A senior cabinet figure says visiting recycling centres was a huge "eye opener" after huge amounts of contaminated nappies and clothes were discovered.

Swale councillors went to Crayford Material Recycling Facility (MRF) in Dartford and Sittingbourne’s Church Marshes transfer station last month.

Rich Lehmann (Green, Boughton and Courtenay) and Elliott Jayes (Swale Independents, Sheppey Central), plus Labour Sheerness' Dolley Wooster and Angela Harrison were among the representatives who carried out the trip so they could see the effects of recycling contamination.

Swale’s environment committee chairman Cllr Lehmann said: “The visit to these sites was definitely an eye opener for myself and my fellow councillors.

“It was amazing to see the waste recycling process from beginning to end where it is prepared to be reused and get a new life as a recycled product.

“But it was also very disappointing to see the quantity of non-recyclable waste coming from our community.

“Nappies, food, black bags and clothes were all present in the loads we saw - sadly this can cause the whole lot to be rejected and incinerated.

“Unfortunately, it just takes a few households putting inappropriate items in their dry recycling for the efforts of others to be wasted.

“Food waste is a particular problem as it spreads and contaminates so much of the dry recycling - we saw wine from a smashed bottle soaking through reams of newspaper which makes it unrecyclable.

“It is incredibly important we recycle correctly. Not only does it help save the environment, but it also makes the waste removal service more financially sustainable."

Crayford's centre is one of the largest recycling facilities in Europe, processing around 330,000 tonnes of recycling per year – including from Swale.

Meanwhile, Kent County Council’s (KCC) Church Marshes transfer station sees waste trucks drop off household waste and recycling materials collected from Swale's residents.

Each waste type is placed in separate areas of the transfer station and then taken to treatment facilities, with dry (blue bin) recycling sent to Crayford.

Yet when food, textiles and sanitary products are put into dry recycling, instead of food cabbies and green bins, it can cause waste to be rejected, incinerated and cause increased carbon emissions.

Swale council is planning to collect food waste weekly from every household, which will soon be required by law, before it is turned into fertilisers.