What goes in which bin

Air freshener cartridges can’t be recycled in your blue bin, but you can recycle them with TerraCycle. Save up your used cartridges and post using pre-paid labels, or take them to a collection point. Find out more about the TerraCycle Air, Home and Laundry Care Recycling Programme.

You can also recycle car air fresheners (except plug-ins) with this programme.

Alternative options

If you can't access a Terracycle collection point, air freshener cartridges should be put in your black bin.

Allow to completely cool and then bag it and put in your black bin. It must be bagged or it will blow out when the bin is emptied, and can cause eye injuries for our bin collectors. Similarly, dust from vacuum cleaners or sweeping should also be bagged.

These can’t be recycled in your blue bin, but many supermarkets now accept soft plastic packaging, including clean baby food pouches, in their in-store recycling bins. You can find soft plastic recycling locations on Recycle Now.

Alternative options

If you cannot take them to supermarkets, place baby food pouches in the black bin.

You can post Babybel packaging to Terracycle for recycling using pre-paid labels, or take to drop-off points. Find out more about the Babybel Recycling Programme.

Alternative options

If you cannot access a Terracycle collection point, Babybel packaging can go in your black bin.

Biscuit, cracker and cake wrappers with a shiny foil-like layer on the inside or outside can’t be put in your blue bin but they can now be recycled at some shops which accept soft plastic packaging in their in-store recycling bins. You can find local soft plastic recycling locations at Recycle Now.

You can also recycle these with Terracycle via the pladis Biscuits And Snacks Recycling Programme.

Alternative options

Plastic wrappers that do not have a shiny foil-like layer on the inside or outside can be included in your blue bin.

Biscuit, cracker and cake wrappers with a shiny foil-like layer on the inside or outside can’t be put in your blue bin, so if you can’t take them to a collection point put them in your black bin.

We recommend using bin liners for black bin rubbish because it helps to prevent small or lightweight items blowing out and becoming litter when the bin is emptied. You must bag ash or vacuum dust to prevent eye injuries for our crews.

However, you can avoid having to buy as many new bin liners by:

• Reducing the amount of rubbish you generate so that you don't need to empty the bins in your house as often (see our Reducing Waste pages for ideas on how)
• Saving suitable bags to re-use as bin liners, for example from online delivery packaging on larger items, or things you might buy in large sacks like dry pet food.

Alternative options

Please do not put black bags in your other bins. Even if a black sack contains recycling your blue bin may not be emptied if it contains one since we cannot see what is inside. Please put recycling into your blue bin loose.

Empty black sacks - Unfortunately sorting equipment at the Materials Recycling Facility where items from blue bins are sent cannot detect the colour black and therefore black items can not be recycled. This is an issue across the UK and work is being done to find a solution. See more information about black plastic recyclability issues.

These are made of mixed materials, usually plastic and foil firmly glued together or sometimes plastic and paper, so are not easy to recycle.

Alternative options

You can recycle small amounts (i.e. from your own household) of empty blister pill packets at Boots stores with their Recycle at Boots scheme. You can scan the items and get Boots Advantage points.

Large pieces of broken bottles and jars only can be put into your blue bin. Please put smaller shards into another jar with its lid on (or bag them and put them in your black bin) - this is to prevent them blowing out as the bin is emptied, which could be dangerous for staff.

Alternative options

Any other type of broken glass such as wine glasses or tumblers, windows, mirrors, picture frames should be carefully bagged and put in your black bin.

Small fragments of broken bottles and jars should also be wrapped (for example, in newspaper), bagged and put in the black bin, unless they can be contained in another jar.

If in good condition, donate to a charity shop or pass on via networks such as Freegle or Gumtree.

Alternative options

Many hard plastic items can be recycled at the Household Recycling Centres near Milton and Thriplow. More information can be found on Cambridgeshire County Council’s website.

If you are unable to take it to a household recycling centre, you can put it in your black bin.

A minority of butter wrappers are made from thin greaseproof paper. These can be added to your green bin. Please check it is paper with no plastic or foil content first by trying to tear it - if it tears easily with no stretching, and is not shiny, it is paper. If you are not sure please put it in your black bin.

Alternative options

Cardboard butter or fat boxes (e.g. Lurpak butterbox, Trex) have a thin layer of plastic but if wiped completely clean these can be put in the blue bin for recycling.

It is very important that no fat or grease remains on them, so if they can not be cleaned please put them in the black bin.

Most butter wrappers are made from a mixture of paper, plastic and aluminum. They are not suitable for recycling or composting.

For temporary or short-term uses, look for re-usable cable ties. These are exactly like disposable ones but they have a tab you can press down on to undo the tie instead of having to cut it.

Velcro cable ties are also available which are slightly different but may be more appropriate for some uses.

Alternative options

Metal cable ties are available, which can be recycled with scrap metal at Household Recycling Centres after use.

Plastic cable ties are made of nylon and are too small to be recycled effectively, they must be put in the black bin. Biodegradable cable ties are available – these should also be disposed of in the black bin.

You can re-use your old candles by melting them down and adding new wicks.

Alternative options

Old candles are not collected for recycling. Please put them in your black bin.

Sturdy cardboard boxes are often in demand for moving house. Pass them on to others via Facebook or Gumtree. Large sheets of cardboard can be used by gardeners along with mulch to kill grass or weeds when preparing new areas for planting.

Alternative options

All types of clean and dry cardboard are accepted in the blue bin. Please break down and flatten large boxes.

Small quantities of wet or very greasy cardboard or paper (for example, from fish and chips or pizza) can be put in your green bin to be composted. If it is put in the blue bin it will break up and stick to other items, and will not be recycled.

Do not put cardboard suitable for recycling via the blue bin in your green bin. If you do not have enough space in your blue bin, find out what to do with extra recycling.

Laminated cardboard for example, sandwich packets contains plastic. This can be put in your blue bin if it is clean, but if it has food on it it must go in your black bin as it is not suitable for composting.

Please bag securely and put in black bin. Loose cat litter can be hazardous to our crews when emptying the bin.

Do not put cat litter (even if it's marked biodegradable) in your green bin as it can be hazardous during processing.

If in good condition, donate to a charity shop or pass on via networks such as Freegle or Gumtree.

Alternative options

If you save up broken crockery until you are visiting a Household Recycling Centre it can be put in the hardcore skip. 

Household Recycling Centres are near Milton and Thriplow. More information can be found on Cambridgeshire County Council’s website. 

Never put crockery into a glass bottle bank or your blue bin. It is very damaging in the glass recycling process.

Did you know most chewing gum contains plastic? It's therefore not food waste, and must go in the black bin.

Paper, foil, or plain plastic (without a shiny foil layer) wrappers can be put in your blue bin. Please save up small pieces of foil and scrunch into a larger ball to aid recycling.

Alternative options

Plastic chocolate wrappers and chocolate or sweet pouches with a shiny foil-like layer on the inside or outside can’t be put in your blue bin, but they can now be recycled at some shops in their soft plastic recycling bins. You can find local soft plastic recycling locations on Recycle Now.

Plastic chocolate wrappers and chocolate or sweet pouches with a shiny foil-like layer on the inside or outside can’t be put in your blue bin, so if you can’t drop them off at a collection point please put them in your black bin.

Choose reusable crackers. You can find cardboard and fabric reusable crackers online, with or without snaps (a great option if you have nervous pets). You can add your own reusable fabric party hats, a joke, chocolate coins or a small gift chosen for each person.

Alternative options

Unembellished cardboard cracker parts can be put in your blue bin. No metallic card, glitter, ribbons or wire decorations.

Ribbons, glittery, metallic or plastic parts from crackers can not be recycled, and can cause problems in the recycling process for the card parts.

Any unwanted gifts from inside which are not suitable to re-use or donate to charity.

Tissue paper hats can not be recycled, but can be composted in the green bin.

Think carefully before buying decorations. Do you need more? Can you store it? Will it last a long time? Can it be repaired or recycled at the end of its life? Will you love it forever or does it just fit in with this year's fad? 

Alternative options

Pass on any unwanted decorations in good condition to others via Facebook, Freegle, Gumtree or Freecycle, or donate to charity shops (preferably just before Christmas, so they can be sold on quickly).

Natural decorations like holly, mistletoe and poinsettias (without the pot) can be put in the green bin. Remove ribbons from natural wreaths and check for florists wire. Paper chains can be composted if they are not glittery or metallic (the paper parts are too small to be sorted for recycling correctly).

Tinsel, baubles and other plastic decorations can not be recycled.

Wreaths or other natural decorations containing florists wire, ribbons or other plastic or metal embellishments that are hard to remove should be put in the black bin.

If in good condition, donate to a charity shop or pass on via networks such as Freegle or Gumtree.

Alternative options

Dismantle so that the bin lid closes properly.

Household Recycling Centres are near Milton and Thriplow. More information can be found on Cambridgeshire County Council’s website. We also collect bulky goods for a fee. You can find out the costs and book a collection on our bulky waste collection page.

Cigarette filters contain plastic and should never be discarded on the ground; you could be fined for littering.

Peel off lids on jars tend to be made of a mixture of materials, such as plastic and foil or plastic and paper, and are therefore not recyclable.

Keep a set of metal cutlery and a reusable coffee cup in your bag when out and about so you can refuse single-use items.

If you are choosing cups or cutlery for an event, the best option is to use reusable items and wash them up (or use a glass hire or Party Kit service).

The best disposable options are ordinary plastic cups, which can be recycled in mixed recycling bins; cheap plain paper plates without a design (more expensive or decorative ones have a plastic lamination) which can be composted, and wooden cutlery which can also be composted. You can find out more about planning for low-waste events in our Waste-Less Event Guide.

Packaging can be avoided in some cases by buying products loose from local refill shops (for example, crisps). 

Alternative options

Compostable or biodegradable 'plastic' corn starch caddy liners (for example, BioBag), bio-plastic cups (or compostable paper cups, which have a layer of bio-plastic) and cutlery (for example, Vegware or Edenware), and other compostable plastic packaging (for example, Two Farmers crisp packets, Riverford salad bags and some magazine sleeves) cannot be accepted in the green bins, even if they are EN13432 certified or display the compostable seedling logo, as they do not compost quickly enough for our fast composting process. 

These items will have the opportunity to break down to some extent when placed in the black bin, since all material undergoes biological processing before being landfilled.

Please use only newspaper or 100% paper caddy liners for food waste in your green bin. You can also put food waste in your green bin loose.

You can find out more about why bio-plastics are tricky to deal with from City to Sea.

Contact lenses and their packaging are not suitable for recycling in kerbside collections. Please put them in your black bin if you cannot take them to a Terracycle drop-off point.

If you have a home compost heap or bin you can add small amounts of used vegetable or sunflower oil to it. 

Kitchen paper with cooking oil on it can be put in your green bin (or home compost bin).

Alternative options

Larger amounts of oil can be allowed to cool, poured into a bottle and take to a Household Recycling Centre where it can be poured into a recycling tank to generate energy. 

If can't get to a Household Recycling Centre, allow to cool, pour into a plastic bottle, seal and put into your black bin.

Synthetic/plastic corks need to be put into your main black bin.

Although cotton wool is technically compostable, some of the products it is used to remove are not suitable for composting. Some make-up remover pads may also contain plastic. Please dispose of in your black bin.

These can’t be recycled in your blue bin, but they can now be recycled at some shops which accept soft plastic packaging, including crisp and snack packets, in their in-store recycling bins. You can find local soft plastic recycling locations at Recycle Now.

You can also recycle with Terracycle in their Crisp Packet Recycling Scheme.

Alternative options

Crisp packets can't be recycled via the blue bin so must be put in the black bin if you cannot drop them off at a specialist recycling point.

