To recycle, or not to recycle (and how) - an A-Z guide

Padded envelopes belong in your REFUSE bin.

Examples: Envelopes lined with bubble wrap (e.g. Jiffy bags)

Hints and Tips: Store envelopes for reuse, it will save you buying your own in the future.

Please see the information on the WasteAware website regarding paint and solvent tins (both empty and full).

Paper (any colour) belongs with your RECYCLING.

Examples: Printer paper and letters.

Please remember: We do not accept paper towels, tissues, napkins, baking paper, wall paper or wrapping paper and greetings cards with foil, embellishments or glitter with your recycling. Paper stained with food, grease, paint, or dirt should be put in your residual bin.

Hints and tips: Put shredded paper into a paper bag or envelope to stop it blowing away.

Facts:

• When you use recycled paper instead of “virgin” paper, you are contributing to saving 7,000 gallons of water per ton of paper produced. You’re also offsetting the 900,000,000 trees per year chopped down to make paper.
• It takes 70% less energy to recycle paper than it does to make it new from raw materials.

Paper towels and tissues belong in your REFUSE bin.

Please Remember: Flushing tissues, paper towels, and other cleaning and sanitary products causes huge issues in our sewerage systems, water filtration process and in our oceans, as they are all full of plastic so don’t break down. This includes ’flushable’ wipes.

Hints and Tips: Did you know you can get reusable cloths to replace kitchen roll?

Parchment and baking paper belongs in your REFUSE bin.

Plastic bags belong in your REFUSE bin.

Examples: Carrier bags, bread bags, mixed salad bags, bags from online clothes orders, fruit/vegetable bags, frozen chip/vegetable bags, and compostable bags.

Please Remember: Carry your reusable bags to use where possible.

Hints and Tips: Plastic bags are a soft plastic, and some major supermarkets now have recycling points for plastic bags and packaging which cannot be recycled at home. Look out for ‘carrier bag collection points’ outside stores. As a general rule, if you can stretch the film, they can recycle it. So why not collect it at home and recycle it next time you shop.

Facts:

• More than 15% of the money we spend on products pays for packaging – most of which goes straight in the bin.
• 8 million tonnes of the world’s plastics end up in our oceans each year, creating a garbage patch three times the size of France.
• Plastics from items such as carrier bags and bottles that end up in our oceans kill around 1,000,000 sea creatures every year.
• Plastic rubbish in the British countryside kills thousands of land animals every year.

Plastic drink bottles belong with your RECYCLING.

Examples: Fruit juice, squash, or fizzy drink bottles.

Please Remember: Left-over liquid or food residue can contaminate other recyclables so please empty and rinse your containers. It does not need to be spotless, a quick rinse will do. Please remove plastic film and place in the general rubbish bin. Lids and labels can be left on. Save space by squashing bottles.

Hints and Tips: Please remember your reusables when you go out, you can find local Refill Stations on the refill app.

Facts:

• Plastic rubbish in the British countryside kills thousands of land animals every year.
• Enough plastic bottles are tossed each year to circle the planet five times.
• Recycling a single plastic bottle will save enough energy to power a lightbulb for three hours or more.
• More than 15% of the money we spend on products pays for packaging – most of which goes straight in the bin.
• 8 million tonnes of the world’s plastics end up in our oceans each year, creating a garbage patch three times the size of France.

Plastic film belongs in your REFUSE bin.

Examples: Film lids from microwavable meals and clingfilm

Please Remember: Left-over liquid or food residue can contaminate other recyclables so please empty your containers. It does not need to be spotless, a quick rinse will do.

Hints and Tips: Swap clingfilm for wax wraps and reusable tubs. Purchase a microwavable container, and fill it with home cooked food that you can microwave at work or on the go.

Plastic film is a soft plastic which cannot be recycled at home.

Fact:

• Plastic rubbish in the British countryside kills thousands of land animals every year.
• 8 million tonnes of the world’s plastics end up in our oceans each year, creating a garbage patch three times the size of France.
• Plastics from items such as carrier bags and bottles that end up in our oceans kill around 1,000,000 sea creatures every year.

Plastic pots, tubs, trays and punnets belong with your RECYCLING.

Examples: Soup or yoghurt pots, meat or fruit/veg trays (including black ones), margarine and plastic ice-cream tubs (cardboard ice cream tubs cannot be recycled).

Please Remember: Left-over liquid or food residue can contaminate other recyclables so please empty your containers. It does not need to be spotless, a quick rinse will do. Firm lids can be recycled, plastic film (and soft plastic which can be scrunched) goes in your refuse bin.

Hints and Tips: Try to buy fruit, veg, and meat without packaging where possible, take your own containers to farmers markets, butcher, and deli counters.

Fact:

• Plastic rubbish in the British countryside kills thousands of land animals every year.
• More than 15% of the money we spend on products pays for packaging – most of which goes straight in the bin.
• 8 million tonnes of the world’s plastics end up in our oceans each year, creating a garbage patch three times the size of France.

Plastic toiletries and bathroom bottles belong with your RECYCLING.

Examples: Shampoo, shower gel, soap dispenser bottles.

Please remember: Check they are empty first as left-over liquid can make other recyclables dirty.
Lids and labels can be left on.

Hints and Tips: Try putting a bag or bin in the bathroom to remind you to recycle your bathroom bottles and toilet roll tubes. Some shops now sell ‘refillable’ toiletries, or why not use shampoo/soap/conditioner bars instead?

Fact:

• More than 15% of the money we spend on products pays for packaging – most of which goes straight in the bin.
• 8 million tonnes of the world’s plastics end up in our oceans each year, creating a garbage patch three times the size of France.
• Only 50% of recyclables from the bathroom are actually recycled.

Polystyrene belongs in your REFUSE bin.

Examples: Polystyrene coffee cups or packaging.

Hints and Tips: Remember your reusables!! Use a mug/reusable coffee cup where you can.

Fact: It takes Styrofoam over 500 years to decompose.