Composite Paper (C/PAP 81–84)
Check locally →Composite cartons (juice, milk, soup): check your council. Not all collect them.
Which bin?
Check if your council accepts drink cartons. Rinse and flatten if they do. If not, general waste.
What does it mean?
These codes identify composite packaging made from layers of paper combined with plastic and/or aluminium. The most common is the drink carton (Tetra Pak). C/PAP 81 is paper + plastic. C/PAP 84 is paper + plastic + aluminium (most juice and milk cartons). These layered materials are harder to recycle because the layers need separating. More UK councils now accept them, but not all. Check your council's page.
Variants
C/PAP 81 · Paper + Plastic
Check locally →Paper and plastic composite. Check your council.
Check your council. If not accepted, general waste.
C/PAP 82 · Paper + Aluminium
Check locally →Paper and aluminium composite. Check your council.
Check your council. If not accepted, general waste.
C/PAP 84 · Paper + Plastic + Aluminium
Check locally →The classic drink carton material (Tetra Pak). Check your council.
Rinse and flatten. Check your council: increasingly accepted but not universal.
C/PAP 81 vs 82 vs 84
Scroll the table sideways to see every column.
| Code | Material | Typical packaging | How to tell | Usual bin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C/PAP 81 | Paper + plastic | Some food wrappers and composite packaging | Paper with a plastic film bonded to it; feels coated rather than like plain paper | Check council |
| C/PAP 82 | Paper + aluminium | Some pouches and specialist packaging | Paper with a foil layer bonded to it | Check council |
| C/PAP 84 | Paper + plastic + aluminium | Juice, milk and soup cartons (Tetra Pak) | Waxy, glossy paper surface, rigid carton shape, doesn't tear like plain card | Check council (increasingly collected) |
What councils’ own lists say
Counted from the lists and containers of the 182 councils we have checked. The councils on the smaller side are named, each linked to its page. See every material compared.
Food and drink cartons: 136 of the 146 councils whose lists say either way take them.
Do not take them: Brighton and Hove, East Hampshire, Fareham, Kirklees, Liverpool, Northumberland, Portsmouth, Swansea, Test Valley and Winchester.
Which councils collect drink cartons?
Whether drink cartons (Tetra Pak, C/PAP 84) are collected genuinely differs by council. These notes, from the same council guidance behind our /recycle pages, cover a few councils only, not every council.
Collect cartons at kerbside
- BristolBlue bag — includes Tetra Pak
- CambridgeBlue bin — Tetra Pak
- GlasgowGrey bin — Tetra Pak
- Islington
- LeedsRinse
- LewishamSoft drinks, milk, juice and soup — wash, squash, lids on
- ManchesterBlue bin — rinse
- Newcastle upon TyneRinse, includes Tetra Paks
- North Tyneside
- ReadingTetra Pak — juice, milk, soup
- South CambridgeshireBlue bin — Tetra Pak
- SouthwarkTetra Paks — juice, soup, milk
- Tower HamletsJuice, soup, sauce and milk cartons — rinse first
- BirminghamIn the main part of the bin
Don't collect cartons at kerbside
- LiverpoolNot accepted in Liverpool
- PortsmouthNot accepted in Portsmouth recycling
- Brighton and HoveTake to carton recycling point
- NorthumberlandHousehold Waste Recovery Centre
Frequently asked questions
What does C/PAP 81 mean?
C/PAP 81 identifies packaging made from paper bonded with a layer of plastic: a composite material, not plain cardboard. Because the layers are fused together, it needs specialist processing to separate them, so acceptance varies by council. Check your council's guidance before recycling it; if they don't take it, it goes in general waste.
Is C/PAP 84 recyclable?
It depends on your council. C/PAP 84 is the material most drink cartons (juice, milk, soup) are made from: paper layered with plastic and aluminium. More UK councils accept it in kerbside recycling each year, but plenty still don't. Rinse and flatten cartons, then check your council's page (see the council-by-council notes below) to be sure.