What to do with “non- recyclable” items

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

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

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

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”

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

Composite materials that can’t be separated

Terracycle recycling points