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Recycling from every room in your home: a checklist

So you’ve got a recycling routine that works for you. You know it inside and out and there’s not one empty plastic milk bottle or food can in sight in the kitchen – they’re all patiently waiting to be collected for recycling. The job is done! But is it really?

A new survey from Recycle Now looked at why people recycle and what areas of the home we need to get better at recycling in. One of the rooms that has a lot of easily recyclable products in, is the bathroom.

Bathroom image.PNG

recyclable items in the bathroom

Bathroom recycling

There are lots of items in the bathroom waiting to be recycled that can make a huge difference. For instance, if everyone in the UK recycled one toothpaste box, it would save enough energy to run a fridge in over 2,000 homes for a year. Here's a handy list to remind you:

  • Toothpaste boxes - flatten
  • Toilet roll tubes - flatten
  • Plastic shampoo and conditioner bottles - empty and rinse items, replace lids/tops
  • Shower gel containers - empty and rinse items, replace lids/tops
  • Liquid soap bottles - empty, rinse and remove pump dispenser (throw pump into the rubbish bin)
  • Bleach bottles - empty, replace lid
  • Bathroom cleaners - rinse and replace the trigger spray 

Recycling in the bedroom

If everyone in the UK recycled one aluminium deodorant aerosol, enough energy would be saved to run a TV in over 151,000 homes for a year. Amazing isn't it? Items to look out for include:

  • Empty tissue boxes - remove any plastic insert and flatten
  • Old magazines
  • Empty deodorant aerosols and hairspray - ensure empty and remove plastic caps (recycle with plastics)

Moving on to the living room...

Did you know that it takes seven days for a recycled newspaper to come back as newspaper again? You could be reading your favourite newspaper on recycled paper in no time at all! In this room you can often find these items for recycling:

  • Envelopes
  • Newspapers
  • Cardboard packaging from online shopping - remove packaging tape and flatten to save space in your recycling bin

Even air fresheners can make a difference - if one aluminium air freshener aerosol is recycled by everyone in the UK; enough energy could be saved to vacuum over 876,000 homes for a year – that’s a lot of tidy homes!

Back to the kitchen

Along with the usual drinks bottles in the kitchen, remember to check the cupboard under the sink! Items often forgotten include:

  • Washing-up liquid bottles - empty and rinse
  • Bleach bottles - empty, replace lid
  • Surface cleaner bottles - rinse and replace the trigger spray 
  • Washing liquid and conditioner bottles - empty and rinse
  • Aerosols tins of furniture polish and air fresheners - ensure empty and remove plastic caps (recycle with plastics)
  • Empty dishwasher tablet boxes and kitchen wrap boxes - flatten to save space in your recycling bin

Watch our video for more hints and tips

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Recycling knowledge

  • Getting started
  • How is it recycled?
  • Recycling around your home
  • Recycling from the bathroom
  • Food recycling
  • Recycling symbols explained
  • Facts and info
    • 5 tips to reduce contamination
    • 10 things you didn't know you can recycle
    • Recycling Magic!
    • Recycle forever and forever recycled!
    • Plastic Fantastic!
    • T'is the season to be jolly aware of recycling
  • Northern Ireland
  • Recycle Week campaign
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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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