Recycling rules for Nottingham
Based on Nottingham published guidance · Last verified March 2026
Search what goes in your bins →Recycling
Accepted
Plastics
- Plastic bottles — All shapes, lids and pumps ok
- Plastic cartons — All sizes
- Fruit punnets
- Margarine tubs and yoghurt pots — Rinse
- Sauce pots and spread jars — Rinse
- Meat trays — Rinse
Glass
- Glass bottles and jars — Including perfume bottles
Paper & Card
- Paper and magazines
- Non-glittery wrapping paper
- Clean cardboard — No food or grease
Metals
- Cans and tins — Rinse
- Aerosol cans — Empty
- Foil and foil trays — Rinse clean
- Puree tubes — Metal — rinse
Not accepted
- Food waste — Remove all food before recycling
- Liquids — Drain all containers first
- Dirty or contaminated items — Must be rinsed clean
- Glittery wrapping paper — Glitter contaminates paper
- Electrical items — Contains hazardous partsInstead: Drop off at small electricals point
- Batteries — Contains hazardous materialsInstead: Clear bag on top of bin on bin day
Common mistakes
- Batteries — Clear bag on top of bin on bin day
- Electrical items — Drop off at local recycling point
- Dirty containers→ goes in General Waste — Rinse clean or put in general waste
Tips (12)
- • Rinse all items clean
- • Remove all food first
- • Lids can stay on bottles
- • No glittery wrapping paper
- • Batteries on top of bin
- • Flatten cardboard
- • Clean foil is recyclable
- • No electrical items
- • Glass jars are accepted
- • Clean cardboard accepted
- • Meat trays are recyclable
- • Drain all liquids first
Source: Nottingham council website. Check your council's site for the latest updates.
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