In the past decade, we have become increasingly aware of the environmental impacts humans have on the planet. On a daily basis, many of us try to reduce this burden – whether we shop sustainably, avoid single-use plastics, or reduce our meat consumption.
Often thought to be one of the easiest ways to make a difference, new research by retailer LitterBins.co.uk has found that one in four of us don’t know which of our household items need to be recycled, and 21 per cent of us don’t recycle at all. Earlier this year, London’s Tower Hamlets was named by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) as having the worst household recycling rates in England.
According to the survey, millennials are the most informed on recycling, with only 18 per cent of 25- to 34 year-olds admitting to not knowing what to recycle, followed by 19 per cent of 16- to 24-year-olds. On the other hand, nearly one in four adults aged over 45 didn’t know which household items needed to be recycled.
Why are we not recycling?
Although many of us would assume that there’s a one-size-fits-all approach to recycling in the UK, it’s far from the truth. There are nearly 40 different bin collection regimes across 391 local authorities in the UK, and rules and regulations are not aligned. On top of a number of long-standing misconceptions around what can and can’t be recycled, area-dependent rules cause even more confusion.
Pledges concerning recycling – from education to standardised regulations – are noticeably absent from the new Labour government’s plans. In the meantime, you can find a list of some of the surprising household items you can recycle, and those you can’t, below, and be sure to check what you can recycle in your local authority with Recycle Now’s search tool.
Household items that you can recycle
Coat hangers
Empty bleach bottles
Ink cartridges
Leftover paint (needs to be hardened first)
Foil (cleaned and scrunched into a ball)
Old toilets, sinks, and baths
Household items that you can’t recycle
Plastic and paper contaminated with food/grease
Kitchen roll
Mirrors
Nail polish bottles
Polystyrene
Disposable nappies
