Waste and Emissions»When Black Bags Go Green

Boffins in Germany believe that it is technically feasible to to extract and recycle materials from black bin bag waste.

The trial used general household waste from Freising, close to Munich, and was processed at the Weso Tech Recycling Facility.

Whilst the project did raise a few eyebrows when the plan was announced, the results of the trial have impressed. It is estimated that in the UK, 60% of waste is not recycled and ends up on landfill sites, meaning the Germans may again have proven themselves masters of efficiency.

Once the black bag waste is sorted, it was found that the level of impurities from recyclable materials was little different from home, sorted and cleaned materials.

We spoke to an industry expert who told us that "There are certainly certain areas within the UK where households are not recycling their waste, whilst this will give councils in those areas a way around this, there is also the danger that it could encourage laziness."

Whilst there are mixed opinions, most industry insiders believe that the research is a positive, and will lighten the burden on already over-filled landfill sites. To date, it has been reported that 3 of the UK's largest Waste management companies are looking to trial the new process.