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Plastic Pots, Tubs and Trays: Eat, Rinse, Recycle

Lots of the everyday food items we buy are packaged in plastic. Most of us recycle our plastic pots, tubs and trays but some are still being thrown away.

We want to encourage people to recycle these items.

Eat, rinse, recycle illustration


It’s so easy

1. Remove the plastic film, absorbent pad, top or lid and put these in the general rubbish.
2. Give it a quick rinse, you can use leftover washing up water.
3. Put in out for recycling on your normal kerbside collection day.


What you can recycle?

  • Clear meat trays
  • Clear plastic takeaway trays
  • Fruit punnets
  • Pots e.g. yoghurt and soup
  • Tubs e.g butter/margarine
  • Dishwasher tablet and washing capsule tubs

Sizzle, rinse, recycle illustration


Benefits of recycling your plastic pots, tubs and trays

  • Recycling plastic means we can reduce our need to create new plastic.
  • Recycling plastic requires less energy than sourcing and processing raw materials needed to create new plastic, reducing our carbon footprint.
  • Reduces emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere which contribute to climate change.
  • Reduces the amount of rubbish collected and disposal costs.
  • Helps us work towards our recycling target of 65% by 2035.

Your local recycling collection

Enter your postcode into our Recycling Locator to find out more about what you can recycle at home.

Need more information?

Find out more about what to do with plastic pots, tubs and trays and how they are recycled

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Brought to you by WRAP

The Waste and Resources Action Programme (which operates as WRAP) is a registered UK Charity No. 1159512 and registered as a Company limited by guarantee in England & Wales No. 4125764.

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