12 things you (probably) can't put in your recycling bin

A large share of household recycling in the UK arrives at the sorting plant contaminated. Almost all of it is well-intentioned — "wish-cycling", putting something in the recycling because it feels like it should be recyclable. Here are the usual suspects, and their proper homes. (Schemes vary — when in doubt, your council's list wins.)

The fire-starters (never in any bin)

• 1. Batteries — crushed lithium batteries cause hundreds of bin-lorry and sorting-plant fires a year. Supermarkets have battery take-back tubs; some councils collect them in a bag on top of the bin.
• 2. Vapes and disposable e-cigs — same lithium problem, worse packaging. Vape shops and recycling centres take them back.
• 3. Electricals with plugs or cables — small electricals are recyclable, just not kerbside: retailer take-back or the tip.

The contaminators

• 4. Greasy pizza boxes — grease ruins paper pulp. Tear off and recycle the clean lid; the oily base goes in general waste.
• 5. Soft plastics — carrier bags, bread bags, crisp packets, film lids. They jam sorting machinery. Most big supermarkets have front-of-store soft-plastic collection points.
• 6. Polystyrene — technically plastic, practically unrecyclable kerbside. General waste.
• 7. Disposable coffee cups — the plastic lining defeats standard paper recycling. Dedicated cup bins (many cafés) or general waste. The lid is often recyclable; the cup usually isn't.
• 8. Nappies — a depressingly common recycling-bin find. Always general waste.

The "depends on your council" club

• 9. Glass — mixed recycling in some areas, separate box or bottle bank in others.
• 10. Black plastic trays — older sorting machines can't see black plastic; many councils still say no.
• 11. Drink cartons — accepted by some schemes, carton banks elsewhere.
• 12. Shredded paper — fibres too short for some mills; some councils want it bagged, some refuse it entirely (compost it!).

Two rules that cover almost everything

Clean, dry, loose. Rinse the worst off containers, keep recycling out of bin bags (crews can't see inside, so bagged recycling is often rejected), and never force the lid shut.

If in doubt, leave it out. One wrong item can spoil a whole load — general waste is the safer failure mode for anything you're unsure about.