A binman has warned that a common item doesn’t belong in your recycling bin as it can contaminate your waste and lead to it being rejected by bin collectors, so you need to be careful
Katie-Ann Gupwell Content Editor
10:46, 03 Jan 2026Updated 10:47, 03 Jan 2026
Binmen can refuse to take away your waste (stock image)(Image: Richard Newstead via Getty Images)
There’s nothing more unsightly than rubbish strewn about outside your home, so it’s crucial to recycle and dispose of your waste properly. However, a binman has issued a warning that your recycling could be “rejected” and left uncollected if you mistakenly include a common item in the bin.
Contrary to what many might think, not all items can be tossed into the plastic recycling, even though it may seem logical to lump all such items together. A popular binman, known on TikTok as The No1 Binman, has revealed the one item you should exclude to prevent contamination of your recycling.
He shared this vital information in an online video, and his advice may come as a surprise. It turns out, you’ve likely been recycling something incorrectly for years, and it could potentially cause issues if you make a mistake.
In the video, he clarified: “Crisp packets do not belong in your recycling bin. You’re meant to take them to the supermarket and recycle them there, because it’s a different type of plastic.
“Just like carrier bags, just like film, bubble wrap – all that stuff does not go in your recycling. Take it to the tip, they can sometimes dispose of it there differently, or take it to a supermarket.
“There’s loads of stuff. Polystyrene, plastic, but it doesn’t go in your recycling bin, because it takes up too much room and it costs too much money to recycle because there’s barely any plastic in it. It’s mainly air.
“Please check before you put it in your bin. Normally, it’s like tins and bottles. Easy things to put in the recycling.
“Please check before you do it because you don’t want your bin to be contaminated. Don’t be the person who gets their bin rejected when you want it to be emptied.”
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What many people don’t realise is that crisp packets typically can’t be recycled alongside your standard household recycling waste. This is down to the fact they’re manufactured from mixed metallised plastic film, rather than pure foil or plastic, which conventional facilities are unable to separate.
Fortunately, there’s no need to panic, as you can recycle them through specialist collection programmes such as TerraCycle or at numerous supermarket drop-off locations for “soft plastics”. At these points, they’re gathered alongside plastic bags so they can be handled appropriately.
Can binmen refuse to collect your recycling?
Binmen are able to, and frequently do, refuse to collect people’s waste if it contains incorrect items. They may also decline to take waste that’s excessively heavy, or if there’s “side waste”, meaning additional bags or items placed beside the bin.
The reason for this is that contamination can spoil entire loads and cause damage to sorting facilities, potentially resulting in bins being left uncollected or marked for correction. This is precisely why it’s crucial to get it right, otherwise you could find yourself stuck with a significant amount of unwanted rubbish.
Depositing non-recyclable items such as food waste, soft plastics, polystyrene or even oily pizza boxes into your recycling bin is a frequent cause for bins not being collected. Bins that are overfilled, too heavy or have the lid open are often left behind.
If you find yourself in this situation, your local council will likely affix a sticker to the bin indicating why it wasn’t emptied. You’ll then need to remove the inappropriate items before the next collection day.
It’s advisable to consult your local council guidelines to understand the specific rules applicable to your area.