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 going to Items accepted for recycling at Casepak

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 to my kerbside recycling?

Once at the MRF, your recyclables are managed by Casepak. They are checked for contamination, sorted into the different material streams and then sent for reprocessing.

You can find out more about Casepak and their sorting facility here Materials Recycling Facility | Casepak.

Further information about reporting, tonnages and end destinations can be found here: What happens to your kerbside recycling.

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 a dedicated battery collection point, such as a large retailer, supermarket or shop, or the battery bin at your recycling and household waste site. 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 rubbish bin or your mixed recycling bins. For further information see our page on how and where to recycle your electricals.

How clean does my recycling need to be?

Items placed in the kerbside recycling bin need to be rinsed and drained (not the cardboard or paper though).  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. For something like a toothpaste tube, ensure the contents are fully squeezed out, and pop the lid back on before 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, recyclable items should be placed directly in the recycling bin and not in an additional bag. This helps with the sorting process. Any items tied up in carrier bags could potentially be removed and end up not being recycled. Items in a black bin bag will be treated as waste and not recycling. For further information, please see our page on how to present your recycling.

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 put lids back on bottles and jars?

Yes, where possible it’s best to put lids back on all bottles and jars after rinsing and draining. This helps to ensure the lids are captured during the sorting process, especially when it comes to smaller lids which can slip through the gaps in the sorting machinery. Many plastic bottles now have the lid or cap tethered to them. Just screw them back on.

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

Currently, different local authorities send their recycling to different recycling sorting facilities. The items/materials that are accepted by these facilities may vary slightly. In Leicestershire, the materials are sent to Casepak (unless you live in North West Leicestershire), which is a Materials Recycling Facility in Leicester. It sorts a wide range of materials, that have sustainable and economically viable destinations where they get recycled.

Following a consultation, the government introduced a new policy in England, Simpler Recycling, to standardise waste collections and improve consistency of items collected. From 31 March 2026, local authorities must collect a consistent set of recyclables, including at least glass, metal, plastic, paper and card from households. A weekly food waste collection must also be introduced.

Why do bottles need to be empty?

Any bottles with liquid in them have to be removed and sent for disposal to prevent liquid leaking during the sorting and baling processes, which could spoil other materials. They also have to treat all liquid as potentially hazardous, posing a potential danger to staff if it leaks.

Should I squash bottles and containers?

Ideally, it is better to keep items, such as plastic bottles and metal food and drink cans, etc, in their original 3D shape. This helps the high tech machinery to sort the items efficiently and keeps them separate from flat objects, such as paper and card. However, if you are short of space in your recycling bin then it is okay to squash the items to make more space.

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).

This is because the optical scanners used for sorting plastics at the materials recycling facility cannot detect black as a colour. The scanners are dependent on the amount of light that can pass through the plastic and no light can pass through the colour black and therefore it cannot be captured. However, this is similar in other sorting facilities nationally and so in recent years producers have been designing plastic containers in a variety of colours instead of black. This has reduced that amount of black plastic containers in use.

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

Standard glass bottles and jars can be placed into your kerbside recycling. Please rinse, drain and put the lid back on before recycling. However, drinking glasses, Pyrex and other ovenware dishes, mirrors, vases, window glass, and other flat glass are not accepted for recycling. These have a different melting point or chemical composition and will spoil the batch of glass recycling.  Small non-recyclable glass items can be put in your rubbish bin, provided they are safely wrapped to prevent injury. Large items of flat glass, window glass, shower screens and shower cubicles can be taken to your recycling and household waste site. However, please note there may be a charge. For further information please see our How do I dispose of… page on 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). Major supermarkets now take back single-use soft plastics for recycling, or energy from waste, including empty crisp packets, carrier bags, cereal liners, cling film, food pouches, and chocolate and sweet wrappers. For further information see plastic bags and wrapping |Recyclenow.com.

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.  There are plenty of options, including donating, selling or swapping. For further information, see our Wear, Care and Repair page. 

Clothes can be swapped informally with family and friends or at an official clothes swap event. We have a toolkit to help guide you through organising your own clothes swap. 

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 take-back schemes offered by some retailers.

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.  

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

We are unable to accept clothes and other textiles in the household recycling bin. They can become wrapped around the equipment at the sorting facility, causing a delay in the processing and costly damage to the equipment. They can also become contaminated by unclean items, unidentifiable liquids and broken glass, which is impossible to remove and makes them unsuitable for selling on to textile repressors. 

If you have clothing, shoes or any other textiles that cannot be repaired or reused by someone else, but are still clean and dry, then you could check whether your local charity shop accepts rags. Alternatively, they can be taken to your recycling and household waste site, where they will be sorted for reuse, recycling or disposal depending on their condition and recyclability.