What can be put in your recycling bin
Quick links
Only place the following in your recycling bin or box:
Paper
Yes
- all clean paper
- magazines
- newspapers
- window envelopes
- catalogues
- writing paper
No
- dirty paper
- greasy paper
- mouldy paper
- laminated or waxed paper
- paper with glitter, glue or ribbons
- tissues
- shredded paper
Cardboard
Yes
- all clean cardboard
- cardboard boxes
- cereal boxes
- ready meal card sleeves
- loo roll inserts
- cardboard egg boxes
- cardboard packaging
- plain greetings cards
No
- cardboard stained with food, grease, liquids or paint
- wet cardboard
- mouldy cardboard
- cardboard with glitter, glue or ribbons
- Tetra Pak cartons
Plastic bottles (with lids on)
Yes
- all empty bottle-shaped plastics
- drinks bottles
- cleaner/detergent bottles
- toiletries/shampoo bottles
- vitamin bottles
There’s no need to check the plastic type. Squash the bottle and put the lid back on (loose lids are too small for processing).
No
- non-bottle shaped plastics (regardless of their plastic type)
- bottles with liquids in
Tins and cans
Yes
- all food tins and drinks cans
- biscuit and sweet tins
No
- cans of paints (even empty)
- aluminium foil
Aerosols
Yes
- empty aerosols such as air fresheners
- spray deodorants
- hair spray cans
No
- aerosols that aren’t empty
Everything must be:
- clean (no food stains, grease, or dirt etc.)
- dry (no wet item or items with liquids in)
- loose (do not bag them, and do not put items inside each other)
Recycling from home and around Portsmouth
Visit the following pages to find out how you can recycle more from home and around Portsmouth.
Recycling from home
Recycling around Portsmouth
- local recycling points (including glass, mixed plastics, cartons, textiles, books, CDs and DVDs)
- Portsmouth Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC)
Get help putting your bin out
If you need help putting your bin out due to mobility issues, you can request an assisted bin collection.
What happens to recycled items
The recycling lorry takes the waste to the Materials Recycling Facility (MRF). Inside the MRF, the waste is emptied and sorted into the different types of material. These sorted materials are then sent to factories to turn the old waste into new items:
For answers to frequently asked questions about recycling in Portsmouth, read our mythbuster page.