Crisp tubes can not be recycled in your blue bin, but Pringles tubes can be recycled via Terracycle. Find your nearest collection point for the Pringles Can Recycling Programme. Please note that other brands are not accepted.

Alternative options

If you cannot take them to a Terracycle collection point, put crisp tubes in your black bin. 

The plastic lid can be put in the blue bin but the tube itself is made of layers of plastic, foil and card and cannot be recycled. It is possible to remove the metal bottom of the tube with a tin opener, the metal can then be put in your blue bin. The remainder should be put in the black bin.

Keep a set of cutlery in your bag, or pack some if you're heading out for the day and planning to eat on-the-go.

If you need extra cutlery for a special event, pick up a few extras at a charity shop and donate back afterwards, or hire some. Check out Party Kit Network for hire of plates, cutlery etc for children's parties.

Alternative options

Disposable wooden cutlery can be put in your green bin for composting.

Single-use plastic cutlery is no longer sold in the UK, but if you still have some to dispose of it needs to go in your black bin as it is not recyclable. 'Compostable' plastic cutlery must also be put in the black bin as it is not suitable for our green bin composting process or for home composting.

Disposable nappies cannot be recycled. Consider using re-usable nappies - modern styles are easy to use and wash.

Alternative options

Black bin items go through a mechanical and biological sorting process before going to landfill. Find out more on RECAP's website. 

Always empty your vacuum cleaner into a bag before placing this into your black bin. It can be a plastic bin liner or a paper sack. Loose dust or ash can blow out of the bin when it is being emptied and cause eye injuries for bin collection staff. 

Dunelm accept clean duvets and pillows in their in-store Textile Take-Back Scheme, along with a wide range of other textiles including bath mats and curtains.

The items are either re-used if suitable or recycled.

Duvets and pillows are NOT accepted in ordinary textile banks.

Alternative options

Black bin items go through a mechanical and biological sorting process before going to landfill. Find out more on RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page. 

If you don't have space in your black bin, take to Household Recycling Centres near Milton and Thriplow for disposal. More information can be found on Cambridgeshire County Council’s website. We also collect bulky goods for a fee. You can find out the costs and book a collection via our bulky waste web page.

Please bag securely and put in black bin. Loose cat litter or dog poo can be hazardous to our crews when emptying the bin.

Do not put cat or dog faeces in your green bin as it can be hazardous during processing.

Clean foil, including foil trays from takeaways or ready-meals can be put in your blue bin. If possible please save up small pieces of foil and scrunch into a tennis-ball sized ball before putting in the bin - this is because very small items can get lost throughout the sorting process, and this will help ensure they can be recycled effectively.

Alternative options

If foil is just too dirty to wash (burnt-on greasy food etc) it is not suitable for recycling. Please put it in the black bin.

These can be recycled with scrap metals at Household Recycling Centres near Milton and Thriplow. More information can be found on Cambridgeshire County Council’s website. 

Alternative options

Black bin items go through a mechanical and biological sorting process before going to landfill. Find out more on RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page. 

Do you need to use a gift tag? If you are seeing the person you a giving to, maybe not. For family members you could use reusable gift tags, and use them again next year, and for birthdays. You can have personalised ones made, or use chalkboard versions that wipe clean.

Or you could write directly onto the wrapping!

Alternative options

Plain card tags, without ribbon ties, glitter or other embellishments, can be composted at home or added to your green bin.

Gift tags are too small to be sorted correctly along with other card. Paper items smaller than postcard size often drop through sorting machinery and conveyors, ending up with glass, where they then have to be removed.

Donate it to a charity shop if not broken or chipped.

Alternative options

Broken wine glasses, tumblers or other glass drinking vessels should be carefully wrapped in newspaper or carrier bags, bagged and put in your black bin.

Small fragments of broken bottles and jars should also be bagged and put in the black bin, unless they can be contained in another jar.

You can wash and re-use ordinary greaseproof paper a couple of times before it needs to be replaced.

Look out for reusable greaseproof paper (for example, Magic Non-Stick Liner), which you can cut to the shape of your favourite baking tins and then wash after each use.

Alternative options

Check whether your greaseproof paper has a silicone coating. If it does not you can add it to your home compost bin or your green bin.

If your greaseproof paper has a silicone coating, or if you are not sure, please put it in your black bin.

When buying greetings cards avoid glitter and metallic elements, as these make the card unsuitable for recycling.

Look out for cards which are not plastic-wrapped, many shops have a selection of these now.

Alternative options

The front of greetings cards are great for making gift tags, or for children's crafts.

All greetings cards that do not have glitter, metallic elements or other non-paper adornments can be recycled in your blue bin.

Tear off any parts of the card which have glitter, metallic elements or other non-paper adornments and put these in your black bin. These elements can cause problems in the paper recycling process.

Pet and human hair is technically compostable, but it does take a long time to break down. Don't include hair that has been treated with chemical flea treatments, and ensure you mix large quantities of hair with other materials.

Alternative options

Pet and human hair for disposal at the kerbside should be placed in your black bin.

If in good condition, donate to a charity shop or pass on via networks such as Freegle or Gumtree or apps like Depop.

Alternative options

Put in a textile/clothing bank in various car parks around the district (for example, supermarkets). Find your local recycling points.

If it is unsuitable for re-use or recycling (e.g. it is mouldy, wet or soiled) put it in your black bin.

These hard MDF-type hard board punnets can not be recycled and are not suitable for green bins either. They can be useful as storage trays though – for example, to organise your fridge or cupboards.

Alternative options

If you can't reuse these items, put them in your black bin.

If in good condition, donate to a charity shop (check what they accept first) or pass on via networks such as Freegle or Gumtree.

Alternative options

Clean and dry blankets, sheets, duvet covers, tea towels and other fabric homewares (even if worn out) can be put in textile and clothing banks in various locations around the district. For example, supermarket car parks.

These textiles are accepted in all clothing banks, even those which are only marked 'clothes and shoes'.

Find local recycling banks.

Please note that duvets and pillows are not accepted in these banks.

The Dunelm Textile Take-Back Scheme accepts a range of home textiles including tea towels, sheets, bath mats, table cloths and curtains.

They also do accept duvets, pillows and cushions (which are not accepted at local recycling points).

Soiled, mouldy or wet items not suitable for donation can be put in your black bin.

Household Recycling Centres are near Milton and Thriplow. More information can be found on Cambridgeshire County Council’s website. 

Duvets and pillows will not be recycled and are disposed of with general waste, but blankets can be recycled with textiles.

Make your own instant porridge. Buy oats loose at a refill shop, or in a paper bag and measure out yourself - 1/2 a cup of oats to 1 cup of milk, and heat for 2 minutes in the microwave.

Alternative options

Instant porridge sachet which appear to be made of paper usually have a thin layer of plastic, in order to measure out the milk needed. This means they are not recyclable.

Many local volunteer-run Repair Cafes offer some jewellery repairs, for example repairing broken chain links. Check the details of your local event.

Alternative options

If in good condition, donate to a charity shop or pass on via networks such as Freegle or Gumtree.

Please put these in your black bin.

Keep and re-use, pass on to friends or family or offer on Freegle (those who sell things on internet auction sites will be glad of them!).

Alternative options

These are usually a mixture of plastic and paper, or in the case of Amazon Prime envelopes a mixture of different plastics, and cannot be recycled.

If you have a worn out jute or cotton shopping bag and you're confident it contains no plastic, you can add this to a home compost bin or heap. It will take many months to break down.

Alternative options

If you do not have a home compost bin or heap put your worn out bag in your black bin. Clean cotton bags can be recycled with clothes in clothing collection banks. Fabrics and jute are not accepted in green bins as they can jam the shredding machinery and take too long to compost.

Black bin items go through a mechanical and biological sorting process before going to landfill. Find out more on RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page. 

Energy-saving light bulbs and LED bulbs can be recycled at Household Recycling Centres near Milton and Thriplow, which can also accept long fluorescent tubes. More information can be found on Cambridgeshire County Council’s website. Bulbs (not long fluorescent tubes) can also be recycled at some recycling points in Cambridge .

For fluorescent tubes from commercial premises, a company called Envirogreen recycles lamps. They charge for storage and collection. Visit Envirogreen's website.

Energy-saving light bulbs (including fluorescent tubes) contain small amounts of mercury so care should be taken when disposing of them.

Alternative options

Halogen bulbs and traditional incandescent bulbs do not contain mercury like compact fluorescent lamps (CFL's) and can be safely disposed of to landfill.

They should never be placed in glass recycling or mixed recycling bins, as they are a different type of glass from bottles and jars.

If opened carefully at one end, magazine wrappers can be re-used, for example for putting your batteries in for recycling on top of your bin lids, or as dog poo bags (check first for holes).

Alternative options

Ordinary polythene or cellophane plastic magazine wrappers can be recycled in your blue bin. Compostable 'plastic' wrappers can not be recycled.

Compostable plastic magazine wrappers are not accepted in your green bin, but you can try putting them in a home composter or compost heap if you have one.

Compostable 'plastic' magazine wrap (for example, made from corn starch) does not break down quickly enough in the fast composting process used for green bin material. Please put it in your black bin.

Black bin materials go through a Mechanical Biological Treatment plant prior to being landfilled. You can read more about this processing on the RECAP website.

Plastic bottles and pots, glass jars and cardboard boxes can all be rinsed out and recycled in your blue bin.

Alternative options

TerraCycle® and Burt's Bees have partnered to create a free recycling program for all brands of empty makeup packaging. This includes compacts, tubes, eyeliner pens, mascara wands, lipsticks, lip glosses and lip balms. Find out more about The Burt's Bees personal care free recycling program.

Most Boots stores also accept make-up packaging and other hard-to-recycle packaging (like toothpaste tubes or travel minis) from products they sell that cannot be collected in council recycling services in their Recycle at Boots scheme. You can scan the items and get Boots Advantage points.

The John Lewis BeautyCycle scheme rewards My John Lewis members with £5 off beauty products when you take in 5 beauty empties (jars, tubes, bottles and make-up products) to recycle.

Flexible plastic tubes and flexible plastic / foil pouches can’t be recycled in your blue bin, so if you can’t drop them off at a collection point please put them in your black bin.

Please remove from the plastic tray and put in your black bin.

Mirror glass can not be recycled with container glass (bottles and jars). Small amounts can be put in your black bin.

Alternative options

Household Recycling Centres are near Milton and Thriplow. More information can be found on Cambridgeshire County Council’s website. We also collect bulky goods for a fee. You can find out the costs and book a collection on our website.

Please ensure your bin lid closes fully.

Black bin items go through a mechanical and biological sorting process before going to landfill. Find out more on RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page. Please note that bin lids must be properly closed.

Alternative options

Household Recycling Centres are near Milton and Thriplow. More information can be found on Cambridgeshire County Council’s website. We also collect bulky goods for a fee. You can find out the costs and book a collection on our website.

It is difficult to remove the varnish and the bottles are too small to be captured during the recycling process.

Dissolvable or compostable packing chips can be added to a home compost bin. Make sure they are not polystyrene first!

Alternative options

Please bag, tie the bag and put in your black bin, to prevent litter when the bin is emptied.

Some packing chips are now made from biodegradable or dissolvable materials, but these are not accepted in the green bin. Black bin materials go through a biological process to break down any compostable elements.

If you regularly buy coffee when on your way to work or out and about, buy a reusable cup to take with you. There are lots of options from metal and ceramic to lightweight bamboo ones, some of which may be available at the coffee shop itself. Some coffee chains even give a discount if you take your own cup!

If you are buying disposable cups for a party, consider using reusable plastic ones. If washing up or storage is an issue, choose disposable plastic cups, which can be recycled in the blue bin.

