SYMBOLS
Loop or dot?
The three chasing arrows mean a pack is capable of being recycled, not that every collection takes it. The Green Dot does not necessarily mean recyclable at all.
Check a symbolWHAT THE SYMBOLS MEAN
Read the pack
before the bin.
Most packaging carries a symbol. Not all of them mean recycle.
Some marks say a pack can go in your home recycling, some only that it could be recycled somewhere, and some have nothing to do with recycling at all. Knowing which is which keeps the recycling clean.
Check a symbol Read the short answer
01 Green Dot is not recycling02 Arrows mean capable, not collected03 Clean it, then bin itSmall checks, cleaner recycling
THE SHORT ANSWER
Not every symbol
means recycle.
A few labels tell you where a pack goes.
Others are about payment, plastic type or litter.
LABELS
Recycle means clean it
Recycle Now says packaging with the Recycle label can be cleaned and placed in your recycling bin for kerbside collection.
Four habits
MISTAKES
Wish-cycling is common
A WRAP survey found 84% of UK households were contaminating their recycling with items that do not belong, often because they were unsure.
See the numbersA QUICK SYMBOL CHECK
What does this
symbol tell you?
Pick a symbol you might see on a pack. The bar shows how clearly it says the item belongs in your home recycling.
Based on Recycle Now and Worcestershire County Council guides to recycling symbols. What your council collects can differ, so check locally.
TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING
Most packaging
is recycled. Some isn't.
One figure on how much UK packaging is recycled,
one on how often households slip up.
UK PACKAGING · DEFRA
Packaging recycling rate, 2025 (provisional)
70.5<small>%</small>
Defra's provisional figures give 11,059 thousand tonnes of UK packaging waste in 2025. Paper and cardboard reached 80.3%, glass 75.1% and plastic 57.3%.
HOUSEHOLDS · WRAP
Households contaminating their recycling
84<small>%</small>
WRAP's 2022 survey of over 3,000 UK residents found 84% were putting items in recycling that do not belong. The top culprits were drinking glasses, foil pouches and toothpaste tubes.
The same WRAP survey found 80% of households were missing items that could be recycled, led by glass perfume and aftershave bottles, foil and aerosols.
FOUR HABITS TO TRY
Better recycling,
no extra effort.
Each of these comes straight from what the labels and guides say.
- Look for the Recycle labelIf it says Recycle, clean it and put it in your home recycling bin.
- Ignore the Green DotIt is about producer payments, not whether your council collects it.
- Check before you wish-cycleUnsure? Use your council's guide or the Recycle Now postcode locator rather than guessing.
- Don't forget the bathroomGlass perfume bottles, aerosols and plastic shampoo bottles were among the items households most often missed.
SYMBOLS THAT AREN'T ABOUT RECYCLING
Litter, plastic type,
and compost.
The Tidyman is a Keep Britain Tidy symbol reminding you not to litter; it is not a recycling symbol. The numbered triangles identify the type of plastic resin.
Compostable packaging needs care too. Recycle Now says never to put compostable plastic in with other plastic recycling, because it is designed to break down. Items marked home compostable can go in a home compost bin.
QUESTIONS PEOPLE ASK
Frequently asked
Does the Green Dot mean I can recycle it?
No. Recycle Now says the Green Dot does not necessarily mean the packaging is recyclable. It shows the producer has paid towards packaging recovery and recycling in some European countries.
What do the three chasing arrows mean?
The Mobius loop means an item is capable of being recycled, but not that it will be accepted in all collections. A percentage inside shows how much recycled material it contains.
What do the numbers in the plastic triangle mean?
They identify the type of plastic resin. Recycle Now lists PET (1), HDPE (2) and PP (5) as widely recycled, PVC (3) and PS (6) as not easily recyclable, and LDPE (4) and other plastics (7) for specialist points.
What are the most common recycling mistakes?
In WRAP's 2022 survey the top contaminants were drinking glasses (33%), foil pouches (29%), toothpaste tubes (26%) and plastic film lids (24%).
Can compostable packaging go in recycling?
Not with plastics. Recycle Now says never put compostable plastic in with other plastic recycling. Home compostable items can go in a home compost bin.
SOURCES
Where the facts come from
Each figure on this page comes from the sources below. Check them for the full detail and context.