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Shake It Out campaign

Find out about our new "Shake It Out" campaign to reduce plastic bags in recycling.

Introducing Shake It Out...

#ShakeItOut is a campaign from Suffolk Waste Partnership which aims to reduce spoiled recycling across the county. It encourages Suffolk residents to dispose of their recycling without using a black sack or plastic bin bag and instead to shake out their recyclables into the recycling bin, ensuring everything is clean, dry and loose.

What’s it all about?

Recycling can be confusing – but we can help. In Suffolk, all household recycling is collected in one bin, taking the stress out of sorting it. All you have to do is put your recycling into the correct bin and make sure it is clean, dry and loose. That means no black sacks or plastic bin bags.

Why are black sacks and plastic bags a problem?

Black sacks, plastic bags and their contents are one of the main causes of spoiled recycling.

More than a quarter (26%) of the materials in Suffolk’s recycling in 2022/23 was not able to be processed.

Bagged waste won’t get recycled and can spoil other materials.

As it is impossible to know what they contain, sacks and bags are removed from the collected recycling at the sorting facility and are sent for disposal.

However, even before the sacks can be removed, they may split and their contents can spoil other good recycling. Which is a waste!

Want to find out more?

Have a look at our social media channels for more info on the Shake It Out campaign: