A binman has warned households against placing carrier bags in recycling bins, as most councils do not accept them. Getting it wrong could mean your wheelie bin is left uncollected or you could face a fine.
Which bin should carrier bags go in?
Binman Ashley, who posts on social media as No1 Binman, said every council has different rules, but most do not accept carrier bags in recycling bins. He advised: "They should go to supermarkets if you want to recycle them. Reuse them, and when they rip, take them to the shops; they'll have a bin for them. They do not go in your recycling bin; that should be loose [waste], not in plastic bags."
Ashley added: "Some councils may allow clear bags, but check with your council because most will say no." For home disposal, he said: "All sorts of bags can go in your general waste bin. Not in your food waste bin, unless your council says you can."
What plastic bags can be recycled?
Recycle Now says plastic bags and wrapping can be recycled at household recycling points, typically at supermarkets. All plastic bags, except biodegradable or compostable varieties, can be taken to carrier bag collection facilities. Other recyclable items include bread bags, breakfast cereal liners, delivery bags, dry cleaning bags, frozen food bags, magazine and newspaper wrappers, multi-pack wrapping, plastic marked as low-density polyethylene (LDPE) with resin ID code 4, toilet roll wrapping, fruit and vegetable nets, and coffee pouches.
How to recycle plastic bags
Recycle Now advises recycling clean plastic free from food residue and removing sticky labels where possible. It added: "Compostable and biodegradable bags are not designed to be recycled and if they enter the recycling system can potentially cause quality issues in the recycled material. These should be placed in your home composting bin, if you have one."
