Plastic bottles can be recycled in your blue bin or at many of the recycling points around the city.
Other clean plastic packaging can now be accepted in the 'Plastic pots, tubs and trays' banks at the recycling points at:
- Sainsbury's (Coldham's Lane)
- Waitrose (Hauxton Road)
- Tesco (Cheddars Lane)
- Daily Bread (off Kings Hedges Road)
- Colville Road car park
- Cherry Hinton Hall car park
The following plastic items can be accepted in the banks:
- Yoghurt pots
- Margarine or spread tubs
- Ice cream tubs
- Trays from chocolate or biscuit boxes
- Trays from meat, vegetables or fruit
- Plant pots (empty)
- Bottle tops, lids and triggers
- Sandwich packets
- Cream or custard pots
Please rinse to remove food residues.
The following can not be accepted in the banks:
- Hard plastic items (e.g. toys, washing-up bowls, storage boxes etc) - see further down this page for how to recycle hard plastics
- Plastic film or wrapping
- Plastic bags
- Expanded polystyrene
Frequently asked questions
Why can’t we recycle plastic pots, trays and tubs in the blue bins?
There are over 50 different types of plastic in use today. Plastics also come in many different thicknesses and shapes, which makes them difficult to sort and process.
The plastic packaging collected from recycling banks will be sent to a specialist plastics recycler in Lincolnshire which is able to separate many different polymers and prepare them for use by manufacturers.
The mixed recycling from the blue bins is sorted at a general recycling sorting plant in Peterborough which does not have the technology to economically separate the different plastic types.
Why don't you tell us which plastic numbers we can recycle, e.g. 1, 2 and 3?
The numbers embossed into some plastic packaging can be used to identify which polymer it is made from. However some items made from the same polymer can be quite different and can not be recycled together - e.g. milk bottles are made from HDPE (2) and so are some buckets. The thickness of the plastic, the way the item was made and what it was used for also influence if and how it can be recycled.
Another reason is that most people find it easier to identify an item, e.g. a bottle, than to look for a number on it. Also, not all packaging has a number on it.
Is there anywhere that plastic bags and plastic film be recycled?
Yes - but not in your blue bin or at recycling points. Most supermarkets have plastic bag recycling points at the entrance to their stores. Since April 2011 the following shops will also accept other plastic film packaging, such as plastic from bakery goods, breakfast cereal liners, plastic-wrapped groceries, toilet-roll wrap and multi-pack shrink-wrap in their carrier bag recycling bins:
- Asda
- The Co-Operative
- Morrisons
- Sainsbury's
- Tesco
- Waitrose
Please note that these carrier bag recycling bins are provided by and emptied by the supermarkets, not the council.
Currently you cannot recycle plastic bags or film in your blue bin or in the plastic banks for tubs, pots and trays.
Is there anywhere that hard plastics like toys or garden furniture can be recycled?
Yes. You can recycle rigid plastic items like corrugated pipe, buckets, dustbins, water butts, garden furniture, plant pots, and non-electrical children’s toys at the County Council's large Recycling Centres - the closest to Cambridge are near Milton and Thriplow. However, plastic bottles, yoghurt pots, ice cream tubs, PVC pipes and UPVC door and window frames are not suitable.
How are plastics recycled?
After collection, the plastics are taken to a sorting facility where they are separated into their different types by automated machinery, using techniques such as infra-red imaging.
The plastic is flaked and turned into pellets for sale to manufacturers to make new products including plant pots, compost bins, water butts and fleece jackets.
Visit www.ecoplasticsltd.com to find out more about where plastics from our banks go.
The video below shows what happens to plastic bottles from the blue kerbside recycling bins.
