Can you recycle nail varnish bottles?

Nail polish bottles almost always contain residue that cannot practically be removed, and the polish itself is solvent-based, so the bottles go in general waste with the lid on. Completely empty, clean bottles are theoretically glass but sorting facilities treat them as contaminated. Unwanted usable polish can be donated or offered locally; large amounts of liquid polish/remover count as household hazardous chemicals — ask your recycling centre.

Tips

• Leave the lid on to contain residue
• Let unwanted polish dry out before binning bottles

Which bin does it go in?

General waste — the residue can't be cleaned out

Before throwing it away, see reuse, repair and donation routes.

Background: The 10 recycling mistakes that ruin lorry-loads.

Also searched as: nail polish bottles, varnish.