Can I be fined for not recycling? Legalities around recycling bins to consider

Patrick Glover
·2-min read
There are several other bin related fines households need to watch out for including overfilling your bins and leaving them out on non-collection days. <i>(Image: Getty Images)</i>
There are several other bin related fines households need to watch out for including overfilling your bins and leaving them out on non-collection days. (Image: Getty Images)

There are rules around what can and can't be recycled in the UK, but can you be fined if you don't put the right items in the correct bin?

From general and garden waste bins to recycling and food bins, it can sometimes be hard to keep track of what goes where.

But households must be careful when it comes to what goes in their recycling bins or risk facing a fine from their local council.

Can I be fined for not recycling?

The short answer is yes, you can be fined for not recycling.

When do you need planning permission?

Local councils can issue households with a fixed penalty notice if they "continue to place recyclable items into their black bins and bags", according to Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council.

"This means the resident must pay a fixed penalty of £100 or appear in court," the South Wales council added.

Home expert Bert Hofhuis from Every Investor added it can also work the other way around - you can be fined for placing non-recyclable items in recycling bins.

Fines will vary depending on your local council, but typically range from £60 to £200.

The UK Government said fixed penalty notices should be issued by local councils as a last resort and only in extreme circumstances.

The UK Government says local councils should only issue fixed penalty notices for not recycling as a last resort. (Image: Getty Images)

The Government, on its website, said: "The Government wishes to encourage a measured and balanced approach, where householders are not penalised for minor breaches of waste bin rules.

"The use of these penalties should focus on those who cause genuine harm to the local environment.

"It is good practice to try and inform the household about any issues on the presentation of their waste bins.

"For example, you could use a letter or information notice. You should do this before moving to the process of issuing penalty notices outlined here."

There are several other bin related fines households need to watch out for, according to Mr Hofhuis.

These include overfilling your bins (up to £150 fine) and leaving your bins out on non-collection days (often around £80 to £100 fine).

You can also be fined for the improper disposal of special items like electronics, batteries, and large appliances (fines varying from £50 to over £200).

RECOMMENDED READING:​

Items that go in the recycle bin

Items that should go in your recycle bin, according to Bath & North East Somerset Council, include:

  • Food

  • Paper

  • Glass bottles and jars

  • Cans, tins and aerosols

  • Plastic packaging

  • Foil

  • Clothes, shoes and accessories

  • Small electrical appliances

  • Cardboard, brown paper and cardboard drinks cartons

The list of recyclable items will remain mainly the same between councils across the UK, but may vary slightly in some instances.

  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next

Latest stories

  • The US Government's Recommended House Temperatures Has Everyone In Disbelief

    Unfortunately, that's not happening. I'm not European!

  • Grolar bear hybrids in N.W.T. all traced back to same 'strange' female polar bear

    A family of polar and grizzly bear hybrids, or grolars, in Canada's western Arctic — which all started with a "pretty strange" female polar bear — is "quite rare," according to a new study. The research paper, published last week in the journal Conservation Genetics Resources, used a new tool to look at samples from 371 polar bears and 440 grizzly bears across Canada, Alaska and Greenland. The samples had been collected between 1975 and 2015. Ruth Rivkin, a postdoctoral research fellow at the Un

  • Map shows which parts of UK will be 'hotter than Ibiza' next week

    Temperatures in England will match those on the Balaeric Islands next week, according to reports, with highs of 26C expected in some places.

  • What is causing the dangerous heatwave in the US and will it affect the UK?

    The National Weather Service says the heatwave is ‘potentially the longest experienced in decades for some locations’

  • Bear Floating in Pond Is the Picture of Summer Bliss

    Sonya the bear was “truly delightful to behold” as she floated with her paws up in a pond at the Orphaned Wildlife Center, according to those running the New York sanctuary.“Notice how she effortlessly floats with her toes adorably protruding,” the center wrote on YouTube.Founded by Jim Kowalczik, Susan Kowalczik, and Kerry Clair in 2015, the OrphanedWildlife Center, in Otisville nurtures its animal residents in the hope they can be returned to the wild.The center often shares videos and updates about the animals in its care to its YouTube channel and Facebook page. Credit: Orphaned Wildlife Center via Storyful

  • Future of new oil and gas projects in UK thrown into doubt after landmark Supreme Court decision

    The future of new oil and gas projects in the UK has been thrown into doubt following a landmark decision by the Supreme Court. The court concluded the environmental impact of emissions from burning fossil fuels must be considered in planning applications for new extraction projects - not just the impacts of the emissions produced in extracting them. The case hinged around an oil drilling project at Horse Hill in Surrey, granted planning permission by Surrey County Council in 2019.

  • How to stay safe in dangerously hot weather, according to the experts

    The death of broadcaster and writer Michael Moseley in Greece this year has highlighted the very real dangers of hot weather, from dehydration to heat exhaustion to heat stroke.

