Can you recycle…?
249 everyday items, answered for UK households. Green = kerbside, amber = depends on your council, red = general waste or special disposal.
Paper & cardPlasticsGlassMetalsElectricalsBatteriesTextiles & shoesFood & gardenHazardousFurniture & bulkyBathroomKitchenGarage & DIYGardenKids & babyEverything else
Paper & card 30
Baking paper and greaseproof paper🚫 Not recyclable
Books💚 Reuse or donate
Brown kraft paper♻️ Yes — kerbside recycling
Calendars & diaries♻️ Yes — kerbside recycling
Cardboard boxes♻️ Yes — kerbside recycling
Cereal boxes♻️ Yes — kerbside recycling
Confetti🚫 Not recyclable
Disposable coffee cups🔄 Specialist take-back
Egg boxes (cardboard)♻️ Yes — kerbside recycling
Envelopes with plastic windows♻️ Yes — kerbside recycling
Food and drink cartons (Tetra Pak)📍 Check locally
Glitter cards and glittery paper🚫 Not recyclable
Greeting cards♻️ Yes — kerbside recycling
Laminated paper and documents🚫 Not recyclable
Magazines and catalogues♻️ Yes — kerbside recycling
Newspapers♻️ Yes — kerbside recycling
Padded envelopes and jiffy bags🚫 Not recyclable
Paper bags♻️ Yes — kerbside recycling
Paper plates and bowls🚫 Not recyclable
Paper till rolls and non-thermal paper♻️ Yes — kerbside recycling
Photographs🚫 Not recyclable
Pizza boxes♻️ Yes — kerbside recycling
Postage stamps💚 Reuse or donate
Receipts🚫 Not recyclable
Shredded paper📍 Check locally
Tissues and kitchen roll🚫 Not recyclable
Toilet roll and kitchen roll tubes♻️ Yes — kerbside recycling
Used postage stamps🔄 Specialist take-back
Wallpaper🚫 Not recyclable
Wrapping paper📍 Check locally
Plastics 38
Bin bags and refuse sacks🚫 Not recyclable
Black plastic trays📍 Check locally
Bleach and cleaning chemical bottles♻️ Yes — kerbside recycling
Bread bags📍 Check locally
Bubble wrap📍 Check locally
CD and DVD cases📍 Check locally
Compostable and biodegradable plastics🚫 Not recyclable
Cotton buds🚫 Not recyclable
Crisp packets📍 Check locally
Disposable gloves🚫 Not recyclable
Disposable plastic cutlery🚫 Not recyclable
Food and drink pouches📍 Check locally
Fruit and veg nets🚫 Not recyclable
Laundry pod tubs and dishwasher tablet wrappers📍 Check locally
Margarine and ice cream tubs♻️ Yes — kerbside recycling
Medicine blister packs🔄 Specialist take-back
Pet food pouches and sachets📍 Check locally
Plastic bottle tops and lids♻️ Yes — kerbside recycling
Plastic buckets, bowls and crates🏭 Recycling centre
Plastic carrier bags📍 Check locally
Plastic coat hangers💚 Reuse or donate
Plastic drinks bottles♻️ Yes — kerbside recycling
Plastic film and cling film📍 Check locally
Plastic food trays♻️ Yes — kerbside recycling
Plastic medicine bottles♻️ Yes — kerbside recycling
Plastic milk bottles♻️ Yes — kerbside recycling
Plastic parcel bags & mailers📍 Check locally
Plastic plant pots📍 Check locally
Plastic straws🚫 Not recyclable
Plastic toys💚 Reuse or donate
Polystyrene🚫 Not recyclable
Pump dispenser tops🚫 Not recyclable
Shampoo and shower gel bottles♻️ Yes — kerbside recycling
Sweet and chocolate wrappers📍 Check locally
Toothbrushes🚫 Not recyclable
Toothpaste tubes📍 Check locally
Trigger spray bottles♻️ Yes — kerbside recycling
Yoghurt pots♻️ Yes — kerbside recycling
Glass 12
Baby food jars♻️ Yes — kerbside recycling
Broken glass📍 Check locally
Drinking glasses and tumblers🚫 Not recyclable
