AROUND 28,000 stickers are to appear on blue bins in the coming weeks as part of a campaign by Craven District Council aimed at educating householders as to what they can - and cannot - recycle.

In a bid to reduce high contamination rates, and avoid the council having to pay penalties, council staff will be placing stickers on bins detailing what sort of waste can be safely recycled and put into the blue bins. The stickers also include a QR code which can be scanned and direct users to the council's website for more waste recycling advice.

The council says in the last year, residents recycled 39.30 per cent of waste, and it wants to see that increase by at least three percent.

The biggest problem facing the council is when the wrong type of waste - such as dog waste bags and nappies - is put into the blue bins, which are collected fortnightly, meaning the whole bin is contaminated and cannot be recycled.

Common other 'wrong types' of waste in blue bins are black bags, coffee cups, Polystyrene, crisp and sweet packaging, textiles, footwear and carrier bags.

Councillor Chris Moorby, the council's lead member for greener Craven, said: “The stickers are an excellent way of reminding people what they are allowed to throw in their blue bins and improve the quality of recycling collected.

"Many people still find themselves hovering over a recycling bin, not sure whether the item in their hand can go in the blue bin or not. They may look for a label, but still be unsure. Now, they can look at the recycling bin sticker and check.”

He added: “We cannot emphasise enough that black bin liners should not be used in blue bins. All your recyclable items – including tins/cans, paper, cardboard, plastic bottles, glass must not be bagged unless in clear sacks provided by the council. This is extremely important because if recycling is dirty or in a black bag, it can contaminate a whole lorry full of collections, which would result in none of it being recycled.”

Tracy McLuckie, the council's environmental services manager, said: “Recycling the wrong things can cause more harm than good. If everybody makes a small improvement in how they allocate their waste, we can make a positive impact across the district. Let’s create a greener and more sustainable district for everyone. Please use your blue bin responsibly.”