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What to do with “non-recyclable” items

More information on what to do with these items.

Household Plastic Packaging


Item Reason What to do with it

Black plastic

 

 Optical sorting equipment at MRF cannot recognise the colour

Please dispose of in black/grey bin

 

Crisp wrappers & sweet packets

 

 Composite materials that can’t be separated

 

Cling film & film lids from pots or trays

 

 Often made from a type of plastic that cannot be recycled and causes issues with sorting process

Use local supermarket collection points.

 

Laminated pouches (i.e. cat/dog food)

 

 Composite materials that can’t be separated

 

Medicine blister packs

 

 

 Composite materials that can’t be separated

Please dispose of in black/grey bin

 

Plastic toys

 

 

 Often made of a type of plastic that cannot be recycled and causes issues with sorting process Take to Household Recycling Centre, charity shop or offer for reuse online

Toothpaste tubes

 

 Cannot clean out tubes sufficiently Please dispose of in black/grey bin.  Cardboard outers can be recycled

Expanded polystyrene

 

 

 No viable recycling method

Please dispose of in black/grey bin

 

Plastic bottles containing chemicals

 

 Potentially dangerous Check manufacturer’s instructions

Compostable bags/liners

 

 

 Not designed to be recycled Home composting

Carrier bags/plastic wrapping from bread etc

 

 Difficult for hand sorting staff to identify contents & binds up recycling process Use local supermarket collection points

Bubble wrap

 

 Difficult to recycle Offer for reuse or put in black/grey bin

Household Metal Packaging

Item Reason What to do with it
Metal items (i.e. pans, cutlery & pipes) Sorting equipment not set up to deal with these materials Take to Household Recycling Centre, charity shop or offer for reuse online
Electrical items (i.e. kettles, irons) Must be dealt with separately due to various materials Take to Household Recycling Centre, charity shop or offer for reuse if still working.  Electrical shops offer take back scheme.
Batteries Must be dealt with separately due to hazardous materials

Take to Household Recycling Centre or shops for recycling. Do not put in your black or green bin

 
Coffee pods Composite materials & can’t be separated

There are also

Laminated pouches (i.e. cat/dog food) Composite materials & can’t be separated

 
Crisp packets & sweet wrappers Composite materials & can’t be separated

 

Mixed glass bottles and jars

Item Reason What to do with it

Glass cookware

Drinking glasses

Glass vases

Ceramics

Mirrors

Window glass

 

 Need a different temperature to melt glass down

Take to reuse container at the Household Recycling Centre, charity shop or offer for reuse online. 

 

If broken please put in black/grey bin, but wrapped in newspaper or dispose of in waste to landfill skip at the Household Recycling Centre
Light bulbs & fluorescent tubes Contain metal and need different temperature to melt glass. May also contain hazardous materials Take to Household Recycling Centre for recycling

Nail varnish bottles

 

 Difficult to remove contents Please dispose of in black/grey bin

Mixed paper and card

Items Reason What to do with it
Shiny or glittery paper & cards The glitter & foil can cause issues with the recycling process – to check if the paper is recyclable or not do the “scrunch test”.  If the paper springs back when you scrunch it, it cannot be recycled

Avoid buying these types of products.  Otherwise please dispose of in black/grey bin.  Backs of cards with glitter on can be ripped off & recycled or used as note paper

 
Tissues & kitchen roll Generally contain bodily fluids or food.  Tissue paper is at the end of its life and fibres are too short to knit back together to make paper.  Also, they tend to disintegrate prior to the recycling process

Please dispose of in black/grey bin

Kitchen roll that has not been contaminated with meat/diary i.e. used to wipe up water, can be put into a compost bin

 
Wet wipes Not designed to be recycled, although some are now being marketed as “biodegradable”, but still not able to recycle/compost

Please dispose of in black/grey bin.  Do not flush down the toilet.  Try using reusable fabric wipes

 
Sanitary products & nappies Not designed to be recycled as have many layers of plastics/paper

Please dispose of in black/grey bin.  Consider alternatives such as Mooncups, Reusable Menstrual Products or reusable nappies

 
Sticky notes/labels

The sticky stuff prevents the paper from being recycled as it binds the fibres

 

 Please dispose of in black/grey bin
Shredded paper Messy and fibres are cut short so cannot be put back together to make paper.

Put any shredded paper into an envelope or cardboard box.  Use as pet bedding or put into compost bin to add “browns”

 

Cartons

Items Reason What to do with it
Laminated plastic food/drink pouches (baby food, cat/dog food) Composite materials that can’t be separated