Glass bottles♻️ Yes — kerbside recycling
Glass candle jars♻️ Yes — kerbside recycling
Glass from picture frames🚫 Not recyclable
Glass jars♻️ Yes — kerbside recycling
Mirrors🚫 Not recyclable
Nail varnish bottles🚫 Not recyclable
Perfume and aftershave bottles♻️ Yes — kerbside recycling
Pyrex and oven-proof glass dishes🚫 Not recyclable
Window glass🏭 Recycling centre
Metals 14
Aerosol cans♻️ Yes — kerbside recycling
Aluminium foil♻️ Yes — kerbside recycling
Biscuit and sweet tins♻️ Yes — kerbside recycling
Drinks cans♻️ Yes — kerbside recycling
Foil trays and takeaway containers♻️ Yes — kerbside recycling
Food tins♻️ Yes — kerbside recycling
General scrap metal🏭 Recycling centre
Metal cutlery💚 Reuse or donate
Metal jar lids and bottle caps♻️ Yes — kerbside recycling
Metal tubes (tomato purée, hand cream)📍 Check locally
Old keys🏭 Recycling centre
Pots, pans and baking trays🏭 Recycling centre
Radiators and towel rails🏭 Recycling centre
Wire coat hangers💚 Reuse or donate
Electricals 34
Cables, chargers and plugs🏭 Recycling centre
Cookers & ovens🏭 Recycling centre
Dehumidifiers & fans🏭 Recycling centre
Drones & RC toys🏭 Recycling centre
Electric blankets and heated throws🏭 Recycling centre
Electric toothbrushes and shavers🏭 Recycling centre
Energy-saving CFL bulbs🏭 Recycling centre
Fairy lights and Christmas lights🏭 Recycling centre
Fluorescent tubes🏭 Recycling centre
Fridges and freezers🏭 Recycling centre
Games consoles and controllers💚 Reuse or donate
Hair dryers and straighteners🏭 Recycling centre
Headphones and earbuds🏭 Recycling centre
Incandescent and halogen bulbs🚫 Not recyclable
Kettles and toasters🏭 Recycling centre
LED light bulbs🏭 Recycling centre
LED strips & smart-home gadgets🏭 Recycling centre
Laptops and tablets🔄 Specialist take-back
Lawnmowers and garden power tools🏭 Recycling centre
Microwaves🏭 Recycling centre
Mobile phones🔄 Specialist take-back
Power tools🏭 Recycling centre
Printer ink and toner cartridges🔄 Specialist take-back
Printer ink cartridges🔄 Specialist take-back
Printers and scanners🏭 Recycling centre
Remote controls🏭 Recycling centre
Routers & set-top boxes🔄 Specialist take-back
Small kitchen gadgets (blenders, air fryers)🏭 Recycling centre
Smart watches & fitness trackers🔄 Specialist take-back
Smoke alarms🏭 Recycling centre
Solar panels (domestic)🔄 Specialist take-back
Televisions and monitors🏭 Recycling centre
Vacuum cleaners🏭 Recycling centre
Washing machines and white goods🏭 Recycling centre
Batteries 7
Anything with a hidden battery🔄 Specialist take-back
Button and coin cell batteries🔄 Specialist take-back
Car batteries🏭 Recycling centre
Household batteries (AA, AAA, C, D, 9V)🔄 Specialist take-back
Power banks🔄 Specialist take-back
Rechargeable batteries and power tool packs🔄 Specialist take-back
Vapes and e-cigarettes🔄 Specialist take-back
Textiles & shoes 6
Food & garden 4
Hazardous 18
Antifreeze and brake fluid⚠️ Hazardous — special disposal
Asbestos⚠️ Hazardous — special disposal
Cooking oil and fat🏭 Recycling centre
Disposable BBQs🚫 Not recyclable
Disposable lighters🚫 Not recyclable
Engine oil⚠️ Hazardous — special disposal
Fire blankets & extinguished items🏭 Recycling centre
Fire extinguishers🏭 Recycling centre
Fireworks (unused or dud)⚠️ Hazardous — special disposal
