Bin man explains which recyclable items should never go in household recycling bin

A bin man has left people baffled after revealing that not everything with a recycling logo on can or should be put in your household recycling bin. For many, bin day can be a stressful affair, particularly when juggling multiple different containers, whether it's general waste, food waste, or recycling . In numerous areas these are collected on different days, meaning knowing which bin to put out on any given day can be a confusing matter. What's more is that most councils across the UK all have varying rules around what can and can't go in them, and getting it wrong could result in them being left uncollected. To lend a hand, one bin man has stepped up to answer people's burning bin day questions. Going by the name 'No 1 Bin Man' on TikTok , he has built up more than 170,000 followers by sharing his top tips for making bin days as easy as possible for everyone - while also poking fun at those who look down on his profession. In a recent clip, he left many viewers scratching their heads by explaining that polystyrene should never be placed in your household recycling bin, as it could result in your recycling bin being left full and uncollected, while collectors wait for you to sort your recycling correctly. However, this prompted one viewer to ask many polystyrene items clearly display a recycling logo, arguing this should indicate they're suitable for the recycling bin. They commented: "They often have the recycle symbol on them." The bin man explained that, while items such as polystyrene may display the recyclable symbol, this doesn't necessarily mean they're appropriate for household recycling bins. "It can be recycled, you just have to find out where it can be recycled," he said. He continued to clarify that the same principle applies to items like batteries, crisps packages, and carrier bags - these cannot be placed in household bins, but instead must be taken to designated locations. "So you just need to find out where things can be recycled," the bin man said. "And just like at home, you have separate recycling bins." He further explained that placing something in the incorrect recycling bin, such as food in the paper recycling bin, would contaminate everything and prevent it from being properly recycled. "So just make sure you put it in the correct bin, and if you don't have a household recycling bin in which it can be recycled in, you have to do a little Google search and take it to another place to recycle it," he said. While every council operates differently, the general guidance is that commonly recyclable materials such as plastic bags and film, black plastic, polystyrene, greasy food packaging, textiles, batteries, and crisp packets should never be deposited in your household recycling bin. This is because these materials, frequently referred to as "wish-cycled," can cause damage to machinery, or require specialist recycling processes. Meanwhile, other items that frequently have dedicated recycling bins include textiles, glass and metal varieties such as Pyrex, broken windowpanes, light bulbs and scrap metal, along with hazardous waste like batteries and vapes. Should any of these be discovered in your recycling bin, collectors may leave them behind to prevent the risk of contaminating the rest of the recycling they're mixed in with. For a more exact list tailored to your area, consult your local council's recycling guide for further guidance.