  • Haj pilgrimage threatened as hundreds perish in heat

    STORY: Nearly 2 million Muslims will complete the haj pilgrimage this week, but extreme heat has been fatal for hundreds who started the journey last Friday, to the Kaaba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.According to reports, at least 562 people have died during the haj. Egypt has reported 307 deaths and 118 missing, with temperatures hitting over 124 degrees Fahrenheit.The haj's timing is based on the lunar year, moving back 10 days each year.While the haj is now moving towards winter, it will occur in the peak of summer in Saudi Arabia by the 2040s.Climate scientist Fahad Saeed says these deaths hint at future risks for millions of haj pilgrims."We need to prepare, we need to adapt, we need to introduce the adaptation option as much as we can. While realizing that it will compromise on the centuries old ritual, but still we need to save people. But at the same time, we must do climate action to stop the global warming at 1.5 degrees centigrade. At anything beyond that, we are putting those pilgrims at the risk of death."Heat-related deaths during the haj have been recorded since the 1400s.Pilgrims' vulnerability stems from exertion, exposure, and older age, as well as a simple lack of acclimatization to the heat.According to Saudi officials last year, more than 2,000 people suffered from heat stress during that haj.A 2021 study in the journal Environmental Research Letters found that if global temperatures rise by 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit above pre-industrial levels, heat stroke risk for haj pilgrims will increase by five times.Still, pilgrims remain determined - for some, it's a one-in-a-lifetime affair."Haj is the fifth pillar of Islam and it is a mandatory duty for every capable person. So you have to exert efforts and get tired. Haj is a difficult task, so you have to exert efforts and perform the rituals even in the conditions of heat and crowding. You use an umbrella, drink water and pour it onto your body to prevent dehydration. And the water sprinklers in the walkways help."In 2016, Saudi Arabia implemented a heat strategy with shaded areas, water points at every 500 meters, and improved healthcare.Saudi health authorities advised pilgrims to stay hydrated and avoid outdoor activities from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. during this year's haj.

  • Italy braces for 39°C temperatures as heatwave in southern Europe causes mounting safety concerns

    Intense heat continues to scorch southern Europe this week - with health officials warning people to stay sheltered and hydrated.

  • At last, a Just Stop Oil protest I can get on board with

    This week Just Stop Oil conducted its best and worst protests to date. By spraying Stonehenge with orange powder, the protesters once again united the country in a collective groan of tired disdain. But then, less than 24 hours later, they pulled off their most relevant stunt to date.

  • UK weather: Temperatures set to rise - with some areas forecast to be as hot as Ibiza

    Warmer weather is on the way with the UK finally set to enjoy a spell of sunshine - as temperatures in some parts are expected to match those in Ibiza. While temperatures will likely hover at around 20C (68F) over the weekend, with highs of 24C (75F) in the south, Monday and Tuesday could be as hot as Ibiza in the southeast. It is forecast to be 25C (77F) on the sunny Spanish island at the start of next week, matching London and surrounding areas, with the Midlands and northwest a degree or two cooler.

  • Culling wolves alters the survivors and that could be 'bad news' for caribou, study finds

    When wolves are killed by bullets fired from helicopters during Alberta government culls, surviving members of the pack quickly learn to evade the threat, a new study has found. For nearly two decades, Alberta has killed off hundreds of grey wolves each year in an attempt to bolster dwindling caribou populations, a practice critics have described as a misguided measure to help herds on the brink recover from habitat loss.New research sheds light on how the practice alters the surviving wolves an

  • Tiger Tinder! Amur tigers meet for first date at Woburn Safari Park

    Five-year-old male tiger Dmitri and 12-year-old female tiger Minerva have been on their first date at Woburn Safari Park this month. The stunning Amur tigers, which are listed as 'Endangered' in the wild by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, could be seen fondly greeting each other and relaxing together shortly after their initial introduction, just metres away from excited visitors' cars. Keepers are delighted that Dmitri and Minerva (known as Vera) have taken such a shine to e

  • These are the 7 gardening jobs you need to be doing before June ends

    From planting summer flower beds to watering hanging baskets, there are plenty of jobs to do before the sunshine (hopefully) arrives.

  • Sir Jim Ratcliffe attacks Labour plans days after backing Starmer

    Labour’s green energy plans will tax the North Sea “out of existence”, Sir Jim Ratcliffe has warned, days after he publicly backed Sir Keir Starmer.

  • Why older homes feel warmer than the thermostat suggests – and what to do about it

    Thermostats don’t tell the whole truth about heat, particularly in older homes.

  • Hawaii promises to curb pollution from transport after young activists win climate lawsuit

    Youth activists are forcing Hawaii to clean up its transport sector.

  • Sailboat Washes Ashore as Dangerous Currents Lash Gulf Coastline

    A sailboat washed ashore on Pensacola Beach, as dangerous weather conditions hit Florida’s northwest coastline on June 19.Footage shared by X user @tornadoalliewx shows a boat described as the “Lady Catherine” washed up on the beach on Wednesday morning.A Facebook post from Alleycat Michael on June 3 claims that his sailboat, the Lady Catherine, was “adrift and heading toward Florida” after he was forced to abandon it when the crew hit unexpected storms between Key West and Texas.The National Weather Service warned of life-threatening rip currents, high surf and minor coastal flooding through to Thursday, as dangerous weather conditions continued. Credit: @tornadoalliewx via Storyful

  • Nature's best-kept secrets: the most incredible plant finds of recent times

    Scientists continue to unearth new botanical discoveries regularly, with hundreds of new plant species found and identified in recent years alone. Here's a round-up of the latest discoveries in the world of plants, fungi and flora.

  • New world record set for residential solar panel

    Oxford PV pioneering the commercialisation of next-generation cells using ‘miracle material’ perovskite