Alternative options

You can take single-use coffee cups back to some branches of Costa for recycling, even if they are not from Costa.

Paper cups, even those with a recycle mark, are not easily recyclable unless collected as part of a dedicated scheme (see above) and can not be put in the blue bin.

Compostable paper cups (e.g. Vegware, Edenware) have a layer of compostable 'plastic' which makes them unsuitable for putting in the green bin. Compostable plastic can take up to 12 weeks to break down, and the process we use takes 6-8 weeks. Compostable cups put into the black bin will have a chance to break down during the biological process they are put through before landfilling.

Plastic parcel strapping is not suitable for recycling at the kerbside. In fact, it can cause serious problems in the sorting facility, where it becomes tangled around machinery. Machines have to be shut off so that it can be cut free.

It is possible to recycle pens (including highlighters, markers and correction fluid pots) via Terracycle collection points at some schools and stationers. Wooden pencils and crayons are not accepted.

Alternative options

Black bin items go through a mechanical and biological sorting process before going to landfill. Find out more on RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page. 

Disposable period or incontinence pads, liners and tampons cannot be recycled and most contain plastic. Consider reusable alternatives - many different styles of washable pads and period pants are now available, as well as alternatives such as menstrual cups. There are also disposable options that do not contain plastic. Find out more about Plastic-Free Periods from City to Sea. You can get a 10-20% discount off the cost of reusable period or incontinence products from selected suppliers using our Zero-Waste Product Discount Scheme.

Alternative options

Disposable period products should be wrapped or bagged and put in your black bin. Never flush them down the toilet as they cause blockages and can end up in the sea.

Many Co-op and Tesco supermarkets now accept soft plastic packaging, including clean pet food pouches, in their in-store recycling bins. You can find soft plastic packaging recycling locations at Recycle Now. 

Alternative options

These type of pouches are made from layers of plastic and aluminium which are very difficult to separate out, and therefore they can not be recycled at the moment. Please put in the black bin.

Black bin items go through a mechanical and biological sorting process before going to landfill. Find out more on RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page. 

Photos are made from various different kinds of plastic or coated paper, and can not be recycled.

It's important that cardboard for recycling is fairly clean and dry. Remove any food, and tear off any parts which look greasy (the greasy cardboard can be put in your green bin for composting).

Alternative options

Please put any cheesy or greasy parts of your pizza box in your green bin.

If you do not have a green bin and your pizza box has a lot of grease or food on it, it's best to put it in your black bin rather than your blue bin.

These can’t be recycled in your blue bin, but they can now be recycled by Terracycle. You need to save up your air fresheners and drop them off at a collection point.

Find out more about the Air, Home and Laundry Care Recycling Programme.

Alternative options

These can’t be recycled in your blue bin, so if you can’t drop them off at a collection point please put them in your black bin.

Empty plastic bottles which contained chemicals such as anti-freeze, motor oil or white spirit should not be recycled.

Alternative options

If your bottles still contain chemicals, they can be disposed of at a Household Recycling Centre.

Avoid disposable plastic cutlery by keeping a set of cutlery in your bag, or in your car glove box (don’t forget to wash it between uses and return it there!). For parties, choose finger-food, hire cutlery or buy extra from charity shops.

Alternative options

Only plastic packaging can be recycled in your blue bin.

Avoid nets by buying fruit and vegetables loose.

Alternative options

These can’t be recycled in your blue bin, but they can now be recycled at some shops which accept soft plastic packaging, including crisp and snack packets, in their in-store recycling bins. You can find local soft plastic recycling locations at Recycle Now.

These cannot be recycled at present.

Avoid unnecessary plastic packaging by:

• Choosing loose produce where possible
• Taking your own shopping and produce bags to the shops
• Buying refills or refilling your own containers

Check out our list of local refill shops.

Alternative options

1500 Co-operative food stores nationwide now accept clean soft plastic packaging (also called flexible plastic, or plastic films and wrappers)  for recycling, including these items that we don't collect in the blue bin:

• Plastic pouches – microwave rice, pre-cooked mussels, petfood, etc
• Plastic fruit & veg nets
• Plastic sauce sachets
• Crisps, nuts & snack packets
• Chocolate and sweets bags and wrappers
• Cheese packets or bags
• Biscuit wrappers
• Tea and teabags, ground coffee etc packets
• Pet-food wrappers

Find out more and your nearest participating store on the Co-Op Soft Plastic Packaging recycling page.

Other supermarkets including Tesco, Waitrose and Sainsbury's also accept some soft plastics in their carrier bag recycling bins. Find out more at Recycle Now.

• yoghurt pots, margarine tubs and fruit punnets
• trays from meat, vegetables or ready meals
• shampoo, fizzy drink, milk or cleaning spray bottles
• thin moulded plastic packaging from Easter eggs, toy packaging, packs of batteries etc

The following plastic films are accepted and will be recycled when markets are available:

General

• thin plastic peel-off lids of all types
• plastic wrappers from kitchen towel, toilet roll, nappy pack, cotton wool, magazines (except compostable plastic)
• plastic fruit and veg bags and wrappers

Bags

• Ordinary carrier bags
• Bread bags
• Multipack crisps outer bags
• Bags from:
  • Cereal and porridge
  • Dried goods – dried fruit, pasta, rice, sugar, pulses, etc
  • Frozen foods and ice cubes
  • Grated cheese

Wrappers and Film

• Cling film
• Pizza wrapping film
• Bread product wrappers:
  • Croissants
  • Pancakes
  • Naan bread
  • Pitta bread
  • Fresh pasta
• Wrappers or packets from:
  • Cheese, pastry, cakes
  • baby wipes, etc
• Flower wrapping (cellophane)

Due to market fluctuations it is not always possible to find recycling outlets for plastic films collected in the blue bins. Under these circumstances they will be used to generate energy instead.

Very dirty items and those with food left inside should either be cleaned before recycling or put in the black bin.

Some examples of plastic packaging that can not be recycled in the blue bin include:

• CD and DVD cases
• shiny metallic plastic pouches from pet food, coffee or drinks (can be taken to participating Co-Op stores)
• crisp packets with a shiny foil coating on the inside (can be taken to participating Co-Op stores)
• polystyrene foam cartons, for example, from takeaways
• moulded, protective polystyrene - for example, from a new TV
• foam or sponge packaging, for example from a new computer
• multi-material wrappers, a mix of paper and plastic or paper and foil, for example some cheese wrappers or peel off lids on coffee jars.

Pass on to friends or family, give away via networks such as Freegle or Gumtree, donate to local allotments or charity gardening projects (check if they need them first), or take back to garden centres which have a collection/pick-up area for them.

Alternative options

Smaller plastic plant pots (smaller than about the size of an A3 piece of paper) which are not black can be recycled via your blue bin if they are clean. Rinse off soil or compost.

Larger (more than 5 inches in diameter) brown and coloured plant pots which are clean and empty can be recycled with rigid plastics at Household Recycling Centres near Milton and Thriplow. More information can be found on Cambridgeshire County Council’s website. 

Very dirty pots and all black pots are not recyclable, please put in your black bin.

Unfortunately, recycling sorting equipment cannot detect the colour black and therefore black plastic items can not be recycled. This is an issue across the UK and work is being done to find a solution to reduce black plastic recyclability issues.

If in good condition, donate to a charity shop or pass on via networks such as Freegle or Gumtree.

Alternative options

Broken ones can be recycled with hard plastic items at the Household Recycling Centres near Milton and Thriplow. More information can be found on Cambridgeshire County Council’s website. 

If you can't get to a Household Recycling Centre, you can put it in your black bin. They can not be recycled in your blue bin.

Some retailers are moving away from polystyrene meat trays, so try to seek out recyclable plastic trays where possible. If not, polystyrene trays should go in the black bin.

Please put polystyrene in your black bin. Bag any broken pieces to avoid them blowing out when the bin is emptied and causing litter.

Black bin items go through a mechanical and biological sorting process before going to landfill. Find out more on RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page.

Due to their sticky strip Post-It notes tend to get stuck onto other items and sorted incorrectly. Their size also makes them difficult to sort, and they usually end up contaminating the sorted glass. Please put them in the black bin.

Washable fabric face masks, and even gloves, can be washed and re-used over and over again. You can buy them online, or make your own using instructions online.

Alternative options

All medical waste and disposable PPE (such as face masks and gloves) should be disposed of using your black bin, or a litter bin if outside. If there are no litter bins outside, take the waste home.

If you are suffering from Coronavirus symptoms, any medical waste and PPE should be bagged separately and left for 72 hours (3 days) before going into your black bin.

Protective foam or sponge packing materials, such as those used to protect electronic goods in transit, can not be recycled in your household collections. Please put these in your black bin.

If the materials have been marked as recyclable you may wish to contact the retailer and ask if they provide a scheme for recycling these, since they will not be recyclable in any council schemes in the UK.

We don't recommend using the codes marked on plastic items to decide whether they can be recycled in your kerbside collections. This is because the same type of plastic can be made into items with different properties, some that we can recycle and some that we can't. For example, Polystyrene (PS) can be used to make expanded foam packing material, which is not accepted for recycling in the blue bin, as well as some small yoghurt pots, which are. 

That said, most common PS packaging items from your home probably would NOT be accepted your blue bin, for example:

• Packing chips/peanuts
• CD cases
• Disposable plastic cutlery
• Egg cartons

Look up a description of your item rather than the plastic code to see if it is recyclable, for example, 'foam packaging'.

Find out more on our Plastic Recycling page.

Even if made from a material that is technically recyclable, these are too small to be sorted correctly by machinery for recycling.

We don't recommend using the codes marked on plastic items to decide whether they can be recycled in your kerbside collections. This is because the same type of plastic can be made into very different items with different thicknesses, some that we can recycle and some that we can't. For example, Polyvinyl Chloride, (PVC) can be used to make shower curtains, which are not accepted for recycling in the blue bin, as well as shampoo bottles which are.

Most common PVC items are not recyclable in your blue bin, for example:

• Clothing
• Disposable gloves
• Music records
• Signage, stickers and tapes
• Pipes

Look up a description of your item rather than the plastic code to see if it is recyclable, e.g. 'shampoo bottle'.

Find out more on our Plastic Recycling page.

If in good condition, donate to a charity shop or pass on via networks such as Freegle or Gumtree.

Alternative options

Broken Pyrex should never be put in a recycling bin or bank with other glass. It has a very high melting point, and will cause other glass that is with it to be wasted and result in problems for the glass recycling facility.

More and more people are switching to traditional razors, which use a permanent metal handle with separate steel blades. The blades last a long time and can be recycled.

Alternative options

TerraCycle® and Gillette® have partnered to offer free recycling envelopes for any brand of razors and razor blades.

Each household can request 4 envelopes per year, and you can send a maximum of 16 razors and/or razor blades in each envelope. Get your razor recycling scheme envelopes.

You can put traditional flat steel razor blades into a steel food tin, pinch the tin and turn the top over using pliers to seal them in, and put in the scrap metal section at a Household Recycling Centre. Please do not put them in your blue bin – there is some hand-sorting of materials which could make this hazardous.

Wrap in paper or tissue, bag with other waste and put in your black bin.

Due to their size, receipts are difficult to sort correctly and often end up contaminating the sorted glass. 

Some thermal receipts also contain BPA plastic which is associated with health risks, and therefore should not be used in recycled paper products.

Many different styles of washable pads are now available, as well as alternatives such as menstrual cups. Find out more at Plastic-Free Periods.

Alternative options

If your pads or cup have come to the end of their life, they need to be disposed of in the black bin.

Black bin items go through a mechanical and biological sorting process before going to landfill. Find out more on RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page.

