Advice on sorting out recycling problems

Only certain plastics are suitable

It is not possible for us to collect and separate all types of plastic for recycling. The blue bin targets the main plastic containers from your weekly food shop, it is not designed to collect every type of waste plastic you produce.

Black plastic can't be recycled

Plastic items are sorted by optical scanners which use the reflection of light to identify the types of plastics. As black plastic does not reflect light it cannot be seen and sorted.

Other coloured plastics

Providing it is a bottle, tub, pot or tray it can be recycled in the blue lidded bin. Please ensure no hard/rigid plastics are included. Also, no plant pots.

Recycling unsuitable plastic items

Hard plastic items like broken toys, coat hangers, plastic plates can’t be placed in the blue lidded bin. If they can be reused, please take them to a charity shop. If they are broken then take them to the recycling and household waste site (leicestershire.gov.uk) or, as a last resort, put them in the black (refuse) bin.

Plant pots and seed trays - reuse please

You can reuse plant pots and seed trays. If you can’t reuse them then put them in the black (refuse) bin. Some garden centres offer a reuse scheme so check with your local garden centre.

Last updated: 24/08/2023 11:57