Recycling: Surprising facts, common myths and what not to put in your bin

Recycling has become a big part of everyday life and government figures show the recycling rates for NI household waste increased slightly in 2025 compared to the year before. It’s even popular on TikTok, with more than 800k posts discussing the topic.

However, not everything on your socials is accurate and there’s plenty of misinformation and myths about recycling shared online.

BBC Bitesize Other Side of the Story spoke to Adam Herriott of Waste and Resources Action Group (WRAP) about recycling facts, popular claims and myths we may come across.

CLAIM: Items we recycle end up in landfill with the regular rubbish

MYTH This is something Adam described as a “sad myth”. He explained further: “Although some materials you put into your recycling may not be recycled - for example, if it’s the wrong item, it’s not recyclable, or it’s too contaminated, what you put into your recycling will be recycled, and certainly not go to incineration or landfill by default.”

He added: “If it all went to landfill with your general waste bin, your council wouldn't waste time and money by collecting it separately in the first place.”

CLAIM: The triangle ‘recycling’ symbol on a product doesn’t mean it's recyclable

FACT Adam said: “That triangle is known as the ‘mobius loop’ and just means that it could theoretically be recycled, not that it is necessarily accepted for recycling.”

It may be that the product isn't accepted in your local recycling collection. The list of what can be placed in your recycling bin is sometimes printed on the bin itself - or if you're still not sure, you can check your local council website.

CLAIM: Items must be cleaned before they are recycled

PARTLY TRUE Adam said: “Basically, we do not want 3D food residue on your recycling - think a pot covered in sauce, or pizza crusts left in the box. Give yogurt pots a quick rinse under the tap or in the leftover dishwater and let them dry before putting them in. Putting wet or dirty items into your recycling risks contaminating other materials, especially paper and card, meaning they cannot be recycled.”

In extreme cases, when the contamination from wet and dirty items is high, the whole recycling bin, or even the vehicle which collects it, could have its entire contents rejected from the recycling process.

Not everything you see online is true, so do your own research and double-check the facts before sharing.

Here's some facts about what you CAN recycle. Have a read and then challenge yourself to get full marks with our recycling vs rubbish quiz at the end!

Can aerosols be recycled?

This is another item that Adam has found confuses people. He explained: “They’re usually just aluminium so, much like an aluminium drinks can, they can go into recycling. People just need to make sure they are empty though, as they are pressurised containers.”

Is aluminium foil recyclable?

Adam said: “People might think, ‘oh, I’ve cooked with it, or it might have a little bit of food on there'. As long as it’s not baked on stuff, it’s fine [to recycle]. You just screw it up into a ball.”

Can you recycle clothing and textiles?

Adam suggested passing on clothes that no longer fit to somebody else rather than throwing them away. He explained: “We would always say re-use over putting into recycling. Textiles are a very, very difficult thing to turn into something else. At best, they will get made into industrial rags, or used as filling for car seats.

Can I recycle food waste?

“Pretty much anything that’s going to be on your plate,” can be recycled, Adam said. He added that it’s more important to keep as many leftovers as possible as they can make another meal the following day. If food is going off, or it’s waste like eggshells, bones or fruit and veg peelings, then it can go in the food waste. Make sure all the packaging is removed first.

Am I able to recycle kitchen towel and tissue paper?

These are two similar items that can’t be recycled. Kitchen towel, Adam said, is used to mop up so many different substances that it is usually too contaminated for recycling. Tissue paper is almost the same, but its structure means that it disintegrates during the recycling process. However, small amounts of tissues and kitchen roll can go in your compostable food bin.

Can I recycle mobile phones?

If you have a device with disposable batteries, supermarkets often have a collection point for used ones, but again - it’s worth checking in advance which stores take them. Most phone providers recycle used mobile phones and other electronic devices through various trade-in and recycling programs.

Can perfume and aftershave bottles be recycled?

If you don’t want to keep them as beautiful examples of glass to display on a shelf, or refill them with more scent, then you are welcome to put empty perfume and aftershave bottles in the glass recycling bin. It’s worth giving them a quick rinse first.

Are soap pump bottles recyclable?

The soap pumps that can be found next to the taps on your bathroom sink can’t be recycled at the moment. Adam said: “They've still got little metal ball bearings in and they can be problematic. That's why they're not recyclable currently, and there's lots of work going on in the background to change that.”

Are toothpaste tubes recyclable?

It hasn’t always been the case, but toothpaste tubes will soon be able to be recycled. In the past, tubes have been made up of different elements such as plastic and metal which meant that they could not be recycled, manufacturers have now agreed to make tubes out of a single material, making them suitable for recycling. Adam said that these have always been high on a ‘wish-cycling’ list - the items people have wanted to recycle, but have been unable to, for many years. Check your local council website to see if they are accepting toothpaste tubes yet.

Can you recycle yoghurt pots?

These are now recyclable. Adam said: “They used to be made out of polystyrene, to get what you call the ‘snap-ability’. That’s now changed to a completely different polymer which is completely recyclable. You just want to make sure you don’t leave any yoghurt in the pot.”