Take-away packaging
Disposable or single use items such as food and drink take-away items can cause a lot of confusion over being recyclable or not. Some are made of polystyrene (PS) or polyethylene terephthalate (PETE) with a recycling symbol with the number 1 or high density polyethylene (HDPE) with a recycling symbol with the number 2. These types of items sound like they can be recycled but unfortunately it is not something we can accept in your household recycling bin. The good news is the government has banned single-use plastic packaging as of October 2023 meaning you're no longer allowed to use polystyrene food packaging and plastic cutlery.
Disposable cups and plates can be made of a bioplastic made from corn starch (PLA) or waxed coated paper or cardboard. These types of products are often marketed as being a sustainable and eco-friendly option for example being recyclable, biodegradable or compostable. These items sound like they should be easily recycled or composted but they are not something we can accept in your household recycling bin. Items promoted as compostable are not suitable for a home composter and will need to be put through an 'industrial composting' facility of which there are only few in the UK.
Biodegradable items are usually made from a plant based material and designed to breakdown which can take a long time. They may look like a plastic that can be recycled but they can't and we cannot accept them in your household recycling bin.
Reduce
Take a refillable cup out with you, most coffee shops will fill it.
Reuse
Disposable coffee cups make good plant pots or posts for crafts
Recycle - in your household recycling bin
No thank you
Other information
Disposable and single use food packaging are a regular feature in our local litter which can end up in our ditches, streams, rivers and beaches affecting wildlife and contributes to local flooding Marine Litter
Lots of information on how to reduce litter can be found at Keep Britain Tidy
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