Winter Waste?

From November to March, in the UK, an extra 5000 tonnes of household waste is sent to landfill or for incineration. This is a 40% increase on values seen in the warmer months. This is because the wetter, winter period makes effective separation by recycling plants of 'co-mingled' items, next to impossible. 'Co-mingling' is the practice of requiring households to put all their recycling in single containers. Householders can be (and in many cases are) required to separate their paper, plastic, glass, metal, as well as food and garden waste. This prevents contamination, reducing the need for landfill and incineration. The UK government will have to rule on whether to abolish 'co-mingling' in England (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/nov/17/how-winter-makes-recycling-harder-with-40-jump-in-contamination). Most householders can and will separate the items for recycling, if they are helped and given clear instructions. The variations between the practices adopted by different councils doesn't help them. There could also be more use (as in The Netherlands) of communal drop off points for certain materials within walking distance of people's homes.