local recycling” or other vague messaging.
• The desire to do the right thing. Most people want to recycle, leading them to accidentally become more careless with what they put in their recycling, as they don’t stop to check each item.

What are the commonly wishcycled items?

There are plenty of items that are commonly wishcycled, perhaps you’ve fallen afoul of a few of these yourself?

• Flexible plastics and films, such as carrier bags and crisp packets
• Composite cartons and pouches, such as Tetra Pak and juice cartons
• Food-contaminated items, such as oily pizza boxes and sauce jars with residue inside
• Heatproof glass, such as Pyrex cooking dishes and drinking glasses
• Electrical items, such as cables and chargers (these require special disposal points)
• Other items may include batteries or vapes (including e-cigarettes)

What problems can it cause?

The main issue with wishcycling is that it can contaminate an entire load of recycling, which could lower the commodity value if the recycling stream is downgraded. Worse still, this can also divert perfectly good recyclable items towards landfill, creating unnecessary waste. The knock-on effect is that recycling targets are missed, putting additional strain on natural resources.

Items incorrectly placed in recycling can also damage sorting machinery, requiring repairs or manual picking to ensure that normal operations can proceed. For example, Pyrex dishes have a much higher melting point than recyclable glass, which can cause issues when put into regular recycling streams. 

There are also safety hazards to consider, as any electronic waste containing batteries poses a fire risk. Incorrectly disposing of these items puts people’s lives in danger.

How do we avoid wishcycling?

If you’re a business, organisation or homeowners looking to avoid wishcycling, what can you do? 

Here are our tips:

Business:

1. Find a reliable waste partner and instruct them to conduct a waste audit to verify what recyclable waste you produce and find out what your waste management provider can accept.
2. Train your staff by using clear signage and colour-coded directions on your recycling containers.

At home:

1. Rinse containers and separate any recyclable materials to help comply with Simpler Recycling rules.
2. If in doubt, leave it out. You can always check labels on packaging and local council guidance, prioritising packaging that is genuinely recyclable first.

Looking for a recycling partner with tailored trade waste collections, baling solutions and tailored recycling solutions? 

At Brown Recycling, we offer everything you need to maximise your recycling efforts when dealing with business waste. Contact us today to book a free waste audit with our experienced team.