Home Environment & waste Recycling and waste What cannot be recycled?
SECTION MENU

What you can't recycle in your household recycling

Here's what you can't put in Tower Hamlets' household purple recycling bins or clear plastic sacks.

Contaminated items

Any items in purple household recycling bins and clear sacks that can't be recycled.

Some contaminants can harm recyclable materials and equipment at the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF).

  • Food waste and water damages paper and cardboard so it can't be recycled
  • Textile fibres can tangle and damage equipment at the MRF
  • Black plastic can’t be recognised by sorting systems at the MRF and won’t be recycled.

Never put recycling in black sacks - it will be assumed this is general rubbish and won’t be recycled.

 

Food and garden waste

Food and garden (organic) waste cannot be recycled through Tower Hamlets’ purple recycling bins and clear plastic sacks.

This covers materials tainted by food waste, like cardboard or greasy plastic containers (such as pizza boxes or sandwich containers).

Recyclable material contaminated by food waste damages paper and cardboard and can be unpleasant for you to store.

What to do with food waste?

We only collect food from street-level properties. Food waste collection will be rolled out across Tower Hamlets by April 2027.

Some food waste, like fruit and vegetable peelings are suitable for home composting in local gardens. If you don’t have access to these, food waste needs to go in the rubbish.

Garden and plant trimmings can damage equipment at the materials recovery facility (MRF). We collect garden waste from street level properties, otherwise home composting is an alternative.

You can't recycle in the purple bins or clear recycling sacks

  • Any organic waste
  • Any material that is contaminated with food or liquid
  • Compostable or biodegradable packaging
  • Soil
  • Stones or rubble
  • Wood

Polystyrene, plastic bags and film

Plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays can be recycled in the purple recycling bins and clear plastic sacks.

Please do not put any other types of plastic, including polystyrene, plastic bags and film in the purple bins or clear recycling sacks.

Recycling these plastics is hard since they're not sortable at most facilities. Only a few factories can recycle them.

Some supermarkets collect soft plastics, such as bread bags, pouches and crisp packets, so look out for collection points in store.

You can't recycle in the purple bins or clear recycling sacks

  • Anything that is not a plastic bottle, pot, tub or tray
  • Black plastic
  • Film lids from pots or trays
  • Plastic bottles containing chemicals e.g. anti-freeze - The City of London provide a collection service for chemicals
  • Laminated pouches e.g. cat food/coffee pouches that spring back
  • Plastic toys 
  • Medicine packs
  • Toothpaste tubes
  • Carrier bags
  • Soft, stretchy plastics, e.g. cling film

Clothing, textiles and shoes

Clothing, textiles can’t be recycled using purple recycling bins or clear sacks.

Clothing, textiles, and shoes can't be reused easily. They get damaged during the collection and sorting process

They can also tangle around equipment at the materials recovery facility and damage it.

Clothing and textiles can be picked up for free at home. Our partner TRIAD can collect clothes, shoes, bags, accessories, and linens. For more information about how to recycle clothing and textiles visit the recycling and reuse page.

There are charity textile and shoe banks located at various sites around the borough. You can also check our events page for upcoming repair workshops and swap events.

You can't recycle in the purple bins or clear recycling sacks

  • Clothing
  • Shoes
  • Duvets
  • Pillows 
  • Carpet
  • Blankets
  • Towels
  • Sheets/pillow cased
  • Underwear 
  • Books
  • CDs
  • DVDs
  • Furniture or bulky items

Broken glass

When disposing of broken glass, avoid using purple recycling bins and clear plastic sacks. It could harm the collection crew or MRF workers.

Broken glass needs to be wrapped up carefully and placed in a black refuse sack or bin. It is also a good idea to attach a note warning of the dangerous materials inside.

Glass bottles and jars can be recycled through the purple bins and clear recycling sacks.

You can't recycle in the purple bins or clear recycling sacks

  • Glass cookware e.g. Pyrex
  • Drinking glasses
  • Vases
  • Ceramics 
  • Makeup/perfume bottles
  • Mirrors
  • Window glass

Paper-based food and drink containers and other items

Paper-based containers like disposable coffee cups and ice cream tubs are often made from a mixture of materials, including some that are not recyclable.

