Where do Wrapping paper go?

Scrunch a sheet in your fist: paper that stays in a ball is paper and can be recycled, while anything that springs back is laminated with plastic or metallised film and cannot. Glitter is loose microplastic and rules a sheet out however papery it feels. Sticky tape, ribbon and bows all have to come off first, since tape survives pulping as a contaminant. Councils differ on wrapping paper at Christmas — some run a specific amnesty, others exclude it entirely — so check before filling a bin with it.

How to prepare it

1. Do the scrunch test on each type before deciding.
2. Pull off all tape, ribbon, bows and gift tags with string.
3. Keep and reuse good sheets; it is the cheapest option available.

What not to do

• Never recycle foil or glitter wrap; both are contaminants that survive the process.
• Never leave tape and ribbon attached.

Kerbside collection rules genuinely vary by council and county, and local rules always win over general guidance. The reasoning above is what transfers — if your service differs, it will usually be for a reason described here.

Other things that go to kerbside recycling bin

• Pizza boxes Recyclable if the card is only greasy; not if it is soaked or has food stuck to it. Tear off the clean lid if in doubt.
• Aerosol cans Empty aerosols go in the kerbside recycling in most areas. Never pierce them, never crush them, never bin a part-full one.
• Drinks cartons (Tetra Pak) Recyclable, but only where your scheme says so — they need a mill that separates the card from the plastic and foil.
• Aluminium foil and foil trays Recyclable if it is clean. Scrunch it into a ball the size of a fist so the sorters can see it.
• Shredded paper Depends entirely on your council. Loose shreds jam sorting lines; where they are accepted it is usually bagged or in food waste.
• Plastic bottle caps Leave the cap on the empty bottle. That is now the standard advice in most places.
• Envelopes with plastic windows Kerbside paper recycling in most areas — modern pulping screens the window out.
• Black plastic food trays Historically rejected because the optical sorter could not see them. Increasingly accepted now — check your council.