What do recycling symbols mean?

Which symbol actually tells me what to do?

The On-Pack Recycling Label is the UK's official, consumer-facing system, and it's the one worth trusting. It comes in two main forms. “Recycle” means at least 75% of UK councils collect that packaging — put it in your recycling. “Don't Recycle” means fewer than half do, so it belongs in general waste. You'll also meet instructional versions — “Rinse”, “Cap On”, and “Recycle with bags at large supermarkets” (for soft plastics like bread bags and crisp packets). Following them matters: the wrong item in the wrong bin can contaminate a whole load.

Does the three-arrow loop mean it's recyclable?

This is the symbol most people read as “recyclable”. The Möbius loop only means an item is technically capableof being recycled — not that your local collection accepts it, and not that it actually will be recycled. Treat it as a hint, not an instruction.

What do the numbers 1 to 7 mean?

The small number inside a triangle identifies the typeof plastic, mainly for sorting facilities. As a rough guide, 1 (PET) and 2 (HDPE) bottles are widely collected, and 5 (PP) pots, tubs and trays increasingly so, while 3 (PVC), 6 (PS, polystyrene) and 7 (Other) usually aren't taken at the kerbside. But the number never decides your bin — your council does. For the full breakdown of each code, see our plastic resin codes guide.

What does the Green Dot mean?

A common trap: the Green Dot does notmean an item is recyclable. It only means the producer paid into a packaging-recovery scheme used in parts of Europe. Ignore it when you're sorting.

What about FSC, glass, metal and the “Tidyman”?

The FSC logo means paper or wood came from responsibly managed forests — it's about sourcing, not recyclability, though most FSC paper is recyclable (see our paper & cardboard codes guide). The Tidyman (a figure dropping litter in a bin) is a “don't litter” reminder, not a recycling instruction. Glass and metal marks simply identify the material so it can be sorted.

The symbols people most often get wrong

A handful of items trip people up again and again — usually because the symbol suggests one thing and local collections do another. Drawing on the guidance councils themselves publish (the same source behind our per-council pages, not data about how anyone sorts their bins), here are the ones most often misread:

The thread running through all of these: councils don't draw the line in the same place. An item flagged as a mistake in one area is collected in the next — which is exactly why the symbol alone can't tell you. Check your council's rules →

Browse every UK recycling symbol

Search by code or tap any symbol for the full explanation and which bin it goes in.

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