You can't recycle in the purple bins or clear recycling sacks

  • Coffee cups
  • Crisp or sweet packets or wrappers
  • Polystyrene takeaway containers 
  • Glitter covered greeting cards or wrapping paper 
  • Wallpaper and decorating paper
  • Books
  • Food and drink containers that say “compostable”

Paper towels and tissues

Personal hygiene or clean-up products can’t be recycled due to potential contamination. The fibres in these types of products are also shorter than those of normal paper, which make them unsuitable for recycling.

Paper towels and tissues in small quantities can be put in your food and garden waste bin for kerbside collection and may be suitable for home composting.

You can't recycle in the purple bins or clear recycling sacks

  • Used paper towels
  • Tissues
  • Nappies
  • Wipes 
  • Sanitary towels
  • Cotton wool/makeup pads

Wet or shredded paper and card

Wet paper or card can’t be recycled because the water content that soaks in makes it denser and more difficult to separate from other materials.

Some paper processing facilities can't take shredded paper. Shredding reduces fibre length, weakening the final product. It is also difficult to sort at the material recovery facility. Shredded paper is suitable for both your kerbside food and garden waste bin and home composting.

You can't recycle in the purple bins or clear recycling sacks

  • Wet paper or cardboard
  • Shredded paper or card

Batteries

Batteries and electrical items can’t be recycled in the purple recycling bins and clear plastic sacks. Batteries cause fires in collection vehicles and pose a serious risk to the safety of staff. 

All batteries (including car batteries and lithium batteries from e-bikes and e-scooters and other re-chargeable devices) can be taken to the Reuse and Recycling Centre at Northumberland Wharf.

Household batteries can be taken to supermarkets or Idea Stores, Bethnal Green and Cubitt Town Libraries and the Reuse and Recycling Centre at Northumberland Wharf.

You can't recycle in the purple bins or clear recycling sacks

  • Any batteries

Electrical items

Electrical items can’t be recycled in the purple recycling bins and clear plastic sacks and must be taken to an alternative recycling point.

If your electrical item works well, give it to family or friends. You can also donate on Freecycle or sell it on Gumtree. Some charity shops also take electrical items.

Small portable electrical items such as kettles, small toasters and mixers, cameras, hairdryers, irons, electric toothbrushes, toys, cables, and chargers can be recycled at Idea Stores, Bethnal Green and Cubitt Town Libraries, Reuse and Recycling Centre at Northumberland Wharf and some supermarkets.

Larger items including fridges, freezers, washing machines, tumble dryers, TV’s, vacuum cleaners, home printers, microwaves, computers, large food processors, can be taken to the Reuse and Recycling Centre at Northumberland Wharf.

Larger electricals items can also be collected by the bulky waste collection service. Every household in the borough is entitled to two free bulky waste collections per year.

You can't recycle in the purple bins or clear recycling sacks

  • Any item that takes batteries, has a plug, needs charging, or has a crossed-out wheelie bin

Small items including:

  • Mobile phones
  • Kettles
  • Small toasters and mixers
  • Cameras
  • Hairdryers
  • Irons
  • Electric toothbrushes
  • Toys
  • Cables
  • Chargers

Large items including:

  • Fridges and freezers
  • Washing machines
  • Tumble dryers
  • TVs
  • Vacuum cleaners
  • Home printers
  • Microwaves
  • Computers/laptops
  • Large food processors

 

OLD CONTENT

 

 

Theses items can't be recycled through the council’s collection services and should be placed in your rubbish or follow the guidance for correct disposal.

Paper and Card

  • Hygiene/Sanitary products i.e. nappies, wipes, sanitary towels etc.
  • Used paper towels
  • Tissues
  • Cotton wool/makeup pads
  • Wet wipes
  • Sticky papers e.g. post-it notes, sticky labels or paper tape
  • Non-paper gift wrap e.g. foil-based gift wrapping or bags
  • Crisp or sweet packets/wrappers
  • Wallpaper and decorating paper
  • Glitter covered greeting cards or wrapping paper

Please remember

Food residue should be removed from paper and card beforebeing recycled along with polystyrene and other plastic packaging.

