Thank you for recycling!
Find out what you can and can't put in your household recycling, and why recycling is so important.
Thank you for recycling:
- tins and cans - empty and washed, with lids inside
- aerosols - empty with lids removed
- cardboard - flattened and folded so that it fits into the bin or box
- paper - including magazines and windowed envelopes
- plastic bottles - washed and squashed, with lids back on
- all glass bottles and jars, washed, with metal lids back on - please separate glass from your other recycling
Do not recycle:
- plastic yoghurt pots
- butter tubs
- food trays
- plastic bags
- any other materials
Visit our A to Z of recycling.
Love our city.
Why we recycle
In response to the global climate crisis, we’re aiming for Brighton & Hove to be a carbon neutral city by 2030.
By recycling more, you’re helping to reduce waste, protect natural resources, save energy, and reduce air and water pollution.
A major issue we face is ‘contaminated’ recycling. This happens when waste is mixed with recyclable materials.
When recycling is contaminated, the contents of the whole bin and – in many cases – lorry load must be treated as waste and not recycled.
To avoid contaminating your recycling:
- keep glass separate from your other recycling- when glass gets mixed with other materials, it has to be treated as general waste
- reuse plastic bags and put in your general waste when they’re no longer usable - plastic bags are not recyclable
- put yoghurt pots, butter tubs and food trays in your general waste - we don’t recycle low grade plastics like these
- don’t put tetrapak cartons in your recycling - you can recycle cartons at 20 recycling points and two recycling sites
You can also recycle:
- batteries at supermarkets or our 2 recycling sites - they contain hazardous materials so please do not put in a bin
- used electrical items – take small items to 10 recycling points, and larger items to our recycling sites. Find out about our collection service.
- clothes and shoes at 60 textile banks located at most of our recycling points