A binman has finally revealed which bin you should be putting your empty crisp packets and chocolate wrappers into. Brits consume more than eight billion packets of crisps every year, according to Statista. This staggering figure is expected to rise to over 11 billion a year by 2030 - that's more than 30 million packets every single day. The UK also ranks amongst the top five chocolate-consuming nations in the world, meaning we're getting through an eye-watering number of chocolate wrappers as well.
Recycling Challenges for Soft Plastics
Despite considerable advances in food packaging recycling across the UK in recent years, there remains no simple solution for recycling crisp and chocolate wrappers. Crisp and chocolate packets often contain multiple layers and are made from polypropylene or polyethylene with an aluminium coating. These are materials commonly referred to as 'soft plastics'. The ability to recycle this type of material at scale remains severely limited, despite most local councils now offering collections for hard plastics.
Environmental charity WRAP said: 'There is still change that needs to take place for widespread roll-out of recycling collections at kerbside for plastic bags and wrappings.' Recycling regulations vary considerably between councils across the UK, with some able to collect soft plastics for recycling. It is always worth checking precisely what your local council will and won't accept.
Advice from The No1 Binman
Britain's most recognisable refuse collector, who posts under the name The No1 Binman on TikTok where he shares guidance with over 177,000 followers, has now clarified what should be done with crisp and chocolate packets. 'They do not go in any of your recycling bins,' says The No1 Binman, whose real name is Ashley. 'A crisp packet, yes it can be recycled but you need to take it [to a supermarket]. Most supermarkets take them. And I know that means going to the supermarket with empty crisp packets to put them in their bins but if you're asking the question of where they get recycled - that is where. Otherwise, you can put them in your general waste bin and they will get collected there. But if you're looking to recycle crisp packets, then it goes in the bins in the supermarket. It's the same for chocolate wrappers, because it's such a thin plastic and made from different materials.'
Historical Context and Environmental Impact
Back in 2023, the BBC revealed how crisp packets dating back to the 1960s were discovered washed up on a Norfolk beach, serving as a stark reminder of precisely how long plastics last. Amongst the finds were packets of Golden Wonder crisps, bearing a price tag of 5d, together with 2d Spangles sweets.
