Supermarket food netting

The photo shows a number of different nets that are used for packaging of all sorts of foodstuffs. The label sometimes says do not recycle, and sometime recyclable?

All of these plastic nets, labels and clips can be recycled. They can all go into your favourite supermarket flexible plastic recycling bin.

They are not recyclable in your home blue top recycling bin.

These bags are all are made of a similar plastic material. One explanation for the different recycling instructions is that the products have been packed overseas and are sold to many different markets in different countries, not just the UK, and it is not possible to provide recycling instructions for every country, so they take the easy option and say ‘not recyclable’.

For an up to date list of the flexible plastics that Sainsbury’s and the Co-op recycle do have a look at the following links:

https://www.about.sainsburys.co.uk/sustainability/plan-for-better/our-stories/2021/flexible-plastics

https://www.coop.co.uk/environment/soft-plastics

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Recycling home

Toothpaste tubes

My advice on toothpaste tubes was to take them to Boots as this was the only way they could be recycled.  

Not any more! (November 2024!) WSCC has just announced that you can now put toothpaste tubes with the caps on into your kerbside recycling bin.

We have modified our recycling plant so that we can accept them as part of your regular recycling routine.

Do not be surprised if other Councils tell you they cannot be recycled at home.  We can in West Sussex.

Hard toothpaste tubes with pumps on top should be placed in the general waste bin, as they are made from a different type of plastic and cannot currently be processed.

Relevant to all Mid Sussex

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Recycling home page

Candle wax

To recycle your used candles a little effort is required.

First, you need to separate the waste wax from its container. You can scrape it out, but I have found the best way is to simply pop them into a plastic bag and pop them into your freezer. The next day the wax is very easy to separate from its container.
Now you have wax and a container. You could have a go at making your own candles. Look online and you can buy 50 new wicks for under a tenner, and then blend together all your favourite candles to make a new ones in your favourite containers.

Another alternative is to dispose of them yourself. Separate the wax and container, and the tea light containers are aluminium and can go into your blue top kerbside recycling bin, provided they are clean of all wax.

Waste wax must go into your blacktop rubbish bin. If the container is glass or plastic, it is more problematic, as it may have a higher melting temperature so it does not set alight with the candle, and so is not able to be kerbside recycled. Blacktop bin again.

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Cosmetic tubes

‘Can the plastic tubes listed here be recycled in my blue top recycling bin? Toothpaste, tubes of shampoo, face wash, foot cream, etc.’

Edit: See Toothpaste Tubes for updated information.

No, plastic tubes cannot be recycled in your blue top kerbside bin. However, all plastic tubes you list can be recycled at Boots stores. In Haywards Heath, for example, there is a green cardboard recycling bin on the right by the front door. You can also enrol into their recycling scheme and when you recycle five items you receive £5 onto your Boots Advantage card off your next spend over £10. Who doesn’t like a bargain? Here are details of the Boots Scheme www.bit.ly/3MOVmlW

It is not necessary to enrol to recycle at Boots, you can simply drop off your recycling when you are passing. They created the Recycle at Boots scheme so you can bring your empty beauty, health, wellness and dental products, from any brand, that can’t be recycled at home.

John Lewis also has a similar scheme. Take back empty beauty products to the store and if you’re a My John Lewis member, you’ll get £5 off when you spend £20 or more on beauty that day. Just bring in five or more clean, empty beauty product containers to any of our beauty counters.

They do not take glass containers or aerosols. What we have are alternative schemes that are being set up by industry to work with, and not in competition with, local councils. Boots or John Lewis do not want plastic bottles, tubs or trays for example. Hope you find this useful.

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Recycling home page