Guide to plastics

Erewash blue recycle bins accept:

Exceptions:

All of these numbered 1-6 can go in the standard blue bins, including yoghurt pots (which many sites say are not typically recycled):

"Residents can place all types of plastic in the green bags/blue bins for recycling but NOT polystyrene or black plastics and packaging such as black bin bags and black food trays. Check for the recycling triangle, anything with a number between 1 to 6 can be recycled, any other number please place in your household waste bin. You can recycle fizzy drink and water bottles, salad trays, milk bottles, bleach, cleaners and most shampoo bottles. Window cleaner and detergent bottles, some shampoo bottles, cooking oil bottles, carrier bags, margarine tubs, microwaveable meal trays, yoghurt pots, egg cartons and plastic cutlery."

Contrary to the label, Erewash will also accept these:

"Plastic bags (including carrier bags and bread bags) - clean bags can be tied in a knot and placed in your green bags and blue bins separately."

Quotes are sourced from A to Z of recycling in Erewash.

Soft Plastics

Type Erewash blue bins Asda Tesco Extra Co-op M&S Food

Baby, pet food, detergent and cleaning pouches

?

?

Y

Y

Y

Biscuit and chocolate wrappers

?

Y

Y

Y

Y

Bread bags

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Cereal liners

?

Y

Y

Y

Y

Cheese, fish and meat wrapping

?

Y

Y

Y

Y

Crisp packets and sweet bags

?

Y

Y

Y

Y

Delivery bags

?

Y

Y

Y

Y

Frozen food bags

?

Y

Y

Y

Y

Multi-pack wrapping

?

Y

Y

Y

Y

Plastic carrier bags

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Plastic film lids

?

Y

Y

Y

Y

Salad, pasta, and rice bags

?

Y

Y

Y

Y

Toilet roll wrapping

?

Y

Y

Y

Y

Source: RecycleNow - Find a recycling facility.

Other plastics

These materials are not profitable to recycle, and typically go to landfill. As an alternative to landfill, you can pay for these to be recycled by companies such as:

Terracycle

Recycling these products is hard. You must visit the Terracycle website and search for a "drop off point" that will accept that specific type of product. Pringles can? A few places in Nottingham accept them. Carex soap pouches? The website won't say!

See Terracycle collection programmes

Why is it so hard?

These products are difficult and not profitable to recycle. Terracycle is partly a sponsorship programme for companies to help consumers recycle their awkward packaging, but the method itself remains awkward too.

Green dot... is not a recycling symbol

Ignore this symbol and look for another one.

"The Green Dot symbol does not mean that the packaging it is applied to is recyclable. It does not have any environmental or recycling meaning; therefore, should not be used to bolster an environmental claim." - Green Dot Licence.