Most recycling contamination comes from good intentions. Learn exactly what goes where — and why it matters.
Resin Identification Codes
That number inside the triangle on the bottom of every plastic item tells you exactly what it's made of — and whether it can be recycled.
What Goes Where
Common Errors
Most contamination comes from a handful of repeated errors. Fix these and you'll be recycling better than 80% of people.
Putting something in the recycling bin because it might be recyclable. If you're not sure, look it up — or it goes in general waste.
Food residue spreads bacteria and contaminates paper and cardboard in the same load — turning an entire lorry into landfill waste.
Putting recyclables inside a plastic bag and tossing the whole bag in the bin. Sorters can't see inside — the whole bag goes straight to landfill.
Plastic lids, straws, and items smaller than a credit card fall through sorting screens and clog machinery. They're lost to the system.
Shredded paper fibres are too short to be recycled into quality paper and clog air systems at sorting plants. Most facilities reject it.
What's recyclable varies by area. A plastic tub accepted in London may be rejected in Glasgow. The same bin, different outcomes.
Step by Step
Six steps that take under a minute and make your recycling count. Follow these and you'll never second-guess yourself again.
Look for the resin code on the bottom. #1, #2, and #5 are almost universally accepted.
Remove all food and liquids. Even a small amount spreads to everything around it.
Cold water is fine — you're removing residue, not sterilising. 5 seconds is enough.
Boxes take up 5× more space uncrushed. Flat boxes means more fits per collection.
Never bag recyclables. Loose items go directly into the sorting process.
When in doubt, visit your council's website. Rules vary more than people realise.
Quick reference
By Material Type
Water, fizzy drinks, squash, cooking oil. Rinse, replace cap, recycle loose.
Milk, shampoo, bleach, washing-up liquid. Rinse thoroughly before recycling.
Yogurt pots, margarine tubs, deli containers. Rinse and recycle.
Not at kerbside — take clean, dry bags to supermarket drop-off points.
Foam trays, coffee cups, takeaway containers. Find specialist collections.
Carbon black pigment makes them invisible to sorting sensors. General waste.
Flatten completely. Remove all tape, polystyrene inserts, and plastic windows.
Dry and clean only. No need to remove staples — they're removed in the process.
Includes windowed envelopes. Remove plastic wallets and sticky labels where possible.
Rinse, flatten, and check your council accepts them — most now do.
Pizza boxes, greasy chip bags, food-soiled wrappers. Oil ruins the paper fibre.
Too short-fibred and often contaminated. Compost or general waste only.
Wine, beer, spirits. Rinse and recycle — colour-sorted at the plant.
Jam, sauce, condiments. Remove metal lids and recycle them separately.
Different composition — it contaminates bottle glass. Take to specialist sites.
Higher melting point than bottle glass — even a small piece ruins a batch.
Coated glass cannot be recycled in standard glass streams. General waste.
Some areas accept them, most don't. When in doubt, general waste.
Drinks cans. Infinitely recyclable — recycling one saves 95% of production energy.
Food tins, pet food cans. Rinse clean; labels are fine to leave on.
Ball up into at least golf-ball size so it isn't lost in sorting. Clean foil only.
Collect in a steel can and crimp the top over when full, so they don't fall through screens.
Must be fully empty first. If it still sprays, it's hazardous. Check locally for empties.
Take large metal items to your local recycling centre — most accept them free.
Never bin electronics. Take to a WEEE collection point or retailer take-back scheme.
Highly recyclable — take to supermarket or shop battery collection boxes. Never bin.
Charity shops, clothing banks, H&M take-back. Even worn-out items can be recycled into new fabric.
Take to supermarket drop-off points — Sainsbury's, Tesco, Waitrose all accept clean bags.
Never pour down drains or bin. Local council hazardous waste collections only.
Return to any pharmacy — they have licensed disposal. Never bin or flush.
Why It Matters
The numbers behind why getting this right is worth it.
Recycling right is the easiest high-impact action available to anyone. Share this guide — every person who reads it multiplies the effect.