Toothpaste tubes and foil to be recycled at kerb

Residents in Worcester will soon be able to recycle more household items in their bins in a bid by the city council to "reduce confusion".

It comes after the BBC revealed waste officials had been forced to divert up to a fifth of all recycling from its processing centre and to an incinerator instead, due to contamination.

From April, aluminium foil and plastic tubes - including used toothpaste tubes - will be included in kerbside recycling collections.

These will be collected in the green bins, alongside paper, card, glass bottles and jars. Recycling will also include cartons, food and drink in metal tins, cans, aerosols and plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays.

A spokesperson for Worcester City Council said the government was hoping to "make recycling collections more consistent across England".

They added: "It is hoped that the new changes will help reduce confusion, improve recycling rates, and support national ambitions for 65% of household waste being recycled by 2035."

Residents can now include the following clean and empty items in their green bin:

• Aluminium foil
• Plastic tubes

This is alongside the following materials that have been recycled in Worcester and Worcestershire since 2009:

• Glass bottles and jars
• Paper and cardboard
• Cartons
• Metal food and drinks cans
• Aerosols
• Plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays.

Councillor Zoe Cookson said: "We're pleased to be expanding our recycling service, making it simpler than ever for residents to recycle more from home.

"These improvements will help people recycle everyday items, cut down on waste, boost local recycling rates and support progress toward the government's 65% recycling target."

Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.