Nobody wants rubbish piling up outside their home, which is why it’s crucial to dispose of waste and recycling properly. Yet a binman has issued a warning that your recycling could be “rejected” and left uncollected if you mistakenly include one common household item.
What many don’t realise is that not everything plastic can go into the recycling bin, despite assumptions that all plastic items can be bundled together. A popular binman on TikTok, known as The No1 Binman, has revealed the specific item that must be kept out, as it can actually contaminate your entire recycling load.
He outlined what householders need to understand in a video posted online, and his advice may come as quite a shock. There’s a good chance you’ve been recycling incorrectly for years, potentially causing issues with your collection.
In his footage, he stated: “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.”
He added: “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.”
What many households may not realise is that crisp packets typically cannot be recycled alongside regular domestic recycling waste. This is due to their composition of mixed metallised plastic film, rather than pure foil or plastic, which conventional facilities are unable to separate.
Fortunately, there are alternative solutions available, as crisp packets can be recycled through specialist collection programmes such as TerraCycle or at numerous supermarket drop-off locations designated for “soft plastics”. At these points, they’re gathered alongside plastic bags to ensure appropriate processing.
Can binmen refuse to collect your recycling?
Refuse collectors are within their rights to decline collecting waste if it contains incorrect items that contaminate the load. They may also refuse bins that are excessively heavy or if there’s “side waste”, meaning additional bags or items placed beside the bin.
Contamination poses a serious problem as it can spoil entire batches and cause damage to sorting equipment, potentially resulting in bins being left uncollected or marked for rectification. Therefore, it’s absolutely crucial to dispose of waste correctly, otherwise you risk being stuck with accumulated rubbish.
Depositing non-recyclable materials 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 weighty, 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.