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RECYCLING: The Lifecycle of a Coca‑Cola Bottle

It can sometimes be hard to know exactly what goes where when you are recycling. The good news? We’ve done some digging to find out the common mistakes, the secret hacks, and the insider tips on how to recycle like a pro

Facts, stats and myths

Fact: The UK government and local councils are now placing a bigger emphasis on recycling than ever ­– and are cracking down on plastic waste in particular.

We’re doing our part and in Great Britain, all bottles 500ml of less are now made from 100% recycled plastic.

Myth: items made from multiple materials can’t be recycled. They actually can, it just takes a little more effort. With bubble-wrap envelopes, for example, you just have to separate the paper from the plastic, and you’re good to go. Many people also throw all their recycling waste into the same bin, thinking it’ll all be sorted correctly further down the process. That may be true in some places, but not in others; in the UK, local councils have differing approaches to recycling, so if you’re unsure, it’s always best to go online and check.

Practical tips

Despite the many recycling myths floating around, awareness for the task at hand is, thankfully, pretty high.

So what can? It’s simple really: the telltale sign of an item that can be recycled is that well-known triangular symbol – the one which adorns every product we make (see above for a reminder).

Most of the time, that symbol will be your guide, but if you’re on the hunt for a general recycling cheat sheet, we’ve got you covered with a list of common things you shouldn’t try to recycle:

You can’t recycle:

  • Straws
  • Coffee cups
  • Plastic bags
  • Kitchen roll
  • Crisp packets
  • Non-paper gift wrap
  • Soap dispenser tops
  • Tissues
  • Tissue boxes with the plastic insert attached
  • Greasy takeaway boxes
  • Laminated foil packaging (like pet/baby food pouches)
  • Photo paper
  • Post-it notes
  • Unwashed food containers
  • Unwashed toiletry bottles

As mentioned, your local authorities will also make a final decision on the plastics and other materials they can recycle.

All that information will be available on their website, which will also be the place where you can go to request new containers, or items like a food waste bin – because recycling doesn’t stop with plastics, metals, glass, paper and cardboard.

Find your local council’s website.

Rather than throw your food away for landfill, for instance, why not deal with it separately using a food waste bin, or turn it into compost? With the latter, you can give your waste food back to the environment by creating fertiliser for your garden.

And beyond food? Practically anything can be recycled in one way or another. Clothes and used household items can be given to charities or online sites like freecycle.org. And if not those, simply ask your friends and family if anyone can give another life to what you’re throwing away.

Learn how we’re transforming the face of recycling from – fully recycled packaging to collecting plastic waste.