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  2. Let's Waste Less
  3. Recycle
  4. What to do with “non- recyclable” items
In this sectionRecycle
  • What to put in the green bin
  • Business waste and duty of care
  • Householder's waste and duty of care
  • Composting
  • Myths about waste dispelled
  • A to Z of recycling
  • Your legal obligations
  • Recycling symbols explained
  • What to do with “non- recyclable” items

What to do with “non- recyclable” items

More information on what to do with these items.

Household Plastic Packaging

Item

Reason

What to do with it

Black plastic

 

Optical sorting equipment at MRF cannot recognise the colour

Please dispose of in black/grey bin

 

Crisp wrappers & sweet packets

 

Composite materials that can’t be separated

Terracycle recycling points

 

Cling film & film lids from pots or trays

 

Often made from a type of plastic that cannot be recycled and causes issues with sorting process

Use local supermarket collection points.

 

Laminated pouches (i.e. cat/dog food)

 

Composite materials that can’t be separated

Terracycle recycling points

 

Medicine blister packs

 

 

Composite materials that can’t be separated

Please dispose of in black/grey bin

 

Plastic toys

 

 

Often made of a type of plastic that cannot be recycled and causes issues with sorting process

Take to Household Recycling Centre, charity shop or offer for reuse online

Toothpaste tubes

 

Cannot clean out tubes sufficiently

Please dispose of in black/grey bin.  Cardboard outers can be recycled

Expanded polystyrene

 

 

No viable recycling method

Please dispose of in black/grey bin

 

Plastic bottles containing chemicals

 

Potentially dangerous

Check manufacturer’s instructions

Compostable bags/liners

 

 

Not designed to be recycled

Home composting

Carrier bags/plastic wrapping from bread etc

 

Difficult for hand sorting staff to identify contents & binds up recycling process

Use local supermarket collection points

Bubble wrap

 

Difficult to recycle

Offer for reuse or put in black/grey bin

Household Metal Packaging

Item

Reason

What to do with it

Metal items (i.e. pans, cutlery & pipes)

Sorting equipment not set up to deal with these materials

Take to Household Recycling Centre, charity shop or offer for reuse online

Electrical items (i.e. kettles, irons)

Must be dealt with separately due to various materials

Take to Household Recycling Centre, charity shop or offer for reuse if still working.  Electrical shops offer takeback scheme.

Batteries

Must be dealt with separately due to hazardous materials

Take to Household Recycling Centre or shops for recycling. Do not put in your black or green bin

 

Coffee pods

Composite materials & can’t be separated

Terracycle recycling points

There are also recycling points in part of Wychavon

Laminated pouches (i.e. cat/dog food)

Composite materials & can’t be separated

Terracycle recycling points

 

Crisp packets & sweet wrappers

Composite materials & can’t be separated

Terracycle recycling points

 

Mixed glass bottles and jars

Item

Reason

What to do with it

Glass cookware

Drinking glasses

Glass vases

Ceramics

Mirrors

Window glass

 

Need a different temperature to melt glass down

Take to reuse container at the Household Recycling Centre, charity shop or offer for reuse online. 

 

If broken please put in black/grey bin, but wrapped in newspaper or dispose of in waste to landfill skip at the Household Recycling Centre

Light bulbs & fluorescent tubes

Contain metal and need different temperature to melt glass. May also contain hazardous materials

Take to Household Recycling Centre for recycling

Nail varnish bottles

 

Difficult to remove contents

Please dispose of in black/grey bin

Mixed paper and card

Items

Reason

What to do with it

Shiny or glittery paper & cards

The glitter & foil can cause issues with the recycling process – to check if the paper is recyclable or not do the “scrunch test”.  If the paper springs back when you scrunch it, it cannot be recycled

Avoid buying these types of products.  Otherwise please dispose of in black/grey bin.  Backs of cards with glitter on can be ripped off & recycled or used as note paper

 

Tissues & kitchen roll

Generally contain bodily fluids or food.  Tissue paper is at the end of its life and fibres are too short to knit back together to make paper.  Also, they tend to disintegrate prior to the recycling process

Please dispose of in black/grey bin

Kitchen roll that has not been contaminated with meat/diary i.e. used to wipe up water, can be put into a compost bin

 

Wet wipes

Not designed to be recycled, although some are now being marketed as “biodegradable”, but still not able to recycle/compost

Please dispose of in black/grey bin.  Do not flush down the toilet.  Try using reusable fabric wipes

 

Sanitary products & nappies

Not designed to be recycled as have many layers of plastics/paper

Please dispose of in black/grey bin.  Consider alternatives such as Mooncups, Reusable Menstrual Products or reusable nappies

 

Sticky notes/labels

The sticky stuff prevents the paper from being recycled as it binds the fibres

 

Please dispose of in black/grey bin

Shredded paper

Messy and fibres are cut short so cannot knit back together to make paper.

Put any shredded paper into an envelope or cardboard box.  Use as pet bedding or put into compost bin to add “browns”

 

Cartons

Items

Reason

What to do with it

Laminated plastic food/drink pouches (baby food, cat/dog food)

Composite materials that can’t be separated

Terracycle recycling points

 

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