You’ve been getting your bins wrong – the most common items that CAN’T be put in your recycling
WITH so many different types of materials going in and out of households, what goes in the recycling bin can get confusing.
But making sure you put only recyclable rubbish in the green recycle bin can have a huge impact on the world.
It comes as the global climate emergency takes centre stage this week as the UK hosts COP26 in Glasgow.
Just one individual or family can have a big difference to the environment by making a small change like recycling household items.
You can look up specifically what can go in your area's green recycling bins .
But here we take a look at 15 commonly-recycled things are not actually suitable for household recycling bins.
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1. Dirty pizza box
You can usually recycle carboard so there can be some confusion when it comes to pizza boxes.
Anything with excess food, drink or ingrained stains like grease cannot be recycled.
This means that unless your pizza box is squeaky clean with no melted cheese, crumbs, tomato or grease stains, it should be put in the general rubbish bin.
2. Plastic shopping bags
There's a reason why most major supermarkets have stopped supplying single-use plastic shopping bag.
The bags take hundreds of years to decompose because the plastic is not biodegradable.
So if you have any plastic shopping bags, you could keep onto them and take them on your next shop.
Otherwise they will have to go in the normal rubbish bin.
3. Takeaway coffee cups
Even though coffee cups look like cardboard, they don't usually belong in the green recycling bin.
Many are made using a combination of paper and plastic to keep heat in and prevent leaking.
Next time, ask your coffee shop if they have a cup recycling scheme otherwise you could invest in a reusable cup.
4. Polystyrene foam
Anything made from polystyrene should not go in the recycling bin as the material is not biodegradable.
All polystyrene should be thrown into the general rubbish bin.
There is not much you can do to avoid this waste other than avoid buying products with polystyrene packaging and using environmentally-friendly alternatives if you need to.
5. Bin bags
Black bin liners should not go in the recycling bins - they can't be recycled.
Even if you use them to gather up your recyclable items, you should not leave them in your green recycling bin as the black pigment apparently affects how the sorting systems at recycling centres work.
Instead, empty out your recycling into the green bin and put the black bin back in the general waste.
6. Aerosol cans
Unlike normal food and drink cans, aerosol cans generally should not be recycled.
Whether they contain whipped cream or hazardous liquid like spray paint, the pressurised air inside the cans makes them difficult to recycle.
This means you should stick to the general bins for aerosol cans.
7. Clothes
While you can recycle a lot of clothes, old towels and bedding, they don't belong in your green recycle bins.
Instead they should be taken to a local thrift store or a shelter if they are in decent condition.
Some clothing brands like Patagonia take old clothes back for reuse - so check online whether that is the case with brands before chucking anything into the general waste.
8. Crisp and sweet packets
Not all crisp and sweet packaging can be recycled, as they may be made of multiple and non-recyclable materials.
Anything that is classed as "multi-layer flexible packaging" can’t be recycled.
If you see this label, don't put it in the green bin.
9. Bubble wrap
While some plastics can be recycled, the particular kind of plastic bubble wrap is made from cannot be.
This is because the thin film can tangle in recycling machines.
Don't put bubble wrap in the green bin but you can think about keeping and reusing it where possible.
10. Scrap wood
Recycling wood is complicated since pieces with any kind of finishing - vanish, wax, paint, wood treatment - cannot be recycled.
Untreated wood may be recyclable but you should still not put it in your green bin.
Instead, you can take it to a wood recycling specialist or contact a .
11. Face masks and PPE
Disposable face coverings should not be put in household recycling.
If you must dispose of a mask, make sure you cut the ear strings off so that small animals won't become tangled in them later down the line.
The best option to reduce this waste, however, is to opt for a reusable mask that you can wash regularly.
12. Pringle cans
Pringles cans cannot be recycled at all as there are so many different materials making up each can, including plastic, metal and cardboard.
Make sure you don't put them in your household green recycling bin.
However, the company does outline options for the cans to be recycled
13. Glittery wrapping paper
Normal wrapping paper can be put in your green recycling bin at home.
However, this can cause confusion as any paper made with foil, glitter or has tape still stuck to it, cannot be put in the green bin.
If there is any ribbon or tape left on normal wrapping paper, make sure you remove it before srunching it up in a ball and putting i t in the recycling.
14. Kitchen roll
Paper towels should not be put in the recycling bin despite many people doing it.
This is because they often have food or other residue on them that can contaminate other recyclables.
Paper towels are also likely to have already been recycled and their fibres are too short to go through the process again.
The carboard tube at the centre of kitchen or toilet roll can be recycled, however.
15. Plastic straws
You should never put plastic straws in the green recycling bins at home.
Even though they are plastic, they are so small that they often fall out of the sorting process.
Plastic straws aren’t for the recycling, even though they’re plastic.
They've now been banned in the UK full stop, and people are urged to use paper alternatives instead.
Elsewhere, the Sun's Green Team reveals top tips on how to save the planet and £1,800 at the same time.
Read More on The Sun
It comes as motor industry experts say drivers will need to pay for every mile they drive to pay for net zero government plans.
Meanwhile, when it comes to combating climate change, we share how small firms are making a mighty difference.
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