For these items, most of us have a good idea of what goes where, but some things are tricky to sort correctly. For example, did you know that receipts and envelopes are to be disposed of in the residual waste?
All packaging is to be empty, but you do not need to clean any packaging.
Plastic packaging
YES: Plastic bags, plastic wrap, plastic bottles without a deposit (pant), plastic lids, chip bags, bag-in-box bags, blister packs and styrofoam.
NO: Deposit bottles (pant), dish brushes, helium balloons, tape, and plastic toys.
If you are unsure whether or not packaging is made of plastic, try crumpling it up – if it opens out again, it is almost certainly plastic.
Paper packaging
YES: Milk cartons, eggboxes, pasta cartons, flour bags, toilet rolls, paper bags and wrapping paper.
NO: Newspapers, advertising leaflets (these are put in the container for newspapers and recyclable paper), books, files, envelopes, Post-it notes and gift-wrapping ribbon (these are put in the residual waste And do not put large packaging and corrugated cardboard packaging here – these are categorised as bulky waste.
Remember to fold your cardboard to save space. Any plastic parts can be sorted as plastic packaging. Plastic caps that are part of the packaging can be removed and sorted as plastic packaging. If you let the caps stay on, these are separated automatically later in the process but are then used to produce energy.
Metal packaging
YES: Tin cans, metal lids, tubes, caps, aluminum foil, and beverage cans without a deposit (pant).
NO: Deposit cans (pant), frying pans, pots, chip bags, and tea lights.
Glass packaging
YES: Glass bottles and glass jars such as beer bottles, wine bottles, soft drink bottles without deposit (pant), baby food jars, and jam jars.
NO: Porcelain, light bulbs, drinking glasses, ceramics and window or mirror glass.
Remember to separate coloured and clear glass packaging. Caps and lids are sorted separately
Newspapers
YES: Office paper, magazines, paperback books, catalogues, advertising leaflets and notebooks.
NO: Paper bags, envelopes, post-it notes, receipts, wrapping paper and hardcover books.
Residual waste
YES: Chewing gum, envelopes, receipts, condoms, sanitary pads, cat litter, snus, cigarette butts, cotton buds, hair, dish brushes and crushed drinking glass/porcelain.
NO: Medicines, light bulbs, electronics, nail polish and hazardous waste.