What to do with
Plastic bottles
Want to recycle plastic bottles but don't know if you can?
Plastic bottles are collected by all local authorities across the UK. You can also take them to recycling facilities; use our handy Recycling Locator tool to find your nearest.
What types of plastic bottles can I recycle?
| Yes please | No thanks |
|---|---|
| All clear and coloured plastic bottles from around the home | Plastic bottles containing chemicals (e.g. anti-freeze) |
| Detergent and soap bottles (minus the pump) | Anything that is NOT a plastic bottle |
| Cleaning product bottles (e.g. bathroom cleaners, bleach) (Triggers can be left on) | |
| Skin care product bottles | |
| Shampoo and shower gel bottles | |
| Fizzy and non-fizzy drinks and water bottles | |
| Milk bottles | |
| Ready-to-use plant food and pesticides bottles (check the label) |
How to recycle plastic bottles
- Replace lids and tops. If they stay on the container they will get recycled.
- Squash bottles to save space.
- Empty and rinse bottles. Left over foods or liquids can contaminate other recyclables and if bottles contain liquid they may not be recycled as deemed too heavy by the automated sorting process. Liquid can also damage the machinery.
- Leave on labels - these will be removed in the process.
Did you know?
It is estimated that an average of 35.8 million plastic bottles are used EVERY DAY in the UK, but only 19.8 million are recycled each day. This means there are on average 16 million plastic bottles a day not making their way into the recycling bin.
- Triggers can be left on when recycling cleaning product bottles such as bathroom cleaners.
- But soap bottles pumps need to be removed and disposed of in the rubbish bin.
Tips for recycling plastic bottles
Find out what you can recycle at home
Our Recycling Locator tool can tell you which items you can put in your recycling bins.