Recycling Symbols Explained

This is an international symbol explaining that somewhere on the planet, it is possible to recycle the packaging, however it does not take into account how local recycling is processed. Therefore it is best to double check what your local council can recycle.

This is not actually a recycling symbol. It is used in some European Countries (not the UK) to show the producer has paid a tax towards recovering packaging to recycle. Therefore, it typically appears on packaging produced elsewhere in Europe.

This typically appears on aluminium cans and containers to remind customers that this material is commonly recycled. Kitchen foil is treated differently as often has a lot of food residue on it and can be difficult to separate from other materials in a mixed recycling bag.   Please recycle your cans!

This symbol for plastic processors to identify the type of plastic the product is made from so it can be sorted into different categories. This symbol does not tell the consumer if the type of plastic can be recycled locally so please double check which plastics your local council can recycle.

This is not a recycling label, but it is encouraging consumers to dispose of their waste responsibly so that it does not become litter. This typically appears on products consumed on-the-go.

These labels are specifically designed for UK consumers so they are the ones to look for! They identify commonly recycled materials which you can be confident to recycle at home but also point our which products to double check with your local council as recycling collections vary around the country.

If you don’t see one of these labels, you can always contact the company (most packaging carries a helpline number) and suggest using this type of recycling label in the future.