What bin does polystyrene go in?

What counts as polystyrene?

Polystyrene shows up in two forms. The white, lightweight foam used for protective packaging, takeaway boxes and old coffee cups is expanded polystyrene (EPS). The harder, more rigid version turns up in some yoghurt-pot-style tubs and disposable cutlery. Both carry plastic resin code 6 (PS). For everyday recycling purposes, they're treated the same way: not wanted in your kerbside bins.

You might also see it called styrofoam or thermocol — they're the same material, and the same rule applies.

Why isn't polystyrene recyclable?

It's technically recyclable, but rarely practical to collect. EPS is roughly 95% air, so a binful weighs almost nothing — which makes it expensive to transport and process relative to the small amount of usable material recovered. Very few UK facilities handle it, so the overwhelming majority of councils simply don't collect it at the kerbside. That's the gap that catches people out: technically recyclable is not the same as collected where you live.

But it has a recycling symbol on it?

Two different symbols cause the confusion. The Mobius loop (the three chasing arrows) means an item is technically capableof being recycled — not that your council accepts it. The On-Pack Recycling Label (OPRL) is the UK's official guidance, and on most polystyrene packaging it reads “Don't Recycle” , which means fewer than half of UK councils collect it. If you ever see a Green Dot(a circle of two arrows), ignore it for sorting purposes — it only means the producer paid into a packaging scheme and says nothing about whether the item is recyclable.

Confused by the other symbols on your packaging? See our recycling symbols guide.

Does polystyrene go in the blue bin?

No. Polystyrene isn't recycling, so it doesn't belong in any of your recycling bins — whatever colour they are. In most of the UK it goes in the general waste bin instead. Bin colours vary from council to council (the recycling bin is blue in some areas, green or grey in others), so the one that matters for polystyrene is your general waste bin, not the recycling one. If you're not sure which is which where you live, check your council's guide below.

What should I do with polystyrene instead?

For most households the honest answer is the general waste bin. Before that, two things help more: avoid it where you can (choose products with cardboard or moulded-pulp protective packaging), and reuse clean foam packaging for storage or posting. A small number of household waste recycling centres (the tip) accept clean EPS for specialist recycling — but this varies, so check your local centre before making a trip.

Polystyrene in your area

The UK-wide rule above holds almost everywhere. Here's what a few of the councils people search for most actually say.

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