Recycling items people often get wrong

One test for when you are unsure

Sorting waste is hard because there are so many items. Most cases, though, come down to one question: can this be separated into a single material, in a clean state? If so, it goes in that recycling stream. If several materials are stuck together and cannot be separated, or it is badly soiled with food or grease, treat it as general waste. When dirty items get mixed into recycling, they are often thrown out together with clean ones at the sorting stage, so forcing a doubtful item into the bin can do more harm than good.

• Empty: leave nothing inside
• Rinse: wash off food and grease
• Separate: remove labels, caps and other materials
• Do not mix: keep each material apart

Paper that is not really paper

Receipts and queue tickets printed on thermal paper look like paper but carry a chemical coating, so they go in general waste. The same applies to photos, laminated flyers, wrapping paper with plastic film and paper soaked in grease. Milk and soy milk cartons should not be mixed with ordinary paper; the rule is to open them out, rinse them and collect them separately, but some areas have no carton bin, so check local guidance. Delivery boxes go out flattened, with tape and shipping labels removed.

• Receipts and queue tickets: general waste
• Photos, laminated or film-coated paper: general waste
• Milk cartons: rinse, flatten, collect as cartons
• Delivery boxes: remove tape and labels, flatten

Plastics and film people often get wrong

Many areas ask for clear drink bottles to be emptied, stripped of labels, crushed and capped, then put out separately. Instant noodle cups and takeaway containers can be recycled if a rinse gets them clean; if grease and sauce stains will not come off, treat them as general waste. Items that combine several materials, such as toothbrushes, ballpoint pens and rubber gloves, are mostly general waste. Snack bags and clean plastic film go with soft plastics, but shake out and rinse any food first.

Ice packs and cold packs

Ice packs depend on what is inside. Gel packs filled with super-absorbent polymer must not be poured down the drain; the rule is to throw the whole pack in general waste. If the filling is just water, pour it out and put the plastic with soft plastics. Some areas run separate ice pack collection points, where clean packs are reused. Polystyrene boxes can only be recycled once tape, labels and any other material are fully removed.

• Gel ice packs: whole pack in general waste
• Water ice packs: pour out water, plastic to soft plastics
• Use a local collection point if there is one
• Polystyrene: remove tape and labels, keep it clean

Glass and ceramics

Glass bottles and jars for drinks and sauces go in glass recycling after removing the lids and rinsing. Broken glass, mirrors, ceramic dishes and heat-resistant glassware, however, melt at different temperatures or have different compositions and must not be mixed with bottles. Wrap them in newspaper so no one gets cut, then put them out as general waste or in a special bag for non-combustible waste, depending on local rules. Writing that it contains broken glass on the outside helps protect collection workers.

Looks like food waste, but is not

A common tip for food waste is to ask whether an animal could eat it. Animal bones such as chicken bones, clam and crab shells, eggshells, hard fruit stones such as peach pits, and nut shells such as walnut shells are mostly classed as general waste. Many areas also list dry onion and garlic skins, tea bags and coffee grounds as general waste. The details can vary with how each area processes food waste, so treat your local guidance as the standard.

• Animal bones, clam and crab shells
• Eggshells and hard fruit stones
• Nut shells
• Dry onion and garlic skins, tea bags

Hazardous items to collect separately

Used batteries and fluorescent tubes should not go in general waste; take them to the dedicated bins at community centres or in apartment complexes. Lithium batteries from phones and power banks are especially dangerous in a rubbish bag, because they can catch fire if crushed or punctured. Leftover medicine goes to the collection point your area designates, such as a pharmacy or public health centre. Gas canisters and spray cans should be fully emptied outdoors in a well-ventilated spot before going out with metal cans.

• Batteries and fluorescent tubes: dedicated bins
• Lithium batteries: never in a rubbish bag
• Leftover medicine: designated collection point
• Gas cans: empty fully outdoors, then metal cans

How to check your local rules

Detailed sorting rules and collection days differ from council to council. The same item may be recycling in one place and general waste in another. If you have just moved, first check the household waste guide on your district or city website, or the notices from your apartment management office. Government recycling guides and item search services also exist, so make a habit of looking things up whenever an uncertain item comes along. Putting collection days in a calendar or reminder keeps you from missing them.