Plastic pots, tubs and trays: what can be recycled

Yoghurt pots, margarine tubs and meat trays are on Recycle Now's list of plastics that can be recycled. Your council decides which ones it collects from home.

• UK

Key facts

• Rinse them first. Leftover food can spoil other recycling.
• Labels and lids can stay on. Plastic film and absorbent pads go in the rubbish bin.
• Film lids can go with plastic bags and wrapping at larger shops.
• Paint pots go to the tip, not your recycling bin.
• Plastic toys and polystyrene packaging cannot go in.

Last updated: 15 October 2026

Based on Recycle Now's own pages.

How to use this service

1. Rinse the pot or tray.
2. Take off any film lid and absorbent pad.
3. Recycle any card sleeve separately.
4. Put it in the recycling your council collects.

Accepted items

• Yoghurt and soup pots
• Margarine and ice cream tubs
• Meat, takeaway and fruit trays
• Dishwasher tablet and washing capsule tubs
• Chocolate and biscuit tubs

Restrictions

• Paint pots, plastic toys and polystyrene are not accepted.

Related item guides

• Plastic packaging
• Plastic pots, tubs and trays

Other kinds of place

• Recycling banks and bring sites near you
• Clothes donation bins and clothes banks near you
• Bottle banks near you for glass bottles and jars
• Soft plastic recycling near you: bags, film and wrappers

Schemes and collection services

• Recycle Now locator
• Recycle Now: plastic bottles
• Recycle Now: aerosols
• Recycle Now: cardboard
• Recycle Now: foil
• Recycle Now: food and drink cartons