What Bin Does it Go In?

Have you ever stood in front of your bins with an item and asked yourself ‘what bin does this thing go in?’ Yes, it can get confusing, but councils now hand out fines for putting the wrong things in the bin. Not to mention that there’s always room for improvement when it comes to saving things from the bin!

What Bin Does it Go In?

Some waste just has to go in the bin. Think dirty nappies, used tissues, that kind of thing. However, when it comes to other types of waste, you should try and reuse or recycle as much as you can.

What Bin Do Batteries Go In?

Come on, own up. How many times have you thrown a used battery in bin without thinking? Batteries should never go in your waste bin as they contain hazardous waste.

What should I do with Batteries?

Some local authorities accept batteries in their kerbside recycling scheme. However, you’ll probably get strict instructions on how to recycle them. For example, you may need to put them in a clear plastic bag and tie them to your recycling bin. Don’t try to recycle batteries without checking if your local authority recycles them first.

You should always take car batteries to a proper collection point as they won’t be accepted for recycling.

What Bin Does Textile Products Go In?

What bin does clothing and textiles go in? The answer is not one of your home bins. Even if it’s just that one holey t-shirt you want to get rid of, don’t put it in your waste or recycling bin. However, there are things you can do with them.

So what should I do with Textiles?

According to Recycle Now, we throw away around 336,000 tonnes of unwanted clothing in the UK every year. That’s lots of precious resources that don’t need to end up in the bin. Instead of throwing clothing or textiles away you can:

• Donate them to charity if they are in good condition;
• Recycle them at recycling points or clothing and textile banks. Old clothing and textiles can become padding for car seats and chairs, cleaning cloths, or completely new clothing.
• Take them back to a retailer. High street stores like M&S and H&M have their own bring back schemes for clothing.

What Bin Can I Put Carrier Bags In?

When thinking about what bin carrier bags go in, you might already know you can’t recycle them. That’s because plastic bags get caught up in machinery at the recycling plant and cause jams. Just because you can’t recycle them, it doesn’t mean they’re destined for the bin though.

So what should I do with Carrier Bags

Reuse them. Plastic carrier bags are handy for:

• Using as bin liners;
• Bagging up your dirty gym kit or football boots;
• Protecting the rest of your luggage from spillages and dirty shoes on holiday;
• Recycle them. Many major supermarkets now have plastic bag recycling points.

What Bin Does Polystyrene Go In?

Polystyrene is a type of plastic that’s not commonly recycled. That’s a shame considering the stuff just seems to be everywhere, right? The good news is that you can save it from your rubbish bin.

So what should I do with Polystyrene?

• Check with your local council to see if you can recycle it. Some local authorities have the facilities to recycle some types of polystyrene.
• Polystyrene is often used to package white goods and TVs. If you buy a product like this, ask the retailer if they will take it away.
• Use it in the garden. Polystyrene cups are perfect for planting seeds in to start them off. Putting polystyrene foam in plant pots can also help with drainage.
• If you’re getting crafty with the kids, polystyrene food trays are great for mixing paints.

What Bin Does Glass Go In?

You can recycle many different types of everyday items made from glass. From beer bottles to glass jars, you can recycle them many times with no loss of quality. However, there are some glass items you can’t put in the recycling such as Pyrex dishes, vases, and wine glasses. There are ways to save glass from the bin though. 

So what should I do with Glass?

• Reuse glass jars as storage or candle holders. You can turn old wine bottles into candle holders or lights. We’ve even seen them become bird feeders!
• If your unwanted wine glasses, vases, or Pyrex dishes are in good condition, donate them to a charity shop.

What Bin Does Metal Go In?

What bin does metal go in? Well the answer to that question very much depends on the type of metal. Food tins and drinks cans are made from aluminium which you can recycle infinitely. You can’t put some types of metals in your recycling bin. These are mainly hazardous metals like mercury or lead. Often, you’ll find these metals in electronic equipment.

So what should I do with Metal?

If you have electronic equipment that you want to get rid of, don’t put it in the bin. Try this instead;

• If your electronics are in good working order, donate them to charity or pass them on to friends or family;
• Trade in old smartphones for cash;
• Check if the retailer has a take-back scheme;
• Take them to a recycling facility. The Recycle Now website has a handy tool where you can check what you can recycle in your area.

Before you have to even think about what bin something goes in, ask yourself if you can recycle or reuse it. This can save precious resources from landfill so we can use them again. We promise that the planet will thank you! Why not check out the rest of our blog for more interesting facts

Glass

You can recycle many different types of everyday items made from glass. From beer bottles to glass jars, you can recycle them many times with no loss of quality. However, there are some glass items you can’t put in the recycling such as Pyrex dishes, vases, and wine glasses. There are ways to save glass from the bin though. 

So what should I do with it?

• Reuse glass jars as storage or candle holders. You can turn old wine bottles into candle holders or lights. We’ve even seen them become bird feeders!
• If your unwanted wine glasses, vases, or Pyrex dishes are in good condition, donate them to a charity shop.

Metal

What bin does metal go in? Well the answer to that question very much depends on the type of metal. Food tins and drinks cans are made from aluminium which you can recycle infinitely. You can’t put some types of metals in your recycling bin however. These are mainly hazardous metals like mercury or lead. Often, you’ll find these metals in electronic equipment.

So what should I do with them?

If you have electronic equipment that you want to get rid of, don’t put it in the bin. Try this instead;

• If your electronics are in good working order, donate them to charity or pass them on to friends or family;
• Trade in old smartphones for cash;
• Check if the retailer has a take-back scheme;
• Take them to a recycling facility. The Recycle Now website has a handy tool where you can check what you can recycle in your area.

Before you have to even think about what bin something goes in, ask yourself if you can recycle or reuse it. This can save precious resources from landfill so we can use them again. We promise that the planet will thank you!