Despite decades of recycling awareness campaigns, England's household recycling rate remains stagnant at 43.7%, with recyclable materials still ending up in landfills due to contamination and widespread recycling errors. Numerous everyday items appear recyclable but actually belong in your general waste bin, according to specialists.
Waste management professionals are encouraging households to reconsider what they place in their recycling bins under the new bin regulations, in a bid to boost recycling rates and minimise contamination. From till receipts to food packaging, here are 10 common household items you're likely placing in the wrong bin — and what you ought to do instead.
1. Receipts
Graham Flynn, waste management expert and managing director of Anenta, said: "Many people assume receipts can be recycled with other paper, but most till receipts are printed on thermal paper, which contains chemicals that make them unsuitable for standard paper recycling." Instead, dispose of them in your general waste. If you're uncertain, receipts with a shiny coating are typically thermal paper.
2. Pringles tubes
Despite their cardboard appearance, Pringles tubes are constructed from multiple layers of cardboard, plastic, and metal that are difficult to separate during the recycling process. The expert said: "Check whether your local authority accepts them or whether there is a specialist recycling scheme in your area. Otherwise, they should go in your general waste. In some areas, you may be able to recycle the lids, so it's worth checking this as well."
3. Wrapping paper
Not all wrapping paper can be recycled, particularly varieties featuring glitter, foil finishes and metallic coatings. A useful test is to scrunch the paper into a ball — if it holds its shape, it's more likely to be suitable for recycling. Foil, glitter and laminated paper should be placed in your general waste bin.
4. Disposable coffee cups
The expert said: "Despite looking like paper cups, most takeaway coffee cups contain a plastic lining that prevents them from being recycled through standard household collections. Use dedicated coffee cup recycling points where available or switch to a reusable cup."
5. Black plastic food trays
Black plastic food trays used for ready meals and takeaways can still be difficult for some recycling facilities to identify using "optical sorting equipment", according to the expert. This means they are not accepted everywhere. Check your local council's guidance before placing them in your recycling bin.
6. Crisp packets
The waste management expert said: "Crisp packets and sweet wrappers are made from layers of plastic and foil that cannot usually be recycled through household collections. Take them to supermarket soft plastic recycling points where they are accepted."
7. Toothpaste tubes
The majority of toothpaste tubes comprise a combination of plastic and aluminium, which makes them problematic to recycle via kerbside collections. Instead, seek out specialist collection points at retailers or dental surgeries, or opt for brands that provide recyclable packaging.
8. Tea bags
While they appear to be made of paper, certain tea bags contain trace amounts of plastic used to bind the bag together, rendering them unsuitable for composting. It's worth checking whether your preferred tea bag brand uses plastic-free alternatives. Plastic-free varieties can ordinarily be composted alongside the tea leaves.
9. Garden hoses
The expert said: "Garden hoses may be made from plastic, but they are not suitable for household recycling because they are manufactured from durable mixed plastics that cannot be processed alongside everyday plastic packaging." Should your hose remain functional, consider passing it on or finding an alternative use for it in the garden. If it's reached the end of its useful life, check whether your nearest household recycling centre will accept it, or dispose of it via your general waste if no recycling option is available.
10. Wet wipes
The expert said: "Many people assume wet wipes can be recycled because they look and feel like paper. In reality, the vast majority contain plastic fibres, meaning they cannot be recycled and should never be placed in your recycling bin. As well as contaminating recycling collections, wet wipes are one of the biggest causes of sewer blockages when they are flushed down the toilet, even if they are labelled as flushable." Rather than flushing them or placing them in the recycling bin, used wet wipes should always be disposed of in your general waste.
