Household Recycling Tips for Global Recycling Day With Sturdy Products

Global Recycling Day, celebrated annually on March 18th, is an important reminder of our responsibility to reduce waste through mindful recycling practices. Here at Sturdy Products, we are committed to providing innovative waste management solutions that help households, businesses, and local authorities make recycling easier and more effective. This year we’ve put together a handy primer for do’s and dont’s when it comes to houshold recycling:

Are You Recycling Correctly?

It may not seem important but recycling relies on all parts of the process to work correctly for smooth operation. This does not just apply to recycling plants and your waste contractor, proper recycling starts at home. It’s always a good idea to refresh ourselves on the basics and make sure that our waste is correctly sorted and prepared prior to collection.

Why Does This Matter?

Contaminated recycling bins result in entire batches of waste being sent to landfill instead of being recycled. Taking a few extra seconds to clean and separate materials makes a significant impact.

Recycling Bin – Dry Recyclables

Your recycling bin is for clean, dry, and loose recyclables. It’s important that materials are not bagged and do not contain food residue to avoid contamination.

Here’s what can go in your recycling bin:

✅ Paper & Cardboard (Newspapers, magazines, cereal boxes)

✅ Rigid Plastics (Plastic bottles, food containers, clean & dry shampoo bottles)

✅ Metal Cans (Drink cans, food tins – rinsed and clean)

✅ Tetra Pak Cartons (Milk and juice cartons – rinsed and flattened)

🚫 What NOT to Put in Your Recycling Bin: Polystyrene, contaminated food packaging, nappies, and coffee cups – the paper sleeves and plastic lids can be recycled however.

Make a note! If your cup has printed instructions on the side for composting, then it can be put in your food waste (brown) bin. These are still relatively rare, so it’s important to keep and eye out!

Plastic bottles with the Re-Turn logo on the label should be saved and returned at a designated Reverse Vending Machine which can be found at most major supermarkets.

Brown Bin – Organic Waste

Your brown bin is used for compostable organic waste, which reduces landfill use and creates nutrient-rich compost for soil health.

Here’s what can go in your brown bin:

✅ Food Scraps (Vegetable peels, bread, tea bags, coffee grounds)

✅ Garden Waste (Grass cuttings, leaves, small twigs)

✅ Compostable Packaging (Check for certified compostable labels)

🚫 What NOT to Put in Your Brown Bin: Plastics, glass, nappies, pet waste, and (usually) cooked meats.

Why not consider recycling your food waste at home? Creating homemade compost for gardening is a straightforward process with the right tools. The Sturdy Recycone range of  composters are an excellent households looking to create their own nutrient-rich compost. Our composters are made from recycled materials, helping you close the recycling loop right at home. We’ve put together a handy guide on setting up your Recycone composter in 4 easy steps!

Household Battery Recycling – Don’t Bin It, Return It!

Did you know that batteries contain hazardous materials like lead, mercury, and cadmium, which can leak into the environment if not disposed of properly? Instead of throwing batteries in your general waste bin, you can:

🔋 Drop them off at designated recycling points – Many supermarkets, electrical stores, and recycling centres in Ireland accept used batteries. Look for the distinctive blue WEEE Ireland Battery Recycling Box.

Encouraging Community Recycling with Sturdy Products

At Sturdy Products, we provide practical recycling stations and waste segregation solutions to make recycling in public and commercial spaces more efficient:

🗑️ Sturdy Recycling Station – Available in 240L and 1100L versions, these stations are perfect for shopping centres, local authorities, and community areas. They allow for secure, locked disposal of recyclables like glass, plastic bottles, and general waste.

♻️ Sturdy Waste Segregation Station – Designed for canteens, schools, and offices, this compact waste station features the Sturdy Simplicity Bins, making it easier to separate waste and encourage responsible recycling.

🌍 Returnplast Recycling Service – The Returnplast division of Sturdy products Ltd., which is a fully licensed reprocessing facility for specialist hard plastic, offers a disposal, regrind and refurbishment service. Larger Medium Density Polyethylene plastic products such as oil tanks, road barriers, bottle banks, and large toys are broken down and recycled for use in our Rotational Moulding process. We work to ensure that this plastic material is kept out of the general waste stream, returning to our factory for use in manufacturing Coal Bunkers and Recycone Composters and contributing to the Irish Circular Economy.

Take Action This Global Recycling Day

Recycling is a shared responsibility, and small actions lead to big environmental benefits. This Global Recycling Day, let’s commit to:
✅ Recycling correctly by keeping materials clean, dry, and loose
✅ Using compost bins to reduce food waste
✅ Disposing of batteries responsibly at designated recycling points ✅ Supporting sustainable products made from recycled materials

At Sturdy Products Ltd, we are proud to be part of the solution by providing high-quality recycling solutions for homes, businesses, and communities.

📢 Join the conversation! Share your recycling tips and how you’re making a difference this Global Recycling Day using #GlobalRecyclingDay and tag us on social media!

Happy Recycling!