What to put in clear sacks and orange-lidded recycling banks

Only include items listed in the yes please column below and ensure that containers are rinsed to remove any food remains.

Never include anything that could cause risk of injury to staff in the collection or sorting process such as hypodermic needles.

Larger pieces of cardboard should be broken up before recycling them. Alternatively, households receiving the clear sack recycling service can tie bundles of cardboard with (non-nylon) string and place them for collection next to their clear recycling sacks.

Can't find what you're looking for? Try our A-Z of recycling tool.

What you can and cannot include in your recycling sacks or banks
Material type Yes please (Include in your recycling sacks or banks)  

No thank you

 
All glass bottles and jars (please rinse and remove lids/tops.  Metal lids/tops should be included with your recycling).

Other lids, tops and corks, Pyrex/Ovenware, mirrors, window glass.

Clean corks and plastic lids can be delivered to the Wandsworth Work and Play Community Scrap Store.

Broken glass must not be included in sacks for safety reasons but it can be included in the recycling banks.

All food and drinks cartons (please rinse and squash).

E.g. milk, juice and soup cartons, Tetra Pak cartons.

 Plastic tops (please remove if feasible and dispose of as rubbish).

All plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays (please rinse any food remains off, squash bottles and replace the tops). E.g. shampoo bottles, yoghurt pots, food trays.

There is no need to refer to the codes printed on these items which identify the type of plastic (a number in a triangular recycling symbol).

Pump mechanisms from spray dispensers, polystyrene/styrofoam, toys, cups, plant pots and any other plastic items - these should be included with your general rubbish if you can't find some other way of re-using or recycling them.

Clean lids can also be delivered to the Wandsworth Work and Play Community Scrap Store.

Plastic carrier bags and clean packaging films bearing the recycle with carrier bags at larger stores logo can be recycled at large supermarkets.

All clean and dry sheets of paper, card and cardboard. 

E.g. newspaper, magazines, white and coloured paper, catalogues and directories, leaflets and envelopes, softback books, cereal boxes and corrugated cardboard.

 Wet paper, dirty paper, shredded paper, wall paper, hardback book covers or books that would be better re-used, e.g donated to charity shops.

 

 All food tins and drinks cans (please rinse).

Aerosol cans
Foil or foil containers
Large biscuit / sweet tins: 

These cause problems at the sorting plant, but you can recycle them in the scrap metal bay at Household Waste and Recycling Centre in Smugglers Way, Wandsworth.

Downloads

Further information on recycling:

Up to Household rubbish and recycling collections

Updated: 07/10/2022