Recycling

When you arrive in your new home in the UK, you might find not just one rubbish bin for disposing of household waste, but a whole array of them. Likewise, on the street or in a public venue, you might find several bins for different types of rubbish. Sorting rubbish for recycling has become commonplace in the UK in recent years, but knowing what type of rubbish to recycle and where to put it can be confusing, even for long-term residents.

Recycling in any area is managed by the local authority. Different areas may also have different facilities for recycling. This means that the details of what can be recycled will vary from place to place. When you move into a new area, you should check on the local council website to find out how recycling is done in your area. 

Generally, in a house where you have individual large waste bins that get collected by the council, you will have several of those bins in your garden or bin storage area. In a block of flats, there is usually a common bin area. There may be one area for non-recyclable rubbish, and another area for recycling. 

Typically, there might be one bin for glass, one for plastic and cardboard packaging, and one for organic waste. In some areas there may be separate bins for paper and plastic, or glass may be disposed of together with packaging. Whichever way your local council sorts the recycling, bins for different types of rubbish will usually be colour-coded so that it’s easy to identify what goes where.

Food waste usually goes in the organic bin. Your local authority may issue you a small food bin to keep in your kitchen. Food scraps, vegetable peelings, bones and so on can go in there. Some areas may ask that these are then tied in a biodegradable food waste bag before disposing of them. Biodegradable waste bags are usually pale green and are readily available from supermarkets. 

Glass, plastic and other packaging should be rinsed clean before putting it in the bin. Lids should be removed, as they are often non-recyclable. You should check plastic packaging carefully. Not all of it can be recycled. Sometimes, for example with a plastic tray of meat from a supermarket, the thicker plastic part is recyclable but the thin plastic film on the top is not, and should be removed. The label will explain which parts can be recycled. 

In a public place such as a park, you may also see different bins for different types of rubbish. For those, there is no need to clean glass or other packaging before disposing of it.

Don’t worry if it all sounds complicated! Once you get used to the recycling system in your area, it will soon become second nature!