If in good condition, donate to a charity shop or pass on via networks such as Freegle or Gumtree.

Alternative options

Cardboard type binders (not plastic-covered) can be dismantled by removing the metal rings. The cardboard part can then be put in the blue bin. The metal part can be taken with other scrap metals to a Household Recycling Centre, or put in the black bin.

Plastic or plastic-coated binders not suitable for re-use should be put in the black bin. Plastic or plastic-coated binders not suitable for re-use should be put in the black bin.

Sandwich boxes can be recycled along with other cardboard packaging. Just remember to make sure that they are empty of food first. The plastic versions can also be recycled.

Some boxes are designed so that the plastic lining and window can be removed before recycling. If it’s easy to remove it then you can do so. These should be put in your black bin.

Alternative options

If your sandwich packet has a lot of mayonnaise or other food stuck on it, please put it in your black bin.

If your scissors or knives are blunt, you can find out how to sharpen scissors using everyday items.

Alternative options

If your scissors or knives are entirely made of metal, you can recycle them with scrap metal at a Household Recycling Centre.

Household recycling centres are near Milton and Thriplow. More information can be found on Cambridgeshire County Council’s website.

Wrap sharp items in newspaper in a separate bag before adding to your bagged general waste in your black bin.

Empty sealant tubes from DIY work can be put in the blue bin for recycling.

Alternative options

Dispose of tubes which contain old sealant in your black bin. They cannot be recycled with the sealant inside.

Consider using paper tape, available from plastic-free shops and online, which can be recycled or composted along with the paper or card it is stuck to after use.

Washi tape is a decorative paper tape alternative - but check whether the centre it's wrapped around is plastic, as this can't be recycled!

Alternative options

If in good condition, donate spare rolls to a charity shop or pass on via networks such as Freegle or Gumtree.

Although not recyclable itself, small amounts of sellotape do not need to be removed from paper or boxes before putting them in the blue bin. 

Whole rolls of un-useable sellotape should be put in the black bin.

Thinner shells like mussels can be crushed and used in the garden to deter slugs around vulnerable plants. Larger decorative shells can be used to edge flowerbeds etc. Scallop shells make a great soap dish!

Alternative options

Shells are made of the mineral calcium carbonate. They are inorganic and will not compost, so should not be put in the green bin.

These can’t be recycled in your blue bin, but they can now be recycled at some shops which accept soft plastic packaging in their in-store recycling bins. You can find local soft plastic recycling locations at Recycle Now.

Alternative options

These can’t be recycled in your blue bin, so if you can’t drop them off at a collection point please put them in your black bin.

You can avoid plastic toothpaste packaging by trying tooth tabs instead. These are tablets of tooth powder which you chew and then brush. They are often available in cardboard packets by post, which you can transfer to a jar.

Alternative options

Tubes from cosmetics or toothpaste which do not have a metal lining inside can be put in your blue bin for recycling, with the lid on. You'll need to cut the tube open to check for metal lining, and to rinse the product out of it as it needs to be clean for recycling.

Tubes containing a metal lining, like most toothpaste tubes, can’t be recycled in your blue bin. They are accepted along with other hard-to-recycle beauty and personal care packaging at Boots stores in their Recycle at Boots scheme.

Find your closest location to recycle tubes with metal lining at Recycle Now.

If you can't take tubes with a metal lining to a Boots store for recycling, they need to go in your black bin.

These can’t be recycled in your blue bin, but they can now be recycled at some shops which accept soft plastic packaging in their in-store recycling bins. You can find local soft plastic recycling locations at Recycle Now.

Alternative options

Tea and coffee packets are usually made from metallised plastic, and can not be recycled. You can do the scrunch test - foil will not spring back when scrunched, but plastic will.

Thin aluminum cases from tealights, which do not have any wax remaining in them, can be put in your blue bin for recycling.

Alternative options

Tealight cases still containing candles or wax should be put in your black bin. 

Bamboo or wood toothbrushes are available which are biodegradable. Usually the bristles are not - so when you are finished with your toothbrush you will need to snap off the head and put that in your black bin. Untreated wood or bamboo handles can be put in your green bin.

Alternative options

Re-use your toothbrush for cleaning shoes and getting in those hard to reach cleaning spots.

A toothbrush with replaceable heads will also save waste as the handle can be re-used many times.

Plastic toothbrushes can’t be recycled in your blue bin, but they can now be recycled by Terracycle. You need to save them up and drop them off at a collection point. For every batch of items collected, Terracycle will donate to charity. 

Find out more about the Philips Dental Care Recycling Programme including local collection points.

Black bin items go through a mechanical and biological sorting process before going to landfill. Find out more on RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page.

If in good condition, donate to a charity shop, Women's Aid or homeless shelter (check what they will accept first) or pass on via networks such as Freegle or Gumtree.

If in clean but worn condition check if animal shelters would like them for pet bedding.

Re-use worn out towels at home for wipes or rags. To make washable baby wipes cut old towels into squares and hem them to stop them fraying (ask a relative or friend if you don't sew!).

Alternative options

Clean, dry towels in any condition can be put in textile banks at recycling points.

Towels are accepted in all clothing banks, even those which are only marked 'clothes and shoes'.

Dirty, oily or wet towels can not be re-used or recycled.

If in good condition, pass on to friends or family, donate to a charity shop (check they accept them first) or pass on via networks such as Facebook, Freegle or Gumtree or apps like YoungPlanet.

Alternative options

There are toy collection banks at some Household Recycling Centres.

Some hard plastic toys can be recycled with hard plastics, and electronic toys can be recycled with electrical items at Household Recycling Centres. Large broken toys that can not fit in your black bin can be disposed of here too. 

Household Recycling Centres are near Milton and Thriplow. More information can be found on Cambridgeshire County Council’s website. 

Black bin items go through a mechanical and biological sorting process before going to landfill. Find out more on RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page.

Large useable pieces in good condition can be passed on via networks such as Freegle or Gumtree.

Alternative options

Small pieces of treated wood (for example, parts of varnished or stained furniture) can be put in your black bin. 

Larger pieces which will not fit into your bin need to be taken to Household Recycling Centres near Milton and Thriplow. More information can be found on Cambridgeshire County Council’s website. We also collect bulky goods for a fee. You can find out the costs and book a collection on our website.

Treated wood should not be put in your green bin.

We don't recommend using the codes marked on plastic items to decide whether they can be recycled in your kerbside collections. This is because the same type of plastic can be made into items with different properties, some that we can recycle and some that we can't.

This is particularly true for items marked with a 7. This covers a wide range of different plastics which just aren't one of the six most common types used for packaging. For example acrylic, nylon or fibreglass. 'Other' plastic items are very unlikely to be recyclable except in specialist schemes.

Look up a description of your item rather than the plastic code to see if it is recyclable, for example, 'yoghurt pot'.

Find out more on our Plastic Recycling page.

Black bin items go through a mechanical and biological sorting process before going to landfill. Find out more on RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page. 

If in good condition, donate to a charity shop or pass on via networks such as Freegle or Gumtree.

Alternative options

Broken glass or ceramic vases can not be recycled (the glass may be a different type from container glass).

Some charity shops still accept CDs and DVDs in good condition (e.g. some Oxfam stores), but do check as many no longer do. Older media including VHS tapes, cassettes, and minidisks are not accepted, but there is a small market online for some items such as Disney videos and audio books on tape, so it might be worth offering them on websites such as eBay, Freecycle, Gumtree, or Facebook marketplace.

There are lots of creative ideas for re-purposing old CDs etc online.

Alternative options

Terracycle offers a paid service for recycling media storage, so if you have a large collection to dispose of this may be worth considering. Find out more about the Terracycle Zero Waste Bag scheme.

Video and audio cassettes, CDs, DVDs and minidisks are not recyclable in your kerbside collections. If you can not find an alternative use for them they must be disposed of in your black bin or at a Household Recycling Centre.

If in good condition, donate to a charity shop (check they are accepted first), sell or pass on via networks such as Freegle or Gumtree. 

Made from PVC, vinyl records are often 're-purposed' into new stylish ornaments, wall art or tableware - so even scratched records may be wanted by somebody.

Alternative options

Vinyl records can not be recycled. If broken, put in your black bin.

Unused surplus rolls of wallpaper can be donated to some charities (check first) and Scrapstores, or reuse at home for children's artwork on the back.

You can also use suitably decorative wallpaper as wrapping paper.

Alternative options

Wallpaper not suitable for reuse should be put in the black bin.

Repair, or if in good condition, donate to a charity shop or pass on via networks such as Freegle or Gumtree.

Alternative options

Black bin items go through a mechanical and biological sorting process before going to landfill. Find out more on RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page.

Some kinds of water filters produce less waste than traditional plastic cartridges. Phox water filters can be refilled with sachets, or an activated Binchotan charcoal stick filter can be recharged, lasting up to six months.

Alternative options

Black bin items go through a mechanical and biological sorting process before going to landfill. Find out more on RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page.

Usually what we would think of as waxed paper is actually paper with a thin layer of plastic or cellophane. These kinds of papers which are mixed with other materials can not be recycled or composted and should be put in your black bin with general rubbish.

Consider using washable alternatives. You can make your own washable baby wipes from old towels or t-shirts or buy various brands which are easy to use (and more effective than disposables). Find out more in this Beginner's Guide to Reusable Baby Wipes from Sustainable(ish). If you decide to buy, you can get up to 20% off the cost from selected retailers with our Supplier Discount Scheme.

You can use a spray cleaner and cotton dishcloths that can be washed and reused for most other applications.

Alternative options

Most wet wipes contain a mix of paper and plastic fibres so are not recyclable, compostable or flushable (even the vast majority of those which are marked 'flushable' - this just means they will not block your toilet).

Compostable wipes made of viscose or compostable plastics are not accepted in the green bin, as they may not break down quickly enough for our fast composting process, and can also not be differentiated from other wipes. You should also not put any wipes with human waste on them in an ordinary home compost bin. 

Black bin items go through a mechanical and biological sorting process before going to landfill, so any parts which are compostable will have the chance to decompose.

Wool packaging insulation such as from meat deliveries can be put in a home composter. It takes quite a long time to break down.

Alternative options

Wool insulation (or from jumpers) is not suitable for the green bin. This is partly because these kind of fibres can jam the shredding machinery used before composting, and also that wool can take several months to break down. The process used for green bin material takes 6-8 weeks.

Have a go at repairing your clothes. It's easier than you may think, and many techniques (for example, Sashiko, a style of Japanese visible mending) are very fashionable. Find out more at Love Your Clothes.

Get help repairing your clothes at a local Repair Cafe event.

Alternative options

You could cut up worn-out clothes to use as cloths, rags or patchwork, or make them into other items like bags or cushions.

All types of clean, dry textiles are accepted for recycling at the large Household Recycling Centres.

Clean and dry worn out clothes are accepted in clothing banks at various recycling points around the district. 

Clothes not suitable for re-use are turned into rags, which can be used for cleaning machinery in factories, used as stuffing in furniture, or even insulation.

Clean, dry worn-out clothes are accepted in all clothing banks, even if this is not indicated on the banks themselves.

If clothes are soiled or wet, please place them in your black bin.

For members of your household, try wrapping in fabric or fabric bags with real ribbons, which can be used over and over again for years. The bonus is you don't need tape and no mess is created!

Alternative options

Save undamaged wrapping paper and gift bags at birthdays and Christmas, and store to use again.

You can also re-use other papers as wrapping, for example pages from an old road atlas, or decorative wallpaper.

Do the scrunch test - if your wrapping paper springs back rather than staying scrunched, it is probably made of metallised plastic, and can not be recycled.

