After the Party: Recycling Pringles et al.

You've heard the phrase. "Once you pop, you can't stop".

But when you actually do stop because you've run out of Pringles and the party's over, what should you do with the empty can, and other cans like it?

Until now, I've just been bunging the can into the recycling bin, without any additional thought. After all the packaging has a little symbol on it, which looks lovely and environmentally friendly.

Have a look.


It looks like a "Please Recycle Me" symbol doesn't it?


WRONG!


All environmentally friendly consumers, be warned. According to WasteOnline, this symbol, which is called the Green Dot, simply means that the manufacturer has paid a contribution towards the packaging recovery system in GERMANY! It's got nothing to do with recycling potential at all!

Now that makes me feel like a real Dummkopf. Please tell me that I am not the only person in the UK who has misunderstood this lovely looking symbol of environmental integrity. Take a good look at the packaging in your house and let me know what you think.

However, I really hate to be thwarted, so whilst admiring the Packasaurus Ex at the Press Launch the other day, I thought I'd check with the lovely Kate of St Edmundsbury's Waste Team, whether it is possible to recycle Pringles cans.

Much to my relief she said yes. Pringles cans may be recycled at our local Materals Recycling Facility (MRF). However, there is a technique and you can't just bung them in the bin as I've been doing for years.

To make Pringles cans recyclable, the trick is to separate the metal bottom and the plastic lid and throw them in the bin separately. This is so the cardboard component can be easily added to the card at the MRF.

This is great news especially when you think that this product is the UK's number 1 snack, particularly at Christmas, and comes in at number 32 in the Nielson Top 100 Grocery Brands list. That would be a lot of pringles being sent to landfill if recycling facilities aren't available.

However, it does appear that facilities aren't available everywhere.

Apparently we are lucky in Suffolk, where products like this can be processed effectively.

I would love to know what your local facilities are like. Any feedback in the comments would be very interesting indeed.

If you find that they can't be recycled in your area, the only answer for keeping them out of landfill is to send them to the school for junk modelling or try one of the ideas from the site shown below.

http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf989247.tip.html

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