Twelve items you might not know can go in your recycling bin

This year marks 25 years of Planet Ark’s National Recycling Week (Monday 9 - Sunday 15 November).

In 2020 the theme is ‘Recovery – A future beyond the bin’ and aims to teach people to value their resources and give them a second life by reusing and recycling.

Did you know that these 12 household items can go in your recycling bins?

Shredded paper: can be recycled if it is contained inside a cardboard box like a shoebox, or paper bag.Sticky tape: doesn’t have to be removed from paper or cardboard before popping them in your blue paper recycling binWindow envelopes: the plastic window doesn’t need to be removed. Simply place the whole envelope in your blue paper recycling bin.Staples: can be left in your paper and cardboard boxes. Magnets will remove them during the recycling process.Clean pizza boxes: or other takeaway food boxes can be recycled in the blue paper bin if they are clean. However, dirty parts need to go into the red landfill bin.Aluminium foil: can be recycled in your yellow bin if you squish it into a ball about the size of a tennis ball.A plastic container with no recycling symbol: can still be recycled! Pop it in the yellow plastic recycling bin.Aerosol cans: can be safely recycled if they are completely empty and intact. No need to remove the plastic spray nozzle. Remember small disposable gas canisters can’t be recycled in the yellow bin due to danger of explosion. These are disposed of at a Chemical CleanOut event.Milk, stock and juice cartons: can be put in the yellow recycling bin regardless of whether they have a foil lining or not.Candle jars: can be recycled when clean. Hot tip – put the candle jar in the freezer and after an hour or so you can tap the leftover wax at the bottom of the jar out!Lids: can be recycled if they are plastic, steel or aluminium. Keep them screwed onto the top of the container so they don’t get lost in the recycling processSticky notes: can be recycled as the adhesive does not interfere with the recycling process as it is removed during the deinking process.

For more information on National Recycling Week, visit Planet Ark’s Recycling Near You. If you have an item and you’re not sure if it can be recycled, check out our A-Z Guide of Recycling, Reuse and Disposal.