A FIFTH of Bradford's household waste put in bins for recycling is estimated to have been rejected last year and ended up in landfill.

Data from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs showed a large amount of people across the city put rubbish in their grey bins that was turned away from recycling plants in 2020/21.

The local authority collected 212,054 tonnes of waste from households last year, a slight rise on the two years previous – 195,026 in 2019/20 and 194,100 in 2018/19.

Recycling has accounted for just over 39 per cent of all residents’ waste in Bradford on average over the past three years, with 80,202 tonnes in 2020/21, 79,352 in 2019/20 and 77,040 in 2018/19.

This represents a percentage and actual increase in people putting waste in their recycling bin from 2017/18 – 66,393 and 34 per cent – and 2016/18 – 74,369 and 36 per cent.

But not all of this waste which is intended to be reused ends up being recycled and last year an estimated 20 per cent (16,451 tonnes) of the 80,202 collected from grey bins was turned away.

It is the highest amount of waste that has been rejected for recycling from 2014/15 until 2020/21.

In the previous two years, just 12 per cent (10,143 tonnes for 2019/20 and 9,412 for 2018/19) of household recycling was estimated to have been rejected, despite the total amount of waste going into Bradford’s grey bins remaining relatively similar over the past year threes.

The highest level of recycling came in 2014/15 when just over 50 per cent (101,808 tonnes) of all household waste was deemed to be reusable by residents.

It seems they were correct in their choices too, as under one per cent of this waste was rejected for recycling.

These rejections can often come from human error, such as when people put the wrong items into their recycling bin.

Sometimes residents may not be aware that certain items have been chemically treated or contaminated by water or dirt.

There can also be an issue if there is a lack of market outlet for the recycling.

Residents in Bradford receive one 240-litre general waste bin, which is green and a 240-litre recycling bin, which is grey.

People may also have a garden waste bin, which is brown.

The local authority stipulates that the recycling bin is for paper, cardboard, glass bottles, jars, cans, aerosols, plastic bottles, plastic food trays, yoghurt pots, margarine or butter tubs and food and drinks cartons.