What Shape Opening Do I Need For My Recycling Bin?

Using specially shaped openings for different waste streams can help prevent contamination and improve recycling rates.

Contamination is a major problem for recycling schemes, especially those that involve multiple waste streams. Incorrect waste disposal e.g. placing a plastic bottle in general waste, or metal cans in paper/card, has a whole host of negative consequences for your business and the environment.

Not only does incorrect waste disposal lower the quality and volume of your recyclables, but it may also incur charges from your waste collector or result in fewer rebates for your valuable materials. In some cases, if the contaminating item cannot be separated easily (such as food waste), it might mean the entire batch has to be sent to landfill.

To that end, many recycling bins are fitted with reduced-size apertures to prevent contamination and encourage correct waste disposal.

What is a Reduced-Size Aperture?

A reduced-size aperture (RSA) is a specially-moulded opening that ensures only the right types of waste are collected in the right bins. The shape of the aperture is intended to match the shape of the corresponding waste, allowing correct items to be disposed of whilst simultaneously blocking incorrect items.

For example, paper/card recycling bins can be fitted with a slot aperture, allowing paper and thin card to be accepted while bulkier types of waste won’t fit through. This provides a simplistic, cost-effective way to ensure recycling streams remain separate and free of contaminants.

Glasdon offer a range of different reduced-size apertures to accommodate different waste streams. See our breakdown below of different RSAs and their purpose:

Open-top apertures are the standard bin openings that are wide enough to accommodate most types of handheld waste. For this reason, we recommend using open-top apertures for general waste units, as they can accept lots of different residual waste, which will prevent people littering due to their waste not being able to fit.

Open-top apertures are also useful for mixed recyclable waste streams – again, due to the ability to capture a broader array of items.

Slot apertures are used almost exclusively for paper and card collections. The thin slot allows documents and cardboard to be easily disposed of, while making it extremely difficult for users to contaminate the bin with unwanted items.

The thin opening also makes the bin very secure, as passers-by can’t dig their hands in and search around for something. Slot apertures therefore provide a simple but effective physical security measure for the safe disposal of sensitive or confidential documents.

Round apertures are primarily used for bottle/can waste streams. The circular shape is wide enough to accept most plastic and glass bottles, without allowing other types of waste to pass through. If you’re considering a deposit return scheme, then round apertures would be a helpful addition to your recycling containers.

For disposable paper cup waste streams, we have a dedicated cup & liquid aperture further below.

Flap apertures are commonly used to prevent unpleasant odours escaping from your recycling bins. If the contents of your bin will create odours, such as food waste, then flap apertures keep the smell contained inside, preventing it from bothering nearby people and helping avoid any environmental problems developing.

Flap apertures should also be a consideration for outdoor dog waste bins in parks and public spaces, as the smell could bother walkers/runners and attract flies, especially on hot days.

Combined round/slot apertures allow paper and card to be collected alongside bottles/cans. Depending on your waste collector’s preferences, they may seek to collect these dry recyclables together. In which case, a combined aperture would be the way to go.

These apertures are typically used for outdoor mixed recyclable waste streams, usually when space is at a premium or when limited waste volume doesn't require a bin for each waste stream.

Ideal for canteens and cafeterias, cup & liquid apertures allow users to pour away any remaining drink into a liquid reservoir and deposit their paper cup into a separate compartment. While paper cups can often be processed with some liquid residue, significant amounts can interfere with recycling, so the reservoir helps separate as much liquid as possible from the paper fibres.

Depending on the capacity of your recycling bin, our cup & liquid apertures may have one or multiple openings for cups to be stacked inside.

Match the Right Recycling Bin to the Right Aperture

Of course, it is not the aperture that decides the recycling bin, but rather the recycling bin that decides the aperture. It’s imperative to choose the most suitable recycling containers for your scheme, taking into account placement, capacity, required waste streams, graphics & signage, and employee engagement.

Once the foundations of your scheme are decided, adding reduced-size apertures to your recycling bins can improve recycling rates, reduce contamination, and save money in the long run. For complex waste management requirements, we’ve found that RSAs are one of the easiest and best ways to boost results from the get-go.

While many of our recycling bins offer a range of apertures for different waste streams, not every bin will offer every option. For more information about compatibility, and to discuss your waste management requirements in more detail, contact our specialist team.