Know Your Plastic
Hounslow Council is committed to making recycling as easy as possible, that is why we have partnered with London Recycles to highlight the household items that are commonly recycled incorrectly.
What types of plastic can be recycled?
Generally, the following plastic items can be recycled at home:
Clear and coloured plastic bottles
Soap bottles - remove pumps and stick them in the rubbish bin
Spray cleaners - leave the triggers in
Bleach bottles
Shampoo and shower gel bottles
Milk bottles
Pots for yoghurt, soup, dips and so on
Tubs for things like cheese spread and ice cream
Trays for fruit, veg, meat, sweet treats (like tarts and pies for example)
What types of plastic can't be accepted?
Plastic bottles containing chemicals (e.g. anti-freeze). This is because strong chemicals can harm staff in the material handling facility, as well as damage equipment
Crisp packets and sweet wrappers
Film lids from pots and trays
Laminated pouches, such as for cat food and coffee
Plastic toys
Medicine blister packs
Squeezy toothpaste tubes
Polystyrene
Top Tips
Rinse packaging- leftover food residue can ruin your recycling. A quick rinse will do.
Leave labels on but remove plastic film and chuck in your rubbish bin
Separate cardboard and paper from plastic packaging and pop in the recycling separately
Your crisps may be ready salted, but unlike spray bottles and yogurt pots they aren’t ready to be recycled at home.
Deciding what to eat can be a challenge but knowing what to recycle isn’t. Plastic bottles and trays? Yes. Polystyrene? No.
Brush up on your recycling know-how. Squeezable tubes are a no-no, while rinsed plastic bottles are a big yes-yes.
Wash your hands of bad recycling. Plastic bottles can be recycled – but sweet wrappers, foil pouches and soap pumps can’t be.
Face the facts. Disposable gloves and masks belong in the rubbish. Empty bottles of hand sanitiser belong in the recycling.
Shocking fact!
It's estimated that around 35.8 million plastic bottles are used EVERY DAY in the UK, but only 19.8 million of these are recycled. In London, we get through an average of two million plastic bottles of water every day. Consider investing in a reusable water bottle and Keep Cup and avoid single-use plastic wherever possible to help reduce plastic waste.
For further comprehensive recycling advice in Hounslow please click here