Can you recycle laundry pod tubs and dishwasher tablet wrappers?
Rigid plastic laundry-pod tubs and boxes are kerbside-recyclable once empty. Flexible dishwasher/laundry pouches are soft plastic — supermarket collection points now, kerbside in England by March 2027. The pods themselves and their PVA film dissolve in the wash and are not a waste item; never bin loose pods where children or pets can reach them.
Tips
- Recycle the tub, soft-plastic the pouch
- Some tablet wrappers dissolve — check the pack before unwrapping
Which bin does it go in?
Rigid tubs in recycling; flexible wrapper pouches to soft plastics 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: Plastic numbers 1–7 explained.
Also searched as: detergent tubs, pod containers, tablet wrappers.
✓ Checked against current UK guidance: 14 Jul 2026. Spot an error or an out-of-date rule?