The No1 Binman, a waste collection creator with more than 200,000 followers and over 3.8 million likes on TikTok, has shared a quick way for households to work out whether shiny packaging belongs in the recycling bin. In one of his latest videos, a viewer asked what to do with the foil tops from wine bottles, prompting him to explain the so-called scrunch test.
How the scrunch test works
He said: "The foil tops from wine bottles, uh, always wondered about these. Well I'm guessing you probably mean Prosecco bottles because I think that's the only one that has it, or champagne, I don't know if white wine has it, maybe, I'm not a wine expert, but yes, that can go in your plastic recycling bin because it's made of aluminium."
"So the way to tell what it's made of is if you scrunch it up and it stays as a ball, like the foil, then it can go in your plastic bin. If it is like a film, like a silvery shiny film, and it's actually more plastic, that would go in your general waste bin."
What the experts say
His advice broadly matches guidance from Recycle Now and the Aluminium Packaging Recycling Organisation, which both recommend scrunching shiny packaging into a ball. If it stays scrunched, it is likely to be aluminium foil; if it springs back, it is more likely to be metallised plastic film, which is not usually accepted in household recycling.
The binman added: "So best thing, if it's scrunched into a ball, if it stays as a ball recycling bin, if it goes back to the shape it was originally, and then it'll go in your general waste bin because it's mainly a filmy plastic, which cannot be recycled in your household waste bin. So hopefully that answers your question and enjoy your bottle of wine."
Local rules apply
One important detail is that aluminium belongs in the metal recycling stream, not a plastic-only stream, although some councils collect metal and plastic together in the same container. Recycle Now says screw-top wine bottle lids can be recycled, while Wales Recycles advises leaving aluminium screw-top lids on bottles and jars for recycling.
Households should check their council's guidance, clean foil before recycling it and keep metallised plastic pouches or wrappers out of the recycling bin. The scrunch test can help identify the material, but local collection rules determine where it should go.