Gas cylinders and canisters🔄 Specialist take-back
Inhalers🔄 Specialist take-back
Medicines (unused or expired)⚠️ Hazardous — special disposal
Mercury thermometers⚠️ Hazardous — special disposal
Paint and paint tins🏭 Recycling centre
Pesticides and weedkiller⚠️ Hazardous — special disposal
Petrol and diesel (old fuel)⚠️ Hazardous — special disposal
Syringes, needles and sharps⚠️ Hazardous — special disposal
White spirit, turps and solvents⚠️ Hazardous — special disposal
Furniture & bulky 8
Bathroom 10
Contact lenses & packaging🔄 Specialist take-back
Cotton wool & pads🚫 Not recyclable
Deodorant & body sprays♻️ Yes — kerbside recycling
Electric toothbrush heads🔄 Specialist take-back
Makeup & cosmetics packaging🔄 Specialist take-back
Razors & blades🚫 Not recyclable
Sanitary products🚫 Not recyclable
Soap & shampoo bar wrappers♻️ Yes — kerbside recycling
Tablet blister packs🔄 Specialist take-back
Wet wipes🚫 Not recyclable
Kitchen 12
Baking trays & oven dishes🏭 Recycling centre
Chopping boards🚫 Not recyclable
Cling film🚫 Not recyclable
Coffee pods🔄 Specialist take-back
Corks🚫 Not recyclable
Crockery, plates & mugs🚫 Not recyclable
Dishwasher & detergent packaging📍 Check locally
Ice cream tubs & takeaway boxes📍 Check locally
Kitchen knives🏭 Recycling centre
Plastic food containers (Tupperware)📍 Check locally
Reusable water bottles & flasks🏭 Recycling centre
Water filter cartridges🔄 Specialist take-back
Garage & DIY 11
Boilers🔄 Specialist take-back
Car parts & number plates🔄 Specialist take-back
Car tyres🔄 Specialist take-back
Empty metal paint tins🏭 Recycling centre
Hand tools💚 Reuse or donate
Loft insulation🏭 Recycling centre
Paint brushes & rollers🚫 Not recyclable
Plasterboard🏭 Recycling centre
Sealant tubes & DIY consumables🚫 Not recyclable
Soil, rubble & bricks🏭 Recycling centre
Wood & timber🏭 Recycling centre
Garden 9
Artificial grass🚫 Not recyclable
BBQ & fire ash🚫 Not recyclable
Ceramic & terracotta pots🚫 Not recyclable
Christmas trees (real)📍 Check locally
Compost bags & seed trays📍 Check locally
Garden hoses🚫 Not recyclable
Garden waste📍 Check locally
Petrol garden machinery🏭 Recycling centre
Solar garden lights🔄 Specialist take-back
Kids & baby 8
Everything else 28
Appliance filters (HEPA, cooker hood, vacuum)🚫 Not recyclable
Balloons🚫 Not recyclable
CDs, DVDs & Blu-rays🔄 Specialist take-back
Candles & wax🚫 Not recyclable
Cat litter & pet waste🚫 Not recyclable
Christmas decorations & tinsel🚫 Not recyclable
Cigarette butts & ash🚫 Not recyclable
Fish tanks & aquariums💚 Reuse or donate
Gift bags, ribbon & bows💚 Reuse or donate
Glasses (spectacles)🔄 Specialist take-back
Hearing aids🔄 Specialist take-back
Hot water bottles🚫 Not recyclable
Musical instruments💚 Reuse or donate
Party decorations & banners🚫 Not recyclable
Pens & markers🔄 Specialist take-back
Pet beds, leads & accessories💚 Reuse or donate
Picture frames💚 Reuse or donate
Rope, string & netting🚫 Not recyclable
Sleeping bags💚 Reuse or donate
Sports balls & equipment💚 Reuse or donate
Suitcases & bags💚 Reuse or donate
Tents & camping gear💚 Reuse or donate
Trophies & medals💚 Reuse or donate
Umbrellas🚫 Not recyclable
VHS & cassette tapes🚫 Not recyclable
Wheelchairs & mobility aids💚 Reuse or donate
X-rays & film🔄 Specialist take-back
Yoga & exercise mats🚫 Not recyclable