PLASTIC TUBS AND TRAYS

Where can I recycle »

Increasingly, plastic packaging such as pots, tubs and trays are being accepted as part of household recycling schemes. Collections of these items does vary across the country though – so please check with your council in the first instance.

If your council does accept these items, typically it will include:

• Yoghurt pots;
• Food ‘pots / tubs’ for soup, noodles and cakes;
• Tubs containing cleaning products like stain remover and detergent;
• Meat trays;
• Margarine tubs;
• Ready-meal containers;
• Punnet style containers that hold fruit/vegetables, such as mushrooms or grapes;
• Hair gel containers;
• Pots containing facial or body creams.

How to recycle...

• Give items a quick rinse using your left-over washing up water;
• Squash / flatten (where appropriate) - it saves space in your recycling bin!
• Do not include plastic film lids or clingfilm.

Note:

Other types of plastic pots and tubs, such as flower pots, cannot be recycled at home: however you can sometimes recycle them at household waste and recycling centres.  The best option for these types of tubs is to find a keen gardener who might be able to re-use them! Alternatively, a or local allotment group may be able to make use of them – contact the National Allotment Society or your local council for details of your nearest group.

What else can I do with them?

• Plastic pots, tubs and trays can be very useful for storing odds and ends - from paperclips, to jewellery to pens and pencils!