Types of plastic and how to recycle them
The 7 types of recyclable plastic.
| Where you'll find it | Soft drinks bottles, food packaging such as punnets | Milk cartons, cleaning products, yoghurt pots, soap dispensers | Blister packs, meat trays, pipe fittings, window fittings |
Food bags, shopping bags, magazine wrapping |
Margarine tubs, microwave meal trays, soup pots | Rigid items: Some yoghurt pots, meat trays, aspirin bottles Foam items: packaging | This includes other forms of plastic including composites, such as salad bags and crisp packets |
| How to dispose of it | At Kerbside Recycling | At kerbside recycling | Not yet recyclable, with general waste* | At collection points in some supermarkets** | At kerbside recycling | Rigid items: at kerbside recycling Foam items: with general waste | Not yet recyclable, with general waste* |
| Next life | Most often used to make more PET products | Garden furniture, pipes and more milk cartons | Most often used to make PVC products | Bin liners, plastic furniture and floor tiles | Clothing fibres, food containers, speed humps | Insulation, foam packaging | More crisp packets |
* Although these items cannot be recycled at the kerbside, visit terracycle to investigate further recycling options
** Although these items cannot be recycled at the kerbside, visit recycle now to explore further options
Last reviewed: