Lewes waxy carton bin moved to Ham Lane
If you need to recycle tetrapaks, you now need to go to Ham Lane recycling centre to do it. But the most eco option is to avoid this problematic packaging in the first place.
Waxy cartons such as tetrapaks used for fruit juices, soups and non-dairy milks are notoriously hard to recycle because they are made of multiple layers of different material. As a result, they can create an environmental nightmare – such as the millions of empty milk cartons discarded in Vietnam reported by the Guardian in 2018.
ACE UK specialises in recycling waxy cartons and have a dedicated carton bin in Lewes. Since early October, ACE UK have moved their bin in Lewes from Brook Street Car Park to the Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) on Ham Lane. The move is partly in response to persistent fly-tipping at the Brook Street site. By moving this bin to the HWRC on Ham Lane, ACE UK is also be able to double the size of the carton bins available.
Given the vast amount of energy it takes to recycle waxy cartons, the most environmentally-friendly option is to avoid them altogether wherever possible. Refill stores such as BYO and The Seasons in Lewes offer oat milk refills. There are also plenty of recipes online for making your own oat or nut milk – such as here: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/how-make-dairy-free-milk.
- For tips on reducing your overall waste, and which is the most environmentally sustainable option, visit recyclenow.com – reduce waste
- To find out what you can recycle in your home recycling bin visit lewes-eastbourne.gov.uk – what can I put in my bin
So what will you do with the tetrapaks once collected? Presumably incinerated, as we imagine is the fate of most combustible material