Do you find yourself standing by the recycling bins wondering what to put in? Recycling can be confusing. Paper, for example, is a valuable recyclable material but only when it’s clean. We’ve compiled a list of 15 items that you might not know whether or not to recycle.
15 questionable items:
- Cotton pads and any other hygiene/sanitary products are not recyclable.
- Baking paper and any other stained or greased paper is not recyclable.
- Nail polish and make-up is not recyclable.
- X-ray sheets are not recyclable.
- Pizza boxes are not recyclable.
- Magazines, brochures and catalogues are recyclable.
- Plastic straws are not recyclable. However, paper straws are a great recyclable alternative.
- Sales receipts are not recyclable.
- Plastic gloves are only recycled in designated collections.
- Most light bulbs are not recyclable.
- Scotch tape is not recyclable.
- Cigarette butts are widely recycled in the UK. Simply bin them in the dedicated TerraCycle’s waste mail-in boxes.
- Milk and juice cartons are recyclable, although some cities might have a separate collection for them.
- Sticky notes are not recyclable.
- Envelopes, even those with a window, are recyclable.
Each city council has their own recycling guides, so always double check on their website if you are unsure or put your postcode into.