Metal packaging

  • Laminated foil e.g., cat food/ coffee pouches that spring back when you try to scrunch them
  • Coffee pods. Check with the retailer as many provide a recycling return scheme.
  • Crisp packets and sweet wrappers
  • Metal tubes, e.g. toothpaste, tomato puree
  • Metal containers for chemicals e.g. white spirits, gas cannisters, engine oil containers. The City of London provide a collection service for chemicals
  • General kitchen waste e.g cutlery, pots and pans
  • Any other metal items such as kettles, irons, pipes, whitegoods

Please remember

  • To empty and rinse items – left over foods or liquids can contaminate other recyclables.
  • You can leave labels on, machines make sure these get removed.
  • Metal lids can be left on glass containers/jars and recycled with glass. There is a scrap metal recycling point at the Reuse and recycling centre (RRC).
  • Small electrical items can be taken to the RRC for recycling.

Glass

  • Glass cookware e.g. Pyrex
  • Drinking glasses
  • Vases
  • Ceramics e.g. crockery or earthenware
  • Nail varnish bottles
  • Microwave plates
  • Mirrors
  • Light bulbs/Tubes
  • Window glass

Plastic containers

  • Anything that is not a plastic bottle, pot, tub or tray
  • Plastic bottles containing chemicals e.g. anti-freeze. Strong chemicals that are highly poisonous or hazardous can damage equipment, please check the bottle for disposal instructions. The City of London provide a collection service for chemicals
  • Black plastic – sorting equipment cannot detect the colour black and therefore it is not recycled• Crisp and sweet packets/wrappers
  • Film lids from pots or trays
  • Laminated pouches e.g. cat food/coffee pouches that spring back
  • Plastic toys (these are currently not recyclable)• Medicine packs
  • Toothpaste tubes
  • Expanded polystyrene, e.g. packaging inserts
  • Carrier bags/plastic wrapping film e.g. bread bags and bubblewrap

Please remember

  • Rinse packaging and containers – left-over food or liquids can contaminate other recyclables and damage the machinery. A quick rinse will do.
  • Please squash bottles and replace lids/tops.
  • If bottles contain liquid, they might not be recycled as they go through the automated sorting process. The extra weight stops the bottle being pushed into the correct recycling stream.
  • Bottles should be squashed to give more space in the recycling bin/box. Labels and bottle tops can all be left on, but plastic film must be removed and put in the general rubbish bin.
  • Some supermarkets collect soft plastics, such as bread bags, pouches and crisp packets, look out for collection points in store.

Plastic films

  • Cling film. This is often made of a type of plastic that cannot be recycled and is heavily food contaminated.
  • Any dirty bags/film containing food
  • Pre prepared salad bags e.g. mixed leaf salad bags
  • Wrappers from bakeries e.g. bags with small holes in them
  • Film lids from plastic trays and pots e.g. yoghurt pot lids
  • Compostable bags or any film claiming to be biodegradable (please look for symbol)

As a general rule, if you can stretch the film then it can’t be recycled. Some supermarkets collect soft plastics, such as bread bags, pouches and crisp packets, look out for collection points in store.

Food waste (currently only available to low-rise properties)

  • Non-food products including nappies
  • Packaging of any kind, including packaging marked as compostable or biodegradable
  • Liquids such as milk – these may leak, causing spillages when transporting food waste
  • Any material that is not food waste, only food is suitable for this process. If packaging and other materials are included, this causes problems

Please remember to remove all food from its packaging

Garden waste

  • Plastic bags, flowerpots, trays or other plastic items. it is usually not compostable and can result in garden waste and compost being rejected
  • Animal faeces
  • Vacuum dust or fire cinders
  • Food or kitchen waste
  • Cardboard or paper
  • Food and drink cartons (e.g. Tetra Pak)
  • Soil, stones or rubble
  • Wood that has been treated or painted