Can you recycle pots, pans and baking trays?
Saucepans, frying pans and metal baking trays are not packaging, so they don't belong in kerbside recycling — but they're valuable scrap. Take them to the scrap-metal skip at your household waste recycling centre (non-stick coating and plastic handles are fine there). Usable cookware is welcomed by charity shops and refugee/starter-home charities.
Tips
- Charity shops take usable pans
- Non-stick coating doesn't matter for scrap
- Some councils collect small metal items kerbside — check the A-Z
Which bin does it go in?
Scrap-metal skip at the recycling centre; donate if usable
🏭 Find the nearest suitable location
Check booking, proof-of-address and vehicle rules before travelling.
Background: Recycling symbols explained.
Also searched as: saucepans, frying pans, woks, baking trays.
✓ Checked against current UK guidance: 14 Jul 2026. Spot an error or an out-of-date rule?