Heavily glittered paper should also not be recycled as the plastic glitter and glue cause problems with the recycling process.

If the paper stays scrunched, and isn't glittery, it can be recycled in your blue bin.

Metallic, glittery or plastic gift-wrap that you cannot re-use needs to be placed in your black bin as it can not be recycled.

Black bin items go through a mechanical and biological sorting process before going to landfill. Find out more on RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page.

Recycle aerosol cans with other cans in your blue bin. For safety reasons please ensure aerosol cans are completely empty, and do not squash them.

Alternative options

Aerosol cans which still contain chemicals should be disposed of at Household Recycling Centres near Milton and Thriplow. More information can be found on Cambridgeshire County Council’s website.

Empty aluminium tubes can be recycled in your blue bin. You can also buy a small metal device to help you squeeze every bit of the contents out!

Biscuit, cracker and cake wrappers with a shiny foil-like layer on the inside or outside can’t be put in your blue bin but they can now be recycled at some shops which accept soft plastic packaging in their in-store recycling bins. You can find local soft plastic recycling locations at Recycle Now.

You can also recycle these with Terracycle via the pladis Biscuits And Snacks Recycling Programme.

Alternative options

Plastic wrappers that do not have a shiny foil-like layer on the inside or outside can be included in your blue bin.

Biscuit, cracker and cake wrappers with a shiny foil-like layer on the inside or outside can’t be put in your blue bin, so if you can’t take them to a collection point put them in your black bin.

Although sorting equipment at the Materials Recycling Facility where items from blue bins are sent cannot detect the colour black, some sorting is done by hand so black plastic trays can be pulled out to recycle.

Mechanical sorting of black plastics is an issue across the UK and work is being done to find a solution. See more information about black plastic recyclability issues.

If in good condition, donate to a charity shop or pass on via networks such as Freegle or Gumtree.

Alternative options

Household Recycling Centres are near Milton and Thriplow. More information can be found on Cambridgeshire County Council’s website. Even damaged or out of date books can be recycled even if they are not suitable for re-sale.

After rinsing and (where applicable) squashing your bottles and jars, please replace the lids on them before putting in the blue bin. This helps the small lids to find their way through the various conveyors in the sorting process, and they can be separated from the containers later on.

Large pieces of broken bottles and jars only can be put into your blue bin. Please put smaller shards into another jar with its lid on (or bag them and put them in your black bin) - this is to prevent them blowing out as the bin is emptied, which could be dangerous for staff.

Alternative options

Any other type of broken glass such as wine glasses or tumblers, windows, mirrors, picture frames should be carefully bagged and put in your black bin.

Small fragments of broken bottles and jars should also be wrapped (for example, in newspaper), bagged and put in the black bin, unless they can be contained in another jar.

Keep to re-use yourself, or offer larger amounts to others on local networks such as Facebook, Freegle or Freecycle.

Alternative options

You can put pieces of bubble wrap in your blue bin to recycle with other films. Please cut up very large pieces (bigger than a bin bag) as they can become wrapped around sorting equipment and jam it.

A minority of butter wrappers are made from thin greaseproof paper. These can be added to your green bin. Please check it is paper with no plastic or foil content first by trying to tear it - if it tears easily with no stretching, and is not shiny, it is paper. If you are not sure please put it in your black bin.

Alternative options

Cardboard butter or fat boxes (e.g. Lurpak butterbox, Trex) have a thin layer of plastic but if wiped completely clean these can be put in the blue bin for recycling.

It is very important that no fat or grease remains on them, so if they can not be cleaned please put them in the black bin.

Most butter wrappers are made from a mixture of paper, plastic and aluminum. They are not suitable for recycling or composting.

Sturdy cardboard boxes are often in demand for moving house. Pass them on to others via Facebook or Gumtree. Large sheets of cardboard can be used by gardeners along with mulch to kill grass or weeds when preparing new areas for planting.

Alternative options

All types of clean and dry cardboard are accepted in the blue bin. Please break down and flatten large boxes.

Small quantities of wet or very greasy cardboard or paper (for example, from fish and chips or pizza) can be put in your green bin to be composted. If it is put in the blue bin it will break up and stick to other items, and will not be recycled.

Do not put cardboard suitable for recycling via the blue bin in your green bin. If you do not have enough space in your blue bin, find out what to do with extra recycling.

Laminated cardboard for example, sandwich packets contains plastic. This can be put in your blue bin if it is clean, but if it has food on it it must go in your black bin as it is not suitable for composting.

They biodegrade and can be used for sowing seeds or childrens craft projects. Local producers selling eggs at the garden gate may appreciate donated egg boxes, as well as Brownies, Cubs or other groups. 

Alternative options

Cardboard egg boxes can be composted at home, this works best if you tear them up.

Both cardboard and plastic egg boxes can be recycled via your blue bin.

Cartons are more difficult to recycle than some other packaging types. In some cases there may be a choice - for example chopped tomatoes can often be bought in tins or cartons. Tins are more easily recyclable.

There are some new products which aim to reduce packaging and save fuel from transport. For example plant-based milk can be bought as a powder to which water is added, avoiding carton waste.

Alternative options

Rinse, squash and replace the caps on your cartons before putting in your blue bin. If you save the ring-pull from the spout you can also insert that back in before you replace the cap so - separately this would just get lost in the sorting plant.

Cartons are made from layers of plastic, aluminium and card. They are not waxed card and are not biodegradable, but can be recycled into low-grade paper products. 

Prevent waste by notifying companies if you no longer wish to receive catalogues from them. You can also sign up to the Mailing Preference Service.

Alternative options

Please remove catalogues from plastic sleeves before recycling. The sleeves can be put in your blue bin separately.

Clean cellophane wrapping from flowers or other items can be put in your blue bin for recycling, so long as it has no metallic layers. Please see the 'Plastic packaging' listing for a list of examples of plastic packaging which are or are not accepted in the blue bin.

All clean, dry cardboard can be put in the blue bin.

You can find some breakfast cereals sold loose (take your own containers) at refill shops. Find local refill shops.

Alternative options

Cereal packets can be re-used as sandwich or snack bags, reducing the need to buy new plastic sandwich bags.

These can now be recycled at some shops which accept soft plastic packaging in their in-store recycling bins. You can find local soft plastic recycling locations at Recycle Now.

Clean plastic bags and wrapping from items such as cereals, bread and salad can be put in your blue bin.

Due to changes in demand for soft plastic materials it is not always possible to recycle the plastics we collect in this way. When this is the case the plastics are used to generate energy instead.

If you receive a lot of unwanted charity collection bags, consider putting a notice on your letterbox requesting that they not be delivered.

Alternative options

Re-use unwanted collection bags as bin liners, for litter picking, cleaning out small pets, or storage. If you can't make use of them, offer them to someone else who can via local Facebook 'freebies' or 'life is a gift' community groups.

If you can't find a use for charity collection bags, they can be put in the blue recycling bin.

Consider whether you can donate and show your support without purchasing single-use products. For example, you could put facepaint on your nose, or wear a knitted poppy each year. 

Alternative options

Hand your poppy or red nose in at the Customer Service desk of a Sainsbury’s store to be re-used or recycled.

In 2024 the Royal British Legion introduced a plastic-free poppy design using only paper. This can be put in the blue bin.

Paper, foil, or plain plastic (without a shiny foil layer) wrappers can be put in your blue bin. Please save up small pieces of foil and scrunch into a larger ball to aid recycling.

Alternative options

Plastic chocolate wrappers and chocolate or sweet pouches with a shiny foil-like layer on the inside or outside can’t be put in your blue bin, but they can now be recycled at some shops in their soft plastic recycling bins. You can find local soft plastic recycling locations on Recycle Now.

Plastic chocolate wrappers and chocolate or sweet pouches with a shiny foil-like layer on the inside or outside can’t be put in your blue bin, so if you can’t drop them off at a collection point please put them in your black bin.

Choose reusable crackers. You can find cardboard and fabric reusable crackers online, with or without snaps (a great option if you have nervous pets). You can add your own reusable fabric party hats, a joke, chocolate coins or a small gift chosen for each person.

Alternative options

Unembellished cardboard cracker parts can be put in your blue bin. No metallic card, glitter, ribbons or wire decorations.

Ribbons, glittery, metallic or plastic parts from crackers can not be recycled, and can cause problems in the recycling process for the card parts.

Any unwanted gifts from inside which are not suitable to re-use or donate to charity.

Tissue paper hats can not be recycled, but can be composted in the green bin.

Cardboard cigarette packets can be put in the blue bin for recycling, but please separate the foil inner and the plastic outer wrap first.

Amazingly, cigarette waste itself can be recycled too. Find out more about Terracycle's waste recycle scheme. Please don't put it in your blue bin though!

Plastic spray bottles can be recycled along with all other plastic bottles in your blue bin. Leave the spray trigger attached.

Materials from your blue bin are sorted and turned into new products. Please put things in the bin loose and not in bags. This helps us process it. You can find out more about processing by visiting RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page.

Consider reducing or eliminating your use of cling film by using alternatives:

• Put leftovers in the fridge in a bowl with a plate on top
• Use a lunch box for sandwiches
• Reuse plastic bags - for example, from loaves of bread for sandwiches, or you can put small bowls of food inside them in the fridge
• Buy or make reusable cloth & wax food covers, or use shower caps!

Alternative options

Clean cling film can be put in your blue bin.

Due to changes in demand for soft plastic materials it is not always possible to recycle the plastic films we collect in this way. When this is the case the plastics are used to generate energy instead.

More traditional ways of making coffee, like a cafetière or French press avoid waste, and the energy required to transport, process and recycle pods, resulting in only coffee grounds which can be composted or added to your green bin. They're cheaper too!

If you already have a coffee pod machine, you can find re-usable metal capsules online which you can refill and re-use.

Alternative options

Cambridgeshire County Council now has Podback collection containers for coffee pods at all nine Household Recycling Centres in Cambridgeshire. Tip your pods into the containers loose, not in bags.

The coffee grounds, aluminium and plastic are separated and processed back into raw materials or compost in the UK.

You can order Podback recycling bags and drop off your used coffee pods from a variety of brands at Collect+ locations. Find out more about the Podback coffee pod recycling service.

Lavazza Eco Caps can be composted via Terracycle - see the Lavazza Eco Caps Composting Programme. Please do not put them in your green bin.

Tassimo T DISCs, outer packaging, L'OR capsules, and Kenco Eco Refill packs can be recycled. Find out more on the Tassimo recycling page.

There are now some brands which offer compostable coffee capsules:

• Those made from 'bagasse' sugar-cane fibre or wood pulp can be accepted in the green bin e.g. Halo
• Those made from bio-plastic or PLA can not be put in the green bin.

Plastic coffee pods or capsules are not recyclable in your blue bin. This is partly due to their size - small plastic items easily drop out of the sorting equipment used.

To recycle foil capsules would require removing all of the coffee, rinsing and saving them up with other foil until you can make a tennis ball-sized ball, so in practice they are not readily recyclable.

Compostable plastic, bio-plastic or PLA capsules should not be put in either your blue or green bin, and can only be disposed of in the black bin. These do not break down quickly enough for the composting process we use.

Empty vitamin tubes can be recycled via your blue bin. Leave the cap on.

Save un-torn envelopes and re-use them by sticking a label over the name/address and sealing with glue.

Alternative options

You do not need to remove windows from envelopes, as they are sieved out during the pulping process.

Clean foil, including foil trays from takeaways or ready-meals can be put in your blue bin. If possible please save up small pieces of foil and scrunch into a tennis-ball sized ball before putting in the bin - this is because very small items can get lost throughout the sorting process, and this will help ensure they can be recycled effectively.

