Recycle Frequently Asked Questions

What can I put in my recycling bin?

You can find a full list of what you can put into your kerbside recycling by opening or downloading our ‘items accepted for recycling at Casepak document (PDF).

Where does my recycling go?

All of the recyclable materials collected from your kerbside bin are currently sent to and sorted at Casepak, a Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) in Leicester.

The exception is North West Leicestershire District Council, which works a little differently – if you’re a North West Leicestershire resident, you can check what happens to your recycling on their webpage.

What happens if I put the wrong things in my recycling bin?

If you put the wrong items in your recycling bin, they will be sent for disposal and will not be recycled. Sometimes things like nappies and food waste could actually spoil the rest of the recyclables and mean a whole load may need to be disposed of.

The label on the packaging says it’s recyclable. Why can’t I recycle it in my recycling bin?

Recycling symbols are printed on packaging by the manufacturer. These show that the material could possibly be recycled but only if there are suitable local facilities to process the material.

To find out what we are able to collect in Leicestershire’s kerbside recycling bin, visit our ‘items accepted for recycling at Casepak‘ page.

Does all the recycling just get sent to landfill?

No, all materials are sent to appropriately licensed facilities. Any contaminated material will be sent to energy recovery as refuse derived fuel (RDF). You can find out further information by visiting our ‘what happens to your kerbside recycling’ page.

What are most common items found in the kerbside recycling that shouldn’t be there?

The most common contaminants found in the recycling bin are nappies, food and textiles.

Nappies, both used and unused, should never be placed in your recycling bin. They can spoil any other material they come into contact with and have to be removed by hand at the sorting facility. Please put them in your general rubbish bin.

Packaging that still contains food and drink should be emptied, rinsed and dried before being placed into your recycling bin. Dirty packaging runs the risk of soiling other materials, like paper and card which cannot be cleaned.

Textiles should be left out of your mixed kerbside recycling bin. They can become wrapped around the sorting facility equipment, causing extensive and costly damage. They can also come into contact with all sorts of contamination, including unidentifiable liquids and broken glass, which is impossible to remove and mean that they cannot be reused or recycled and have to be sent for disposal.

We’d recommend selling them, donating them or dropping them off at a charity shop, clothing bank or your nearest Recycling and Household Waste Site. Your local council may also provide a separate clothing collection, so make sure to check with them.

Where should I dispose of household batteries?

It is important to dispose of household batteries responsibly by taking them to your local supermarket or the battery bin at a RHWS. If not handled correctly, batteries can rupture and cause a hazard to health and/or cause damage to machinery. Do not dispose of batteries in either your general waste or recycling collection bins.

How clean does my recycling need to be?

Any items placed in the kerbside recycling bin need to be rinsed and dried. This prevents contamination of other materials. Any residue left inside items could potentially leak out and contaminate paper and card making it unsuitable for recycling. Please take a look at our page on how to present your recycling.

Should I put my recycling in a carrier bag/bin bag?

No, items in your recycling bin should be kept loose. This helps with the sorting process. Any items tied up in carrier bags could potentially be removed and end up not being recycled.

Do labels need to be removed from items like tins or bottles before they are recycled?

No, labels can be left on bottles and jars and do not need to be removed.

Do I need to keep lids on bottles and jars?

Where possible it’s best to keep lids on bottles and jars. This helps to capture them during the sorting process, especially when it comes to smaller lids.

Why can other areas recycle different materials to us and when will this change?

Currently, different local authorities send their recycling to different recycling facilities. The items/materials that are accepted by these facilities may vary slightly by area. In Leicestershire, Casepak, which is a Materials Recycling Facility in Leicester, currently sorts a wide range of materials, as they have sustainable and economically viable end destinations where they get recycled.

The government has consulted with local authorities and others however, concerning materials accepted for recycling, with the aim of each local authority collecting a consistent set of recyclable materials in the future. From 31 March 2026, local authorities must collect a consistent set of recyclables which are, glass, metal, plastic, paper and card. Food waste must also be collected and will be collected at least once a week.

You can find out more by reading our simpler recycling article.

Why do bottles need to be empty?

Any bottles with liquid in them have to be removed and sent for disposal as the liquid could leak during the sorting and baling processes, spoiling other materials. In addition, there is no way of telling whether the liquid is hazardous, thus posing a potential danger to staff if it leaks.

Should I squash bottles and containers?

Ideally, no. Keeping bottles and containers in their original shape helps keep them separate from flat objects such as paper and card in the sorting process. However, some squashing is not a problem if you are limited for space in your recycling bin.

Can I put black plastic in the recycling bin?

Currently black plastic isn’t accepted in the kerbside recycling (unless you live in North West Leicestershire).

The recycling is sent to Casepak, which is a Material Recycling Facility in Leicester. It currently does not have the technology to capture black plastic.

This is because the optical sorters at the facility do not capture black plastics. They are dependent on the amount of light that can pass through the bottles. With black plastic no light can pass through therefore it cannot be captured.

Casepak are constantly looking into the best ways to capture as much material as possible. However, the market for black plastic is currently not appealing to invest in technology to recover it.

What type of glass can I put in my recycling bin?

Glass bottles and jars can be placed into your kerbside recycling. Please make sure they are rinsed and dried first. Drinking glasses, window glass, Pyrex, flat glass, shower screens and cubicles cannot be placed into your kerbside recycling and need to be wrapped and put in your general rubbish bin or taken to your local Recycling and Household Waste Site. Please note, there can be a charge to dispose of window glass, flat glass, shower screens and shower cubicles. For further information please see the Leicestershire County Council website.

Where do I recycle soft plastics?

Clean soft plastics such as bread bags and fruit/vegetable bags can be put in your kerbside recycling bin across Leicestershire (excluding North West) or taken to some local supermarkets. Supermarkets are able to accept a wider range of these plastics so if you are unsure, please take them to your local supermarket. For more information, please check our items accepted for recycling at Casepak page or your local supermarket’s website.

What should I do with clothes and other textiles that are no longer wearable/useable?  

If you have clothing, shoes or any other textiles that cannot be repaired or reused by someone else, please do not put the items in your kerbside recycling bin. When they are mixed with other materials (such as glass) in this bin they become contaminated. Once contaminated, they cannot be recycled and may cause damage to machinery. 

Instead of putting these items in your general waste bin, could you use them at home for cleaning? You could also take them to a charity shop labelled as rags, but they must be clean and dry. Please check the charity accepts these before donating them. Alternatively, M&S has joined together with Oxfam to trial a free postal scheme for wearable and unwearable textiles.

What to do with clothes/textiles that you no longer want but that are still in wearable/useable condition? 

If you’ve got some clothes that you no longer want but that are still in good condition, try and pass them on to someone else to keep them in use for longer.  Keeping clothing and textiles in use for as long as possible not only reduces waste but it also reduces their carbon and water footprint, which is better for the environment.   

You could swap them with friends or family or look out for a Swishing (clothes swapping) event near you. We even have a Swishing Toolkit to help guide you through organising your own event.  

Alternatively, you could donate them to a local charity, take them to your local Recycling and Household Waste Site, bring bank or one of the bring back schemes offered by some of the high street retailers. You can also try out the new postal donation scheme that is free to use, being trialled by M&S in conjunction with Oxfam.

Some district councils do have a separate textile recycling collection – so make sure to check locally. There are also plenty of online sites for selling second–hand or preloved clothes. However you choose to do it, please remember that clothing and textiles can’t be recycled from your kerbside recycling bin at home.