Can you recycle paper plates and bowls?

Used paper plates are food-contaminated and usually plastic-coated, so they go in general waste. 'Compostable' bagasse or palm-leaf plates cannot go in kerbside food or garden waste in most areas because council composting doesn't accept them — they also end up in general waste unless a venue has commercial composting. Unused plain paper plates could be recycled, but realistically this never applies.

Tips

• Bagasse plates can be broken up into a home compost bin
• Washable picnic sets avoid the issue

Which bin does it go in?

General waste (compostable ones only in commercial composting, not kerbside)

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

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

Also searched as: disposable plates, party plates, compostable plates.