Alternative options

If foil is just too dirty to wash (burnt-on greasy food etc) it is not suitable for recycling. Please put it in the black bin.

All colours of glass bottles and jars, including those from perfume and medicines, can be put in your blue bin. Please rinse and replace the caps on the bottles - this helps stop the small caps falling out of the sorting process. No need to remove spray pumps. They are separated from the glass when it is broken.

Materials from your blue bin are sorted and turned into new products. Please put things in the bin loose and not in bags. This helps us process it. You can find out more about processing by visiting RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page.

Alternative options

Household recycling centres are near Milton and Thriplow. More information can be found on Cambridgeshire County Council’s website. We also collect bulky goods for a fee. You can find out the costs and book a collection on our bulky waste collection web page.

Rinse and replace the lid on the jar before putting in the blue bin.

Materials from your blue bin are sorted and turned into new products. Please put things in the bin loose and not in bags. This helps us process it. You can find out more about processing by visiting RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page.

Alternative options

Household Recycling Centres are near Milton and Thriplow. More information can be found on Cambridgeshire County Council’s website. We also collect bulky goods for a fee. You can find out the costs and book a collection on our website.

When buying greetings cards avoid glitter and metallic elements, as these make the card unsuitable for recycling.

Look out for cards which are not plastic-wrapped, many shops have a selection of these now.

Alternative options

The front of greetings cards are great for making gift tags, or for children's crafts.

All greetings cards that do not have glitter, metallic elements or other non-paper adornments can be recycled in your blue bin.

Tear off any parts of the card which have glitter, metallic elements or other non-paper adornments and put these in your black bin. These elements can cause problems in the paper recycling process.

We don't recommend using the codes marked on plastic items to decide whether they can be recycled in your kerbside collections. This is because the same type of plastic can be made into very different items with different thicknesses, some that we can recycle and some that we can't. For example, High Density Polyethylene, (HDPE) can be used to make hard plastic toys and pipes, which are not accepted for recycling in the blue bin, as well as milk bottles and shampoo bottles which are.

That said, most everyday HDPE packaging items that you are likely to be wondering whether you can recycle in your blue bin can be, including:

• Juice and milk bottles
• Yoghurt pots
• Margarine tubs
• Cleaning product bottles

Find out more on our Plastic Recycling page.

Plastic ice cream tubs are great for storage - use them for home-made ready meals in the freezer, or for craft materials, or to organise drawers.

Alternative options

Ice cream tubs can be recycled along with all your other clean plastic pots, tubs and trays in your blue bin.

Materials from your blue bin are sorted and turned into new products. Please put things in the bin loose and not in bags. This helps us process it. You can find out more about processing by visiting RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page.

If you receive unsolicited addressed mail, you can opt out by using the Mailing Preference Service.

Alternative options

Materials from your blue bin are sorted and turned into new products. Please put things in the bin loose and not in bags. This helps us process it. You can find out more about processing by visiting RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page.

We don't recommend using the codes marked on plastic items to decide whether they can be recycled in your kerbside collections. This is because the same type of plastic can be made into items with different properties, some that we can recycle and some that we can't. For example, Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) can be used to make black bin bags, which are not accepted for recycling in the blue bin, as well as bags from sliced bread which are. 

That said, most common LDPE packaging items from your home probably would be accepted your blue bin, including:

• Plastic grocery bags (not biodegradable ones)
• Peel-off film lids from punnets etc
• Plastic wrap from toilet roll packs
• Squeezy bottles

Look up a description of your item rather than the plastic code to see if it is recyclable, e.g. 'shampoo bottle'.

Find out more on our Plastic Recycling page.

Metal and plastic lids from jars and bottles can be put in your blue bin.

Although it sounds counter-intuitive, ideally please rinse (and squash if plastic) your bottles and jars, then put the lids back on. Because lids are small, this helps them to go through the sorting process without getting lost, before being separated from the glass later on.

You can find out more about processing by visiting RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page.

You can avoid the need to recycle liquid soap bottles by using solid bars of soap.

Alternative options

Why not refill your liquid hand soap bottle? You can find a list of local refill shops in our Reducing Waste section.

The bottle from liquid soap can be placed in the blue bin.

The dispenser pump must be removed, as this contains a small metal spring and is not currently recyclable via the blue bin. Please put the pump in the black bin.

If opened carefully at one end, magazine wrappers can be re-used, for example for putting your batteries in for recycling on top of your bin lids, or as dog poo bags (check first for holes).

Alternative options

Ordinary polythene or cellophane plastic magazine wrappers can be recycled in your blue bin. Compostable 'plastic' wrappers can not be recycled.

Compostable plastic magazine wrappers are not accepted in your green bin, but you can try putting them in a home composter or compost heap if you have one.

Compostable 'plastic' magazine wrap (for example, made from corn starch) does not break down quickly enough in the fast composting process used for green bin material. Please put it in your black bin.

Black bin materials go through a Mechanical Biological Treatment plant prior to being landfilled. You can read more about this processing on the RECAP website.

Materials from your blue bin are sorted and turned into new products. Please put things in the bin loose and not in bags. This helps us process it. You can find out more about processing by visiting RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page.

Plastic bottles and pots, glass jars and cardboard boxes can all be rinsed out and recycled in your blue bin.

Alternative options

TerraCycle® and Burt's Bees have partnered to create a free recycling program for all brands of empty makeup packaging. This includes compacts, tubes, eyeliner pens, mascara wands, lipsticks, lip glosses and lip balms. Find out more about The Burt's Bees personal care free recycling program.

Most Boots stores also accept make-up packaging and other hard-to-recycle packaging (like toothpaste tubes or travel minis) from products they sell that cannot be collected in council recycling services in their Recycle at Boots scheme. You can scan the items and get Boots Advantage points.

The John Lewis BeautyCycle scheme rewards My John Lewis members with £5 off beauty products when you take in 5 beauty empties (jars, tubes, bottles and make-up products) to recycle.

Flexible plastic tubes and flexible plastic / foil pouches can’t be recycled in your blue bin, so if you can’t drop them off at a collection point please put them in your black bin.

Please rinse and put in the blue bin with all your other clean plastic pots, tubs and trays.

Materials from your blue bin are sorted and turned into new products. Please put things in the bin loose and not in bags. This helps us process it. You can find out more about processing by visiting RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page.

Please rinse and crush. Beer cans with widgets are accepted.

Only household metal packaging materials (food tins, drinks cans, aerosol cans, biscuit tins, foil and foil trays e.g. from quiches or pies) can be accepted in the blue bins. Other metal items can damage the sorting machinery, so please keep these out. This includes items like frying pans, car parts, taps, coat hangers and furniture which would be classed as scrap metal.

Materials from your blue bin are sorted and turned into new products. Please put things in the bin loose and not in bags. This helps us process it. You can find out more about processing by visiting RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page.

Only household metal packaging materials (food tins, drinks cans, aerosol cans, biscuit tins, foil and foil trays e.g. from quiches or pies) can be accepted in the blue bins. Other metal items can damage the sorting machinery, so please keep these out. This includes items like frying pans, car parts, taps, coat hangers and furniture which would be classed as scrap metal.

Materials from your blue bin are sorted and turned into new products. Please put things in the bin loose and not in bags. This helps us process it. You can find out more about processing by visiting RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page.

Newspaper can be used for wrapping food waste to go in your green bin, and for lining a kitchen caddy if you have one.

Alternative options

Materials from your blue bin are sorted and turned into new products. Please put things in the bin loose and not in bags. This helps us process it. You can find out more about processing by visiting RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page.

Materials from your blue bin are sorted and turned into new products. Please put things in the bin loose and not in bags. This helps us process it. You can find out more about processing by visiting RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page.

We don't recommend using the codes marked on plastic items to decide whether they can be recycled in your kerbside collections. This is because the same type of plastic can be made into very different items, some that we can recycle and some that we can't. For example, Polyethylene terephthalate, (PET) can be used to make fleece fabric, which is not accepted for recycling in blue bins, and plastic fizzy drink bottles, which are.

That said, most PET packaging items that you are likely to be unsure of if they can be recycled in your blue bin can be, including:

• water, juice and pop bottles
• trays from biscuits
• clear yoghurt pots
• salad dressing bottles

Find out more on our Plastic Recycling page.

It's important that cardboard for recycling is fairly clean and dry. Remove any food, and tear off any parts which look greasy (the greasy cardboard can be put in your green bin for composting).

Alternative options

Please put any cheesy or greasy parts of your pizza box in your green bin.

If you do not have a green bin and your pizza box has a lot of grease or food on it, it's best to put it in your black bin rather than your blue bin.

Keep a few reusable cloth bags in handy places like your handbag, coat pocket, car, bike bag etc so you always have one when you need it.

Alternative options

If you don't have a use for plastic bags yourself, some charity shops and small independent shops will be grateful for them.

Put empty bags in your blue bin. Please do not use bags to contain other items - it means we can't see the items inside properly to check they are accepted, and we may not empty your bin.

Never put plastic bags in your green bin.

Materials from your blue bin are sorted and turned into new products. You can find out more about processing by visiting RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page.

Put in your blue bin. Includes drink, shampoo and detergent bottles. Please rinse, squash and put lids back on. 

Materials from your blue bin are sorted and turned into new products. Please put things in the bin loose and not in bags. This helps us process it. You can find out more about processing by visiting RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page.

Alternative options

Look at what you are buying in plastic bottles and consider alternatives that reduce the number of new plastic bottles you buy.

• Instead of bottled still water could you use a water filter? (Check out our entry on water filters for the lowest-waste options!)
• Instead of sparkling water or fizzy drinks how about a SodaStream?
• Instead of liquid cleaning products could you buy dilutable tablets, concentrates or refills? (Check out local refill shops here)
• Instead of shampoo and shower gel try refills or solid bars

Recycle with other pots, tubs and trays in your blue bin.

Materials from your blue bin are sorted and turned into new products. Please put things in the bin loose and not in bags. This helps us process it. You can find out more about processing by visiting RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page.

Clear and coloured plastic punnets from fruit or vegetables and food trays from ready meals can be recycled in your blue bin.

Unfortunately sorting equipment at the Materials Recycling Facility where items from blue bins are sent cannot detect the colour black and therefore black plastic trays can not be recycled. This is an issue across the UK and work is being done to find a solution. See more information about black plastic recyclability issue

Rinse and recycle with other pots, tubs and trays in your blue bin.

Please make sure bottles are empty and rinsed out. Put loose in your bin, not in bags. This helps us process it. You can find out more about processing by visiting RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page.

Avoid unnecessary plastic packaging by:

• Choosing loose produce where possible
• Taking your own shopping and produce bags to the shops
• Buying refills or refilling your own containers

Check out our list of local refill shops.

Alternative options

1500 Co-operative food stores nationwide now accept clean soft plastic packaging (also called flexible plastic, or plastic films and wrappers)  for recycling, including these items that we don't collect in the blue bin:

• Plastic pouches – microwave rice, pre-cooked mussels, petfood, etc
• Plastic fruit & veg nets
• Plastic sauce sachets
• Crisps, nuts & snack packets
• Chocolate and sweets bags and wrappers
• Cheese packets or bags
• Biscuit wrappers
• Tea and teabags, ground coffee etc packets
• Pet-food wrappers

Find out more and your nearest participating store on the Co-Op Soft Plastic Packaging recycling page.

Other supermarkets including Tesco, Waitrose and Sainsbury's also accept some soft plastics in their carrier bag recycling bins. Find out more at Recycle Now.

