Dry mixed recycling collection

What is dry mixed recycling?

Dry mixed recycling covers a variety of clean and uncontaminated materials that you can recycle – such as paper, cardboard, plastic, and metals. As the name suggests, anything wet must be cleaned and dried or disposed of with general waste to prevent contamination.

Using dry mixed recycling allows recyclable waste to stay clean without you having to separate the materials. Contamination is a common issue, as many people throw everything into the same bin, which can affect the ability to recycle such commercial waste.

Examples of common dry mixed recycling includes:

• Plastics – microwave meal trays, margarine tubs, and drinks bottles
• Cardboards – cards, packaging, and cereal boxes
• Metal cans – washed out drink cans and food tins
• Paper – office paper, magazines, and newspapers

What can you not put in dry mixed recycling?

Do not put anything wet in with your dry mixed recycling. Other common waste items you cannot include with DMR are:

• Crisp packets
• Glass
• Wood
• Liquids
• Food waste

At Bins.co.uk, we can help with the removal of these items, but they’ll need to be handled as separate waste. You can also arrange specific bins for food or glass waste to ensure the proper disposal and recycling of such waste where possible.

Explore other types of commercial waste

How is dry mixed waste disposed of?

As dry mixed recycling is already cleaned and separated from all other recyclable materials, it’s easy to turn it into valuable new materials after we collect and deposit the waste. A few ways DMR is recycled includes:

• Newspapers and magazines are recycled to make new versions.
• Paper and card are used to make new material for packaging.
• Cardboard is sent to a recycling mill and fashioned into new cardboard products.

To arrange disposal of your commercial waste we provide free dry mixed recycling bins. There are no rental or delivery charges, simply fill the bin and pay for collection. Tell us the number and size of any dry mixed recycling bins you need and frequency of collection for a fast quote online.

DMR bins weight limits

Weight limits to fill a dry mixed recycling bin depend on the size you choose. Even if you fill the volume of a DMR bin, the maximum weight you can put in it is:

• 240 litre bin – 10kg
• 660 litre bin – 20kg
• 1100 litre bin – 35kg

If you have more DMR to get rid of then you can arrange more than one DMR bin for collection of the same or different sizes – we can provide a bespoke quote and service online.

How much DMR does the UK produce?

According to government figures, the UK uses about five million tonnes of plastic every year – almost half of this is packaging. Around three-quarters of these plastics become waste but it’s estimated that in 2020 1.2 megatons of plastic packaging in the UK was recycled, representing a significant increase from two decades earlier.

Other key stats for types of mixed dry recycling waste include that every year the UK produces and uses around:

• 600 million aerosol cans
• 63 million tons of paper and board
• 9 million metric tons of paper and card packaging

However, the government is aiming for a few targets that suggest more dry mixed recycling is required to help meet these:

• 2025 – all plastic packaging on the market to be recyclable, reusable, or compostable
• 2042 – eliminating avoidable plastic waste by the end of the year
• 2050 – an ambition of zero avoidable waste

To help meet these targets, small and medium-sized businesses across the UK can increase their dry mixed recycling activities, reducing the amount of recyclable rubbish that ends up going to general waste.

Why is it important to reduce dry mixed recycling?

Recycling is becoming increasingly important for the future of our planet, but reducing your dry mixed recycling is still advisable to further cut your commercial waste production. It will reduce carbon emissions, limit the need for as many raw materials, and further reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which seriously damage the atmosphere.

If you run a business, recycling is more cost-effective than sending waste to landfill as well. Cutting your recycling – whether requiring fewer dry mixed recycling bins or less frequent collections – will reduce the amount you pay for waste removal services. Contact our team to collect your waste, knowing it will never be sent to landfill.

Tips to reduce your business’ dry mixed recycling

When it comes to dry mixed recycling, if you’re unsure whether something is recyclable, it’s normally best not to risk it. While we want to recycle anything possible, it diminishes the recyclability of the whole mix when a contaminating item is added. Especially if your dry mix recycling includes any food waste, you risk the entire load being rejected.

Do not use a bag for your dry mix recycling. Some people use bags rather than getting a separate bin for some recyclable materials – however, the dry mix must be added to your recycling bin loose. This is because the bags will not be classified as part of a dry mix, meaning the whole DMR bin can be refused.

It’s also crucial that you make sure your materials are thoroughly cleaned before you throw them in a dry mixed recycling bin. All food residue needs removing, such as washing out margarine tubs, drinks cans and food packaging.

Arrange dry mixed recycling collection today

Contact us today for a quick quote to make recycling simple and stress-free. Organise your mixed dry recycling correctly and we’ll collect it! Our collection times are extremely flexible, and we offer free wheelie bins to all our customers.

Get a quote for DMR waste collection

Dry mixed recycling: FAQs

Can paper go in dry mixed recycling?

Yes, paper and cardboard are some of the main types of waste you can include in a DMR bin. Make sure they are clean and dry, free from any food waste in particular if you’re recycling items such as cereal boxes.

Can glass go in dry mixed recycling?

While glass is 100% recyclable – whether you have bottles, jars or windows – it’s advised you get a separate bin for just glass waste, rather than including with dry mixed recycling. As it’s dry and clean it may seem to fit in with DMR, but this is not the case.

How big are dry mixed recycling bins?

You can get dry mixed recycling bins in three different sizes:

• 240 litre bins
• 600 litre bins
• 1100 litre bins

It simply depends on how much DMR waste you need to get rid of and how often. You can also arrange for more than one DMR bin for collection of the same or different sizes to suit your needs.