The East of England Co-op has launched a campaign with Ipswich Borough Council aimed to addressing the biggest contributors to recycling contamination.

The independent retailer is running an in-store trial to increase awareness of items that can and can’t be recycled, as well as introducing recycling points for plastic packaging, carrier bags and batteries – items which can’t currently be recycled at home – in its 20 stores across the town.

The idea for the partnership emerged when the co-op began planning how it could follow up on its award-winning ‘Co-op Guide to Dating’ initiative, where it became the first retailer to start selling products that were past their best before date, in a bid to reduce food waste.

According to the joint chief executive for the East of England Co-op, Roger Grosvenor, that campaign cut food waste by 33% and he is hopeful the latest initiative can have a similar success with recycling.

East Anglian Daily Times: Recycling stations can be found at some of the East of England Co-op's main Ipswich stores. Picture: RACHEL EDGERecycling stations can be found at some of the East of England Co-op's main Ipswich stores. Picture: RACHEL EDGE (Image: Archant)

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“The reaction to our Co-op Guide to Dating campaign inspired us to look at other ways we can help our customers to reduce waste,” he said. “Whilst doing our research we became bamboozled by the complexities and misunderstanding around recycling, and set out to do what we could to provide some clarity.”

The campaign focuses on addressing the biggest contributors to recycling contamination in Ipswich, which include used nappies and crisp packets being put into recycling bins, people not recycling glass separately and consumers not cleaning aluminium foil must and rolling it into a tennis sized ball before recycling.

East Anglian Daily Times: Thes are items you CAN'T put into your main household recycling Picture: RACHEL EDGEThes are items you CAN'T put into your main household recycling Picture: RACHEL EDGE (Image: Archant)

Free to use recycling bins will be available for customers who want to recycle plastic packaging, batteries and carrier bags at East of England Co-op’s four largest food stores in central Ipswich - Broke Hall, Henley Rise, Chantry and Ravenswood.

At other stores customers can hand these items over at the checkout.

East Anglian Daily Times: These are items you CAN put into household recycling Picture: RACHEL EDGEThese are items you CAN put into household recycling Picture: RACHEL EDGE (Image: Archant)