• yoghurt pots, margarine tubs and fruit punnets
• trays from meat, vegetables or ready meals
• shampoo, fizzy drink, milk or cleaning spray bottles
• thin moulded plastic packaging from Easter eggs, toy packaging, packs of batteries etc

The following plastic films are accepted and will be recycled when markets are available:

General

• thin plastic peel-off lids of all types
• plastic wrappers from kitchen towel, toilet roll, nappy pack, cotton wool, magazines (except compostable plastic)
• plastic fruit and veg bags and wrappers

Bags

• Ordinary carrier bags
• Bread bags
• Multipack crisps outer bags
• Bags from:
  • Cereal and porridge
  • Dried goods – dried fruit, pasta, rice, sugar, pulses, etc
  • Frozen foods and ice cubes
  • Grated cheese

Wrappers and Film

• Cling film
• Pizza wrapping film
• Bread product wrappers:
  • Croissants
  • Pancakes
  • Naan bread
  • Pitta bread
  • Fresh pasta
• Wrappers or packets from:
  • Cheese, pastry, cakes
  • baby wipes, etc
• Flower wrapping (cellophane)

Due to market fluctuations it is not always possible to find recycling outlets for plastic films collected in the blue bins. Under these circumstances they will be used to generate energy instead.

Very dirty items and those with food left inside should either be cleaned before recycling or put in the black bin.

Some examples of plastic packaging that can not be recycled in the blue bin include:

• CD and DVD cases
• shiny metallic plastic pouches from pet food, coffee or drinks (can be taken to participating Co-Op stores)
• crisp packets with a shiny foil coating on the inside (can be taken to participating Co-Op stores)
• polystyrene foam cartons, for example, from takeaways
• moulded, protective polystyrene - for example, from a new TV
• foam or sponge packaging, for example from a new computer
• multi-material wrappers, a mix of paper and plastic or paper and foil, for example some cheese wrappers or peel off lids on coffee jars.

Pass on to friends or family, give away via networks such as Freegle or Gumtree, donate to local allotments or charity gardening projects (check if they need them first), or take back to garden centres which have a collection/pick-up area for them.

Alternative options

Smaller plastic plant pots (smaller than about the size of an A3 piece of paper) which are not black can be recycled via your blue bin if they are clean. Rinse off soil or compost.

Larger (more than 5 inches in diameter) brown and coloured plant pots which are clean and empty can be recycled with rigid plastics at Household Recycling Centres near Milton and Thriplow. More information can be found on Cambridgeshire County Council’s website. 

Very dirty pots and all black pots are not recyclable, please put in your black bin.

Unfortunately, recycling sorting equipment cannot detect the colour black and therefore black plastic items can not be recycled. This is an issue across the UK and work is being done to find a solution to reduce black plastic recyclability issues.

These can be recycled with other plastic pots and tubs in your blue bin.

Materials from your blue bin are sorted and turned into new products. Please put things in the bin loose and not in bags. This helps us process it. You can find out more about processing by visiting RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page.

Materials from your blue bin are sorted and turned into new products. Please put things in the bin loose and not in bags. This helps us process it. You can find out more about processing by visiting RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page.

We don't recommend using the codes marked on plastic items to decide whether they can be recycled in your kerbside collections. This is because the same type of plastic can be made into items with different properties, some that we can recycle and some that we can't. For example, Polypropylene (PP) can be used to make coat hangers, which are not accepted for recycling in the blue bin, as well as yoghurt pots, which are. 

That said, most common PP packaging items from your home probably would be accepted your blue bin, including:

• Microwave meal trays
• Yoghurt pots
• Bottle tops (keep attached to bottles)
• Pill bottles
• Margarine tubs

Look up a description of your item rather than the plastic code to see if it is recyclable, for example, 'yoghurt pot'.

Find out more on our Plastic Recycling page.

If in good condition, donate to a charity shop or pass on via networks such as Freegle or Gumtree.

Alternative options

Cardboard type binders (not plastic-covered) can be dismantled by removing the metal rings. The cardboard part can then be put in the blue bin. The metal part can be taken with other scrap metals to a Household Recycling Centre, or put in the black bin.

Plastic or plastic-coated binders not suitable for re-use should be put in the black bin. Plastic or plastic-coated binders not suitable for re-use should be put in the black bin.

Both plastic and glass empty roll-on deodorant bottles and their lids (replace Roll-on deodorant bottle

Sandwich boxes can be recycled along with other cardboard packaging. Just remember to make sure that they are empty of food first. The plastic versions can also be recycled.

Some boxes are designed so that the plastic lining and window can be removed before recycling. If it’s easy to remove it then you can do so. These should be put in your black bin.

Alternative options

If your sandwich packet has a lot of mayonnaise or other food stuck on it, please put it in your black bin.

Empty sealant tubes from DIY work can be put in the blue bin for recycling.

Alternative options

Dispose of tubes which contain old sealant in your black bin. They cannot be recycled with the sealant inside.

Please put shredded paper in an old envelope or paper bag to prevent it blowing out when the bin is emptied and littering the street. Large quantities can be put in a transparent sack (available in supermarkets). 

Alternative options

Small amounts of shredded paper can be added to your home compost bin.

Borrow a BBQ or buy a second-hand one that can be used again, by you or someone else. If you're BBQ-ing away from home choose a portable BBQ.

Alternative options

The aluminium tray from single-use BBQs can be recycled in a blue bin or a litter recycling bin.

Ensure the charcoal has fully cooled before emptying it in a rubbish bin. The wire mesh can only be recycled with scrap metals at a Recycling Centre, so if that's not an option this will need to go into a rubbish bin too.

You can avoid plastic toothpaste packaging by trying tooth tabs instead. These are tablets of tooth powder which you chew and then brush. They are often available in cardboard packets by post, which you can transfer to a jar.

Alternative options

Tubes from cosmetics or toothpaste which do not have a metal lining inside can be put in your blue bin for recycling, with the lid on. You'll need to cut the tube open to check for metal lining, and to rinse the product out of it as it needs to be clean for recycling.

Tubes containing a metal lining, like most toothpaste tubes, can’t be recycled in your blue bin. They are accepted along with other hard-to-recycle beauty and personal care packaging at Boots stores in their Recycle at Boots scheme.

Find your closest location to recycle tubes with metal lining at Recycle Now.

If you can't take tubes with a metal lining to a Boots store for recycling, they need to go in your black bin.

Thin aluminum cases from tealights, which do not have any wax remaining in them, can be put in your blue bin for recycling.

Alternative options

Tealight cases still containing candles or wax should be put in your black bin. 

Materials from your blue bin are sorted and turned into new products. Please put things in the bin loose and not in bags. This helps us process it. You can find out more about processing by visiting RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page.

You can avoid plastic toothpaste packaging by trying tooth tabs instead, often available in cardboard packets by post, which you can transfer to a jar. These are tablets of tooth powder which you chew and then brush.

Alternative options

Materials from your blue bin are sorted and turned into new products. Please put things in the bin loose and not in bags. This helps us process it. You can find out more about processing by visiting RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page.

Leave triggers on your empty spray bottles and put them in your blue bin, these can be recycled along with bottle caps.

Materials from your blue bin are sorted and turned into new products. Please put things in the bin loose and not in bags. This helps us process it. You can find out more about processing by visiting RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page.

For members of your household, try wrapping in fabric or fabric bags with real ribbons, which can be used over and over again for years. The bonus is you don't need tape and no mess is created!

Alternative options

Save undamaged wrapping paper and gift bags at birthdays and Christmas, and store to use again.

You can also re-use other papers as wrapping, for example pages from an old road atlas, or decorative wallpaper.

Do the scrunch test - if your wrapping paper springs back rather than staying scrunched, it is probably made of metallised plastic, and can not be recycled.

Heavily glittered paper should also not be recycled as the plastic glitter and glue cause problems with the recycling process.

If the paper stays scrunched, and isn't glittery, it can be recycled in your blue bin.

Metallic, glittery or plastic gift-wrap that you cannot re-use needs to be placed in your black bin as it can not be recycled.

Rinse out and recycle plastic yoghurt pots with other plastic packaging in your blue bin.

Wood ash can be used on your garden by adding directly to the soil around alkaline-loving plants. For example, clematis.

Alternative options

Allow to completely cool and then bag it in a paper bag and put in your green bin. It must be bagged or it will blow out when the bin is emptied, and can cause eye injuries for our bin collectors.

Ash from a mixture of wood and briquettes or coal should be put in the black bin.

Cardboard-like packaging made from sugar cane fibre can be added to your home compost bin.

Alternative options

You can put sugar cane fibre disposable plates, bowls etc in your green bin to be composted. 

Please note that this applies only to items which look like compressed paper or cardboard, not any which resemble plastic.

Please place your bamboo or wooden BBQ skewers into the green bin.

If you have surplus bread, try to freeze it before it goes stale or mouldy. You can toast it straight from frozen.

Stale bread can be used in many recipes, for inspiration see Love Food Hate Waste's website. 

Alternative options

All cooked and uncooked food waste can go in the green bin.

You can put things straight into the green bin. You can wrap food waste in newspaper or put it in a paper bag. Please do not use biodegradable 'plastic' or corn starch bags. These do not break down quickly enough and result in extra processing costs. Your bin could also be refused collection. More information on how the compost is made can be found on RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page.

A minority of butter wrappers are made from thin greaseproof paper. These can be added to your green bin. Please check it is paper with no plastic or foil content first by trying to tear it - if it tears easily with no stretching, and is not shiny, it is paper. If you are not sure please put it in your black bin.

Alternative options

Cardboard butter or fat boxes (e.g. Lurpak butterbox, Trex) have a thin layer of plastic but if wiped completely clean these can be put in the blue bin for recycling.

It is very important that no fat or grease remains on them, so if they can not be cleaned please put them in the black bin.

Most butter wrappers are made from a mixture of paper, plastic and aluminum. They are not suitable for recycling or composting.

Freeze before or on the use-by date, or see Love Food Hate Waste's website for ideas on using up.

Alternative options

You can put things straight into the green bin. You can wrap food waste in newspaper or put it in a paper bag. Please do not use biodegradable 'plastic' or corn starch bags. These do not break down quickly enough and result in extra processing costs. Your bin could also be refused collection. More information on how the compost is made can be found on RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page.

Sturdy cardboard boxes are often in demand for moving house. Pass them on to others via Facebook or Gumtree. Large sheets of cardboard can be used by gardeners along with mulch to kill grass or weeds when preparing new areas for planting.

Alternative options

All types of clean and dry cardboard are accepted in the blue bin. Please break down and flatten large boxes.

Small quantities of wet or very greasy cardboard or paper (for example, from fish and chips or pizza) can be put in your green bin to be composted. If it is put in the blue bin it will break up and stick to other items, and will not be recycled.

Do not put cardboard suitable for recycling via the blue bin in your green bin. If you do not have enough space in your blue bin, find out what to do with extra recycling.

Laminated cardboard for example, sandwich packets contains plastic. This can be put in your blue bin if it is clean, but if it has food on it it must go in your black bin as it is not suitable for composting.

Think carefully before buying decorations. Do you need more? Can you store it? Will it last a long time? Can it be repaired or recycled at the end of its life? Will you love it forever or does it just fit in with this year's fad? 

Alternative options

Pass on any unwanted decorations in good condition to others via Facebook, Freegle, Gumtree or Freecycle, or donate to charity shops (preferably just before Christmas, so they can be sold on quickly).

Natural decorations like holly, mistletoe and poinsettias (without the pot) can be put in the green bin. Remove ribbons from natural wreaths and check for florists wire. Paper chains can be composted if they are not glittery or metallic (the paper parts are too small to be sorted for recycling correctly).

Tinsel, baubles and other plastic decorations can not be recycled.

Wreaths or other natural decorations containing florists wire, ribbons or other plastic or metal embellishments that are hard to remove should be put in the black bin.

