15 things you can't recycle at home (but you might think you can)
Check what you can recycle before putting it in the bin
It’s easy to feel good when you put something in the recycling bin, imagining it being reinvented as something new and useful. But here’s the thing. Not everything we think is recyclable actually is, and putting non-recyclable items in with ones that can be recycled can cause contamination. And that can mean that whole batches of waste - even the stuff that actually can be recycled - can potentially end up in landfill.
Just to confuse matters further, things that some councils will recycle, aren’t accepted by others. Helpful. Not.
These are some of the everyday items you might think are recyclable, but actually aren’t.
1. Pizza boxes (when they’re greasy)
Cardboard = recyclable, right? Well, yes… unless it’s covered in grease or cheese. Food residue soaks into the fibers and makes it impossible to recycle properly.
What to do instead: Tear off and recycle any clean bits, like the lid and put the rest into the general bin (or compost if your area allows).
2. Coffee cups
Paper coffee cups are lined with a thin layer of plastic to stop leaks, and that plastic-paper combo is a nightmare to separate in most recycling systems.
What to do instead: Bring a reusable cup, or look for shops that offer compostable versions.
3. Receipts
Receipts can’t be recycled
Most receipts are made from thermal paper – a special type of paper that reacts with heat to display text. To achieve these thermal properties, the paper is coated in BPA, an industrial chemical which renders receipts unsuitable for recycling or composting.
What to do instead: get your receipts sent to you by email if that’s an option
4. Plastic bags and film
Supermarket bags, bread bags, bubble wrap, and cling film - they’re all bad news for recycling machines.
What to do instead: Many supermarkets now have drop-off bins specifically for plastic film.
5. Polystyrene
Packing peanuts may look recyclable, but they’re not
You might think packing peanuts, foam cups, and takeout boxes are recyclable since they’re technically plastic, but most recycling centres can’t process them because they’re light, messy, and not worth the effort.
What to do instead: Reuse the packing peanuts, try to avoid foam cups or look for biodegradable versions.
6. Toothpaste tubes
Toothpaste tubes – and other squeezable tubes – can be tricky to recycle. This is because they’re usually made from a mix of materials that are tightly fused together – often made using a thin layer of aluminium that’s sandwiched between several layers of plastic. Separating those layers is both tricky and expensive for recyclers. So instead, those empty tubes often end up in landfill.
What to do instead: Look for brands which are using recyclable tubes. Most of the big ones are moving to the type of plastic that’s used to make milk bottles.
7. Shiny wrapping paper
Shiny wrapping paper is a recycling no-no
That glittery, metallic, laminated wrapping paper is a recycling no-no. The dyes, plastics, and sparkles make it unrecyclable. Even some “regular-looking” wrapping paper can’t be recycled if it’s coated or has shiny motifs on it.
What to do instead: Use craft paper, brown paper, newspaper, or reusable fabric wraps instead.
8. Tomato paste tubes
Unlike tin cans, metal tubes are difficult to rinse out properly, especially when they’ve been squeezed and crumpled to get the sauce out. This means they’re usually still coated with leftover paste which can spoil entire batches of recycling.
What to do instead: buy your tomato paste in glass jars
9. Paper towels & napkins
Once they’ve been used you can’t put paper napkins in the recycling bin
They’re paper, yes, but by the time you’ve used them they’re usually contaminated with food, grease, or cleaning chemicals and that’s what means they can’t be recycled.
What to do instead: Compost them - as long as they’re not soaked in chemicals.
10. Broken glassware
Whilst drinking glasses are made of glass (which is recyclable), they’re made from a different combination of materials than glass bottles and jars and are heat-treated so they don’t melt at the same temperature as other glass items. It’s this that makes them unsuitable for recycling. So if you’ve broken a drinking glass, it should go in your general waste bin.
What to do instead: you can recycle broken drinking glasses at your local recycling centre. Put broken glass in the hardcore and rubble section, so it can be reused in construction projects.
11. Nail varnish bottles
Despite being made of glass, nail varnish bottles can’t be recycled
Despite also being made of glass, nail varnish bottles shouldn’t be recycled because the nail varnish inside is difficult to remove and could contaminate other glass that can be recycled.
What to do instead: not much alternative to this one!
12. Train tickets
The black strip on the back of a ticket – the bit that holds all the information about your journey so that you can get through the automatic barriers – contains a mix of metallic and volatile components which are too difficult to separate in the recycling process.
What to do instead: Get an eTicket, mobile app or pre-loadable smart card
13. Clothes hangers
Keep used hangers out of your recycling
Most clothes hangers – whether they are made of plastic, metal, or wood – can’t be recycled at home.
What to do instead: try donating them to charity shops, which may take hangers in good condition to reuse. Alternatively, you could offer them for free on online marketplaces. If they’re broken or can’t be reused, your local recycling centre may take them in specific bins, depending on the material.
14. Used tissues, wet wipes and cotton buds
All of these are made from mixed materials and contaminated with dirt once used so not recyclable on two fronts.
What to do instead: switch to recyclable alternatives, like bamboo cotton buds and cotton handkerchiefs.
15. Post-it notes
The glue on the adhesive strip of these oh-so-useful bits of stationery can't always be removed during the recycling process, so many centres refuse to accept them. When the sticky material gets in the pulper and it starts to separate out, the gum can appear in the final product, looking like streaks on a newspaper.
What to do instead: Use torn strips of paper attached with paper clips (on other bits of paper) or blue tac (on surfaces)
Top recycling tips
to make sure your good intentions don’t accidentally ruin your recycling efforts.
🔍 Check your area’s recycling guide – Rules vary from council to council and area to area so this is the number one thing to do. Most councils have pretty good recycling information on their websites.
🧽 Rinse your containers – A quick swish of water to remove food residue goes a long way. (No need for them to be sparkling clean, just not covered in sauce)
🥤 Lids on or off? – Check local rules. Some areas want lids on plastic bottles, some off. If in doubt, keep them on to stop them falling through sorting machines.
📦 Flatten cardboard boxes – Saves space and makes sorting easier.
🚫 No tanglers – Hoses, wires, clothing, and Christmas lights don’t belong in the bin. They jam machinery.
♻️ When in doubt, leave it out – One dirty container or rogue item can spoil a whole batch of recycling so better safe than sorry.
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