Can you recycle food and drink cartons (tetra pak)?
Cartons are a fibre-plastic-foil composite and historically only some councils collected them. Under England's Simpler Recycling rules they became a core kerbside material from 31 March 2026, collected with plastics and metals rather than paper, but rollout is still bedding in and rules differ in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland — so check your council. Rinse, squash, and push straws inside; replace plastic caps.
Tips
- Rinse and squash to save space
- Put the cap back on — loose caps get lost in sorting
- No kerbside option? Look for a carton bank at your recycling centre
Which bin does it go in?
Recycling bin in most of England from 2026; carton banks elsewhere Exact rules depend on your council — check its website or look up your postcode below.
Councils can use different containers and accepted-item lists.
Background: The 10 recycling mistakes that ruin lorry-loads.
Also searched as: tetra pak, juice boxes, milk cartons, soup cartons.
✓ Checked against current UK guidance: 14 Jul 2026. Spot an error or an out-of-date rule?