A NEW campaign encouraging residents to recycle more by double-checking items before placing them in clear bags is being launched by Hillingdon Council.

 Residents are being asked to 'take two seconds to check your recycling' and make sure the contents of their clear, dry mixed recycling bags can be recycled. 

The contamination rate in Hillingdon currently stands at around 15 per cent, which matches the average rate for London.

Contamination occurs when an item which can't be recycled via kerbside collections, such as clothing, is put in residents' clear bags.

Too many contaminating items can lead to good recycling being rejected at the sorting stage and the whole load instead going in general waste.  

The top five contaminating items found at kerbside collections are food items, crisp packets, batteries, nappies and sanitary products and clothing. 

The campaign coincides with Recycle Week, a national awareness campaign.  

 Cllr Eddie Lavery, Cabinet Member for Residents' Services, said: "We know most Hillingdon residents recycle the best they can, but we could all improve if we take two seconds to check we're only putting items out for collection that can be recycled." 

Some items incorrectly put in with the dry mixed recycling can be hazardous, like Bluetooth headphones, old mobile phones and electric toothbrushes. These can risk starting a fire.