Friday October 2nd 2026
East Lothian Council recycling bin
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Marie Sharp
East Lothian has been named as having the cleanest recycling waste in the UK with six times less contamination than Edinburgh.
The local authority recorded 3.9 per cent of recycling material as contaminated compared to City of Edinburgh Council’s 23.7 per cent.
A survey by recycling not-for-profit organisation Every Can Counts, which commissioned the research, says the scale of the variation shows the challenge still facing councils,
Two thirds of the UK’s councils responded to a Freedom of Information request for the contamination figures and East Lothian reported the lowest amount.
The worst area who responded was Bradford where 35 per cent was contaminated with Edinburgh’s figures the highest among the responses in Scotland.
Every Can Counts says residents in different areas face different collection systems, rules on what can and cannot be recycled, and guidance from their councils.
The organisation says local authorities have a vital role to play by providing clear and easy-to-understand information that helps residents use their recycling systems correctly.
East Lothian residents have one of the highest number of waste and recycling receptacles with six – a green household waste bin, two boxes for cardboard and glass, a white bag for plastic and cans, a food caddy and garden waste bin which the council charges residents £40 a year to empty.
An East Lothian Council spokesperson said: “We’ve invested in more ways to help households recycle and our kerbside sorting system greatly minimises any contamination of mixed products.
“The council’s service provision of delivering weekly recycling collections and three weekly general waste pick-ups is having a significant impact on raising our recycling levels and lowering the amount of waste going to landfill.
“We also want to thank residents for their continued use and support of our recycling services which plays an important role in protecting our environment while helping to tackle the climate emergency.”
Almost all rejected recycling disclosed in the survey was burned or buried with food waste and food-contaminated packaging the most common contaminant, followed by nappies, textiles, black bin bags and plastic film.
The FOI responses also identified batteries, vapes and small electrical items as safety risks because they can catch fire in collection vehicles and sorting machinery.
Chris Latham-Warde, Programme Manager for Every Can Counts, said: “Contamination is a real problem, but it is one we can do something about. Clear and easy-to-understand guidance from local authorities can help residents know exactly what belongs in their recycling and how items should be prepared, so they can use their local recycling system correctly.
“The UK has effective and efficient infrastructure for recycling drink cans, but consumers need to know how to recycle them correctly in order to play their part. A can recycled today can be back on the shelf as a new can in as little as 60 days, ready to be recycled all over again – so every can really does count.”
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