The Arthur Rank Hospice Charity collects trees from households in our area for a small donation. Find out details on the ARHC Christmas Tree Recycling Scheme page.

Alternative options

Cut up and put pieces in the bin with the lid fully closed.

Household Recycling Centres are near Milton and Thriplow. More information can be found on Cambridgeshire County Council’s website. 

You can try avoiding coffee filter waste by using a reusable coffee filter made of metal mesh (make sure it’s compatible with your particular coffee maker). You could also experiment with a different method of brewing coffee that doesn’t require paper, like a cafetiere. 

Alternative options

Paper coffee filters and coffee grounds can be put in your green bin. 

You can put things straight into the green bin. You can wrap food waste in newspaper or put it in a paper bag. Please do not use biodegradable 'plastic' or corn starch bags. These do not break down quickly enough and result in extra processing costs. Your bin could also be refused collection. More information on how the compost is made can be found on RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page.

Add to your home compost bin, if you have one.

Alternative options

You can put things straight into the green bin. You can wrap food waste in newspaper or put it in a paper bag. Please do not biodegradable 'plastic' or corn starch bags. These do not break down quickly enough and result in extra processing costs. Your bin could also be refused collection. More information on how the compost is made can be found on RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page.

More traditional ways of making coffee, like a cafetière or French press avoid waste, and the energy required to transport, process and recycle pods, resulting in only coffee grounds which can be composted or added to your green bin. They're cheaper too!

If you already have a coffee pod machine, you can find re-usable metal capsules online which you can refill and re-use.

Alternative options

Cambridgeshire County Council now has Podback collection containers for coffee pods at all nine Household Recycling Centres in Cambridgeshire. Tip your pods into the containers loose, not in bags.

The coffee grounds, aluminium and plastic are separated and processed back into raw materials or compost in the UK.

You can order Podback recycling bags and drop off your used coffee pods from a variety of brands at Collect+ locations. Find out more about the Podback coffee pod recycling service.

Lavazza Eco Caps can be composted via Terracycle - see the Lavazza Eco Caps Composting Programme. Please do not put them in your green bin.

Tassimo T DISCs, outer packaging, L'OR capsules, and Kenco Eco Refill packs can be recycled. Find out more on the Tassimo recycling page.

There are now some brands which offer compostable coffee capsules:

• Those made from 'bagasse' sugar-cane fibre or wood pulp can be accepted in the green bin e.g. Halo
• Those made from bio-plastic or PLA can not be put in the green bin.

Plastic coffee pods or capsules are not recyclable in your blue bin. This is partly due to their size - small plastic items easily drop out of the sorting equipment used.

To recycle foil capsules would require removing all of the coffee, rinsing and saving them up with other foil until you can make a tennis ball-sized ball, so in practice they are not readily recyclable.

Compostable plastic, bio-plastic or PLA capsules should not be put in either your blue or green bin, and can only be disposed of in the black bin. These do not break down quickly enough for the composting process we use.

Try to reduce food waste by planning ahead. Make a meal plan, buy only what you need, and freeze things you can't use up before they go off (you can freeze right up to and on the use-by date).

Check Love Food Hate Waste's website for more information and inspiration on wasting less food.

Alternative options

All food waste, including cooked, raw, dairy, meat and bones can be put in your green bin.

You can put things straight into the green bin. You can wrap food waste in newspaper or put it in a paper bag. Please do not use biodegradable 'plastic' or corn starch bags. These do not break down quickly enough and result in extra processing costs. Your bin could also be refused collection. More information on how the compost is made can be found on RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page.

Real corks can be put onto your own compost heap.

Alternative options

You can put real corks straight into the green bin.

Keep a set of cutlery in your bag, or pack some if you're heading out for the day and planning to eat on-the-go.

If you need extra cutlery for a special event, pick up a few extras at a charity shop and donate back afterwards, or hire some. Check out Party Kit Network for hire of plates, cutlery etc for children's parties.

Alternative options

Disposable wooden cutlery can be put in your green bin for composting.

Single-use plastic cutlery is no longer sold in the UK, but if you still have some to dispose of it needs to go in your black bin as it is not recyclable. 'Compostable' plastic cutlery must also be put in the black bin as it is not suitable for our green bin composting process or for home composting.

Add to your home compost heap, if you have one.

Alternative options

You can put things straight into the green bin. You can wrap food waste in newspaper or put it in a paper bag. Please do not use biodegradable 'plastic' or corn starch bags. These do not break down quickly enough and result in extra processing costs. Your bin could also be refused collection. More information on how the compost is made can be found on RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page.

Animal fat can be mixed with seeds to make bird feeders, you can find instructions on various websites, including the RSPB.

Alternative options

Avoid pouring down the drain – it can cause blockages and problems for wastewater treatment facilities. Find out more on Anglian Water's website. Allow fat to solidify and put in your green bin. You can buy devices called ‘fat traps’ to help with this, which are small biodegradable pads made from coconut fibre. You use them to soak up fat, which then solidifies, and the pad can be put in your green bin. 

Check use-by dates and freeze fish if you are not going to be able to use it in time (check packaging to ensure it has not already been frozen). You can freeze up to and on the use-by date.

Use up small amounts of fish in a kedgeree or other recipe - for inspiration see the Love Food Hate Waste website. 

Alternative options

All cooked and uncooked food waste, including fish, meat and bones can be put in your green bin.

You can put things straight into the green bin. You can wrap food waste in newspaper or put it in a paper bag. Please do not use biodegradable 'plastic' or corn starch bags. These do not break down quickly enough and result in extra processing costs. Your bin could also be refused collection. More information on how the soil improver is made can be found on RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page.

Not finished your chips? Did you know you can pop them in the fridge and re-heat them on a baking sheet in the oven the next day just like oven chips!

Chip shop paper is too greasy to recycle but it can be composted, along with any food scraps, in your green bin. Greasy paper-based or cardboard boxes from takeaway food can also be put in the green bin. 

We waste more food than we think. In UK households we waste 6.5 million tonnes of food every year, 4.5 million of which is edible (i.e. not onion skins, egg shells etc).

• Check your cupboards and fridge, plan meals and make a list before you shop 
• Hit pause on produce by freezing it before (or on) its use-by date 
• Get creative in the kitchen to use up food which would otherwise be wasted – find recipes online 
• Turn your fridge temperature down to below 5°C – keeping foods like milk fresher for longer 
• Check out all the tips and advice at Love Food Hate Waste

Alternative options

Add raw vegetable peelings or fruit skins to your home compost heap along with garden waste, if you have one.

Cooked food, meat and dairy produce should not be home composted without a specialist compost bin.

All food waste can be put in your green bin, including cooked, raw, meat, fish, bones and dairy.

You can put things straight into the green bin. You can wrap food waste in newspaper or put it in a paper bag. Please do not biodegradable 'plastic' or corn starch bags. These do not break down quickly enough and result in extra processing costs. Your bin could also be refused collection. More information on how the compost is made can be found on RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page.

Fruit pits or stones can be added to a home compost bin, but they take an extremely long time to break down. Those put into the green bin will go through a shredder and high temperature process giving them a better chance, and will continue to break down slowly when the compost is in use.

Some garden waste can be added to your home compost bin or heap. For more information, go to Recycle Now's website.

Alternative options

More information on how the soil improver is made from your garden and food waste can be found on RECAP’s website.You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page.

If you have excess garden waste this can be taken to Household Recycling Centres, with the exception of Japanese Knotweed. Household Recycling Centres are near Milton and Thriplow. More information can be found on Cambridgeshire County Council’s website. 

Do you need to use a gift tag? If you are seeing the person you a giving to, maybe not. For family members you could use reusable gift tags, and use them again next year, and for birthdays. You can have personalised ones made, or use chalkboard versions that wipe clean.

Or you could write directly onto the wrapping!

Alternative options

Plain card tags, without ribbon ties, glitter or other embellishments, can be composted at home or added to your green bin.

Gift tags are too small to be sorted correctly along with other card. Paper items smaller than postcard size often drop through sorting machinery and conveyors, ending up with glass, where they then have to be removed.

Add to your home compost bin, if you have one. Grass cuttings are a great 'activator', helping your compost to heat up and rot down faster, but they need to be layered with other drier materials (for example, prunings, shredded paper) so that they don't go sludgy.

Alternative options

You can put things straight into the green bin. You can wrap food waste in newspaper or put it in a paper bag. Please do not use BioBags or corn starch bags. These do not break down quickly enough and reduce the quality of the compost made. Your bin could also be refused collection. More information on how the compost is made can be found on RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page.

You can wash and re-use ordinary greaseproof paper a couple of times before it needs to be replaced.

Look out for reusable greaseproof paper (for example, Magic Non-Stick Liner), which you can cut to the shape of your favourite baking tins and then wash after each use.

Alternative options

Check whether your greaseproof paper has a silicone coating. If it does not you can add it to your home compost bin or your green bin.

If your greaseproof paper has a silicone coating, or if you are not sure, please put it in your black bin.

Love your leftovers! An average family of four could save £60 a month just by using up food before it goes to waste. Find lots of recipe inspiration and practical tips at Love Food Hate Waste. 

Alternative options

All cooked and uncooked food waste can go in your green bin.

You can put things straight into the green bin. You can wrap food waste in newspaper or put it in a paper bag. Please do not biodegradable 'plastic' or corn starch bags. These do not break down quickly enough and result in extra processing costs. Your bin could also be refused collection. More information on how the compost is made can be found on RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page.

You can put things straight into the green bin. You can wrap food waste in newspaper or put it in a paper bag. Please do not biodegradable 'plastic' or corn starch bags. These do not break down quickly enough and result in extra processing costs. Your bin could also be refused collection. More information on how the compost is made can be found on RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page.

If you have an open fire or woodburner, nutshells can be used as part of your kindling.

Alternative options

Nutshells can be put in a home compost bin, but they take an extremely long time to break down. When added to the green bin they pass through a shredder and a high temperature process, giving them a better chance. They will also continue to slowly break down while the compost is in use.

Reduce waste by using washable cloths for cleaning up spills.

Alternative options

Paper towels or kitchen roll (but not wet wipes) can be put in your green bin. Please do not put them in your blue bin as the paper is low quality and not suitable for recycling, as well as usually being wet or dirty.

It's important that cardboard for recycling is fairly clean and dry. Remove any food, and tear off any parts which look greasy (the greasy cardboard can be put in your green bin for composting).

Alternative options

Please put any cheesy or greasy parts of your pizza box in your green bin.

If you do not have a green bin and your pizza box has a lot of grease or food on it, it's best to put it in your black bin rather than your blue bin.

Sawdust, shavings, newspaper, hay and straw from small pets can be added to a home compost bin or heap.

Alternative options

Soiled sawdust or wood shavings from rabbit/guinea pig/hamster/gerbil cages can be put in your green bin. If you have large amounts please put in a paper bag, as the sawdust can blow out over the bin collectors when emptying the bin.

Alternative options

Add plastic-free tea bags and coffee grounds to your home compost bin, if you have one.  If your tea bags contain plastic this will remain as a fine mesh in your finished compost, becoming visible when it rains after spreading it. If you are not sure, split the bags open to compost the tea leaves and put the bags in your black bin.

You can find out more about composting on Recycle Now page.

You can put things straight into the green bin. You can wrap food waste in newspaper or put it in a paper bag. Please do not use BioBags or corn starch bags. These do not break down quickly enough and reduce the quality of the compost made. Your bin could also be refused collection. More information on how the compost is made can be found on RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page.

Save and reuse any tissue paper. This can be for wrapping presents or putting some tissue paper in the top of a gift bag to hide the gifts.

Alternative options

Before putting your tissue paper in the green bin please make sure that any sellotape has been removed.