Recycling rules for Liverpool
Based on Liverpool published guidance · Last verified March 2026
Search what goes in your bins →Recycling
Accepted
Glass
- Glass bottles and jars — Leave lids on
Metals
- Food tins and drinks cans — Do not crush
Paper & Card
- Paper and newspapers
- Magazines and catalogues
- Junk mail and phone directories
- Envelopes — Including plastic windows
- Non-metallic wrapping paper — No plastic or metallic wrapping
- Cardboard food boxes and egg cartons — Flatten
- Cereal and cardboard packages — Remove plastic padding
- Toilet and kitchen roll tubes
Plastics
- Plastic drinks bottles — Keep lids on, do not flatten
- Plastic shampoo and cleaning bottles
Not accepted
- Black bag waste — General waste only
- Plastic bags, cling film or padding — Not recyclable kerbside
- Shredded paper — Too small for sorting machinery
- Polystyrene — Not recyclable kerbside
- Juice cartons (Tetra Pak) — Not accepted in Liverpool
- Food or liquids — Contaminates clean recyclables
- Yoghurt pots and plastic tubs — Not accepted in Liverpool
- Food trays and foil containers — Not accepted in Liverpool
- Textiles, clothes and shoes — Not recyclable kerbsideInstead: Take to charity shop or recycling bank
- Paint tins — Hazardous wasteInstead: Donate to community repaint scheme
- Electrical items — Contains hazardous partsInstead: Take to recycling centre
- Metal objects — Not recyclable kerbside
- Syringes — Hazardous waste
- Wood — Not recyclable kerbside
Common mistakes
- Yoghurt pots→ goes in General Waste — Not accepted in Liverpool recycling
- Juice cartons→ goes in General Waste — Tetra Pak not accepted in Liverpool
- Foil and foil containers→ goes in General Waste — Not accepted in Liverpool recycling
- Shredded paper→ goes in General Waste — Too small for sorting machinery
- Paint tins — Donate to community repaint scheme
Tips (12)
- • Leave lids on glass jars
- • Items loose — no bags
- • Flatten all cardboard
- • No yoghurt pots or tubs
- • No juice cartons
- • No food or liquids
- • No plastic bags or film
- • Cans — do not crush
- • No foil or foil trays
- • Keep lids on bottles
- • No shredded paper
- • No polystyrene
Source: Liverpool council website. Check your council's site for the latest updates.
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