What to do with
Foil
Want to recycle foil?
Clean household foil and aluminium trays are widely recycled in household collection schemes and at recycling points. To find your nearest recycling facilities for foil and foil trays use our handy Recycling Locator tool.
How should I recycle foil?
- Rinse or wipe off any crumbs or food residue from foil trays. To rinse just dunk the tray in the washing up water - no need to run the tap.
- Scrunch kitchen foil, tub and pot lids and wrappers together to form a ball - the bigger the ball, the easier it is to recycle.
As well as foil, you can usually recycle these other aluminium items:
- Drinks cans
- Screw top lids from wine bottles (recycle with the bottle - the cap can be left on)
- Takeaway containers and barbeque trays.
Are crisp packets recyclable?
No - there are a few packaging items such as crisp packets that can look like aluminium foil but are actually made from metallised plastic film. This type of material is not currently recycled and should be put in your rubbish bin.
Do the scrunch test to check whether your shiny wrapper is aluminium foil or plastic film: scrunch the wrapper in your hand - if it springs back open it’s not recyclable foil.
Do the scrunch test!
Can you put foil and foil trays in your home recycling?
Use our Recycling Locator tool to check if your local authority collects foil and foil trays as part of your recycling collection.