07 Mar 2025
Most of us like to regularly recycle here in the UK but the job can be confusing at times, with different authorities running different systems and continual doubt over what can be recycled and where.
And when it comes to recycling there are some huge misconceptions and a whole lot of misinformation floating around. So let’s start by clearing up the top 10 most common recycling myths!
1. a green dot logo means an item is recyclable.
Nope. The Green Dot symbol actually has a negative impact on the UK’s recycling levels and encourages contamination. This is because the symbol does NOT automatically mean the packaging is recyclable. It has no environmental or recycling meaning and unfortunately people wrongly think it DOES. It simply means a company has made a financial contribution towards recycling efforts. If all you can see on your packaging is this symbol - you can’t recycle the pack.
2. plastic bags can now be recycled from home.
Not true. Of course it is correct that lots of plastic bags ARE recyclable… they just CAN’T go in your at-home recycling bin.
That doesn’t mean you can’t recycle them though. You can just take them along to your local supermarket instead and they will recycle them for you. Phew.
3. adding the odd non-recyclable item is fine.
Finding the wrong things in a recycling stream can cause huge problems at the recycling facility. Just one incorrect item like some food or a nappy can contaminate an entire batch of recycling, sending it off to landfill or the incinerator.
Always sort your recycling according to the directions from your local authority so you can rest more assured that your waste is being recycled.
4. recycling uses more energy than it saves.
Wrong again. Recycling saves a HUGE amount of energy.
Recycling aluminium cans saves 95% of the energy needed to make new cans from raw materials. For steel and tin it’s about a 70% saving and for paper and glass it’s about a 40% saving ¹
5. You can’t recycle items made from more than one material.
YES, YOU CAN!
Admittedly, this was not the case when recycling first came along. But technology has come a long way.
Take our refill cartons. They’re made of cardboard with a thin layer of plastic lamination BUT 97% of local authorities now accept these for recycling either in your kerbside collection or at local recycling centres.
Recycling machines can now break down these items into their constituent materials allowing for complete recycling. In this way you will probably find you no longer need to remove the plastic windows from envelopes, or the staples from documents.
And don’t worry if you live in the 3% of authorities that don’t yet have recycling available for cartons… you can just send your smol empties back to us for free and we’ll make sure they’re recycled for you.
6. recycling doesn’t need to be clean.
Yes it does! Plastic bottles, pots and cans, must all be clean and dry before they are put in your recycling bins. Items received at the recycling plants that are dirty or wet can cause real problems for recycling facilities and make it difficult to process the materials correctly.
So make sure your recycling is clean - why not use leftover washing up water to rinse things out? That way you’ll also save water.
7. always crush aluminium cans to save space.
Wrong. The recycling plants DO NOT want us crushing our food tins or aluminium cans.
At the recycling centre, materials are separated into flat items, like paper and card, and non-flat items like cans and bottles. It can cause real issues if flat fizzy drinks cans end up in the paper recycling area.
Time to stop stomping on those cans.
8. You can only recycle things once.
NOT TRUE.
Glass and aluminium can effectively be recycled indefinitely, without a loss of quality.
Even the average piece of printer paper can be recycled 5-7 times nowadays before the paper fibres become too damaged to be useful as new paper. And even then they can still be used to recycle into lower-grade papers like egg cartons.
Plastic can also be recycled multiple times, although it’s unlikely that recycled plastic can be used to contain food. When plastic is recycled its polymers break down making it unsuitable for items that have strict requirements… but there are a whole host of other uses for recycled plastic.
Like our bottles-for-life made from 100% recycled plastic. Our liquid and tablet refills mean your multi purpose spray, washing up liquid, fabric conditioner, laundry liquid, stain gel, floor cleaner, bathroom spray and foaming handwash CAN ALL be refilled in the comfort of your own home. Waving goodbye to single-use plastic.
9. broken glass can go in your kerbside collection.
Not so. Most councils won’t take broken glass in a kerbside bin because of the risk it presents to the refuse workers.
It’s better to take your broken glass to a bottle bank or local recycling centre. And it’s also worth knowing that you can’t recycle window panes, toughened glass, mirrors or light bulbs. These all need to go in your regular waste bin.
10. aerosols cannot be recycled.
YES THEY CAN.
Around 60% of aerosols are made from tin plated steel and the other 40% are made from aluminium. Both of these metals are recyclable. By recycling your aerosols you're saving valuable metals that can be recycled an infinite number of times!
Just remember these dos and don'ts when recycling your aerosols…
do:
- remove easily removable parts (like the lid) and dispose of them with the aerosol
- throw any attached plastic straws into general waste
- ensure it’s empty. Aerosols with product left inside are still pressurised, meaning they could explode or combust if punctured or crushed.
don't:
- pierce, crush or flatten the aerosol
- remove the nozzle
- recycle aerosols that still contain product
Remember. Recycling conserves resources and protects the environment. That’s why it’s so important to get things right. It reduces the amount of waste sent to landfill and incineration; it conserves natural resources, such as timber, water and minerals; and it prevents pollution by reducing the need to collect new raw materials.
Check out our handy guide to recycling symbols for more useful information to help you get recycling right!
¹ Environmental Protection Agency 2022
² Recycle Now 2024