Contamination of Recycling - Find a freedom of information request

How the contents of recycling bins are sorted (in Lincoln, everything is mixed, which doesn't seem very efficient, or safe, as there will be broken glass) If there is contamination from food waste etc.

1. How much of a lorry load of waste is diverted to the energy from waste plant/landfill?

2. Where do the different categories of material go once sorted?

3. What happens to clean but erroneously binned materials eg different types of plastic

4. How 'clean' must materials be e.g. can a little liquid be left in bottles, must tin cans be washed etc.?

1. All residual waste goes to the EfW and all recycling goes to our contractors recycling facility. 30% of what the residents of Lincolnshire put in their recycling bin is contaminated and non-recyclable material.

2. Material sent to Mid UK is sent to different recycling end markets which we do not control

3. Clean items in the recycling will be recycled but if it is in the residual it will go to the EFW there is no pre-sorting of residual waste to take out recyclables.

4. Liquid cannot be left in bottles, tins must be washed