Foil recycling: trays, kitchen foil and the scrunch test

Clean kitchen foil, foil food trays and aluminium screw tops can be recycled. Recycle Now says to wipe off food first and scrunch loose foil into a ball.

• UK

Key facts

• Foil takeaway containers and barbecue trays count too.
• Scrunch foil, aluminium yoghurt lids and foil wrappers together. A bigger ball is easier to recycle.
• Leave aluminium screw tops on wine bottles and jars.
• To check a shiny wrapper, scrunch it in your hand. If it stays in a ball, it is foil you can recycle.

Last updated: 15 October 2026

Based on Recycle Now's own pages.

How to use this service

1. Wipe foil trays, or dip them in washing up water, to remove food.
2. Scrunch foil, lids and wrappers together into a ball.
3. Put it in your recycling or take it to a recycling point.

Accepted items

• Kitchen foil
• Foil food and takeaway trays
• Barbecue trays
• Aluminium pot lids and wrappers
• Wine bottle screw tops

Related item guides

• Aluminium foil and trays

Other kinds of place

• Tips near you: household waste recycling centres
• Recycling banks and bring sites near you
• Clothes donation bins and clothes banks near you
• Bottle banks near you for glass bottles and jars

Schemes and collection services

• Recycle Now: food tins and drink cans
• Recycle Now locator
• Recycle Now: aerosols
• Recycle Now: cardboard
• Recycle Now: food and drink cartons
• Recycle Now: paper