♻️ 10 Things You Think Are Recyclable (But Aren’t) – And What to Do Instead!

Let’s be real—recycling confusion is alive and well. How many times have you hovered over the bins, reusable coffee cup in one hand, shiny gift wrap in the other, and thought, “Surely this counts as recycling… right?” Cue the secret wish-cycling move, where good intentions end up sending whole bins to landfill. Oops.

But we’re here to break the cycle (and maybe, a few recycling myths) with a list of the most confusing “non-recyclables” and the eco-hero moves you can make instead!

1. Coffee Cups (Yes, Really)

Takeaway coffee cups might look like plain paper, but most are lined with a thin layer of plastic, making them hard to recycle.

👉 Fact: The Australian Packaging Covenant Organization (APCO) recommends labelling coffee cups as "Not Recyclable". Only about 10% of recycling facilities can handle them correctly.

👉 Impact: Around 1.8 billion single-use cups are used in Australia annually. That’s nearly 60,000 kg of plastic sent to landfill each year.

✅ Better Option: Bring your own reusable cup or check if your local area has a cup recycling scheme (like Simply Cups in AUS).

2. Receipts (a.k.a. the sneaky little paper imposters)

You might think receipts are harmless bits of paper, but plot twist—they're coated in BPA or BPS. What’s that, you ask? Think of them as the villains of the paper world—Bisphenol A (BPA) and Bisphenol S (BPS) are chemical coatings that help print the text on thermal paper, but they also make the receipt non-recyclable. Boo!

👉 Bonus buzzkill: These chemicals can rub off on your hands and aren’t great for your health or the planet.

✅ Better Option: Go digital whenever you can (your email inbox has more space than your wallet anyway!). If you do get a printed one, toss it in the bin—not the recycling bin.

3. Toothpaste Tubes (the bathroom imposters)

Sure, toothpaste tubes look like your average plastic packaging—but don’t be fooled! These everyday squeezers are secretly complex little monsters. Inside that innocent tube is a sneaky combo of plastic, aluminium, industrial adhesives, and sometimes even chemicals like BPA. Think of them as the lasagna of bathroom waste—layered, impossible to separate, and definitely not recyclable.

🤔 Why so tricky?

Toothpaste tubes often contain five or more bonded layers that recycling machines simply can’t deal with. Even “plastic-only” versions tend to mix different types of plastic, confusing the sorting system. Add a blob of leftover minty paste, and voilà—you’ve got a one-way ticket to landfill… where it could sit for up to 500 years. Yikes.

Ready to brush up on your eco game?

Here’s how to clean up your toothpaste routine:

✅ Try toothpaste tablets – no tube, no waste, and totally travel-friendly.

✅ Look for brands using metal tubes, glass jars, or sugarcane-based packaging – these are often recyclable or compostable.

✅ Go glam – metal tubes don’t just reduce waste, they give your bathroom serious vintage apothecary vibes

♻️ Want to do even better?

Send your used tubes off to the BRAD program by Aussie eco-warriors Banish. They accept empty toothpaste tubes, floss containers, toothbrushes, and other bathroom bits that normally head to landfill. They’ve already helped divert millions of hard-to-recycle items—turning bathroom trash into eco treasure.

🦷 So next time you squeeze the last bit out, don’t bin it—BRAD it!

👉 Find out more at Banish

4. Loose Bottle Caps (tiny troublemakers)

They may be small, but bottle caps cause big problems. When tossed loose into your recycling bin, these little troublemakers often slip through the cracks—literally. They're too small and lightweight for sorting machines, and they can end up contaminating entire recycling loads. Chaos in a cap!

🤯 Why the drama?

Loose caps tumble off conveyor belts, fall into the wrong streams, or jam up the machines. Even when made from recyclable plastic, their size makes them nearly impossible to sort unless they're attached to the bottle.

And it’s not just drink bottle caps—we’re talking milk lids, shampoo tops, and those tiny flip caps from beauty products too.

So, what’s the smart (and eco-friendly) move?

✅ Keep plastic caps screwed on to their bottles. Most recycling centres can process them this way.

✅ For metal caps (like from glass bottles), collect a bunch in a steel can and crimp it closed before popping it in the recycling.

✅ Reuse them for crafts (tiny tic-tac-toe, anyone?) or as game pieces for the kids.

♻️ Hardcore recycler? We’ve got something for you.

Many types of caps, especially those from bathroom and beauty products, can be sent to the Banish BRAD program. Yep—they’ll take your shampoo lids, face wash pumps, serum droppers, and more, and make sure they’re properly recycled by micro-recyclers.

🌏 So don’t let those tiny toppers trip up your good intentions. Bag ‘em, BRAD ‘em, and help turn small stuff into big change.

👉 Find out more at Banish

5. Shiny or Glittery Gift Wrap (aka disco paper)

If it sparkles, crinkles, or lights up like a mini rave—you’ve got a problem. Glittery gift wrap is made of plastic and foil that’s not only impossible to recycle but can also break into tiny microplastics, making it a major party pooper for the planet.

🎉 Why so problematic?

All that glitter, foil, and sparkly goodness might look fabulous, but it's basically plastic confetti that doesn’t break down in the recycling process. Instead of a present for your loved ones, it’s a present for the landfill!

✨ What can you do instead?

✅ Go retro and wrap gifts in plain kraft paper, or even old newspaper comics for that quirky vibe.

✅ For a more stylish touch, try fabric wraps (think tea towels, scarves, or old T-shirts) that you can reuse for future gifts!

✅ Want to impress? How about natural jute twine to add a little eco flair while skipping the plastic bows?

6. Greasy Pizza Boxes (delicious but deceptive)

Pizza boxes are a delicious part of our takeout tradition—until they get hit by a heavy dose of cheese and garlic butter. Once those delightful toppings turn into sticky, greasy blotches, they no longer belong in the recycling bin.

🍕 Why they're a problem:

The grease contaminates the cardboard, making it impossible for recycling machines to process them properly. That tasty box can lead directly to more landfill waste.

✅ Better Option:

• Divvy It Up: Rip off the clean, non-greasy parts (usually the lid) and pop those in your recycling bin.

  
  

• Compost the Mess: Toss the greasy base into your compost—your garden will thank you for the extra nutrients (or, if composting isn’t an option, secure it in the trash).

  
  

• Repurpose: Get creative by turning the clean parts into craft projects or even as a notepad for your grocery list!

7. Clamshell Produce Containers (the clear culprits)

You know those clear plastic containers that cradle your strawberries or baby spinach like precious cargo? They might look innocent, but they’re often made from low-grade plastics that many recycling centres can’t process.

🥬 Why the problem?

Even if they have a recycling symbol, they’re often #1 PET in a flimsy form that slips through sorting machines or is rejected altogether.

✅ Better Option:

• Rehome Them: Use them for seedling trays, drawer organisers, or snack boxes.

• Ditch the Plastic: Buy loose produce and bring your own reusable produce bags—your veggies won’t miss the clamshell.

Pro tip: If you want a truly circular, eco-friendly choice, compostable clamshells from brands like BioPak or ZenPacks are widely available in Australia and New Zealand, and can be composted at home or in organics bins (where available)

8. Broken Ceramics or Glassware (shattered dreams)

That cracked mug or shattered wine glass? Sadly, they don’t belong in your recycling bin. Ceramics and drinking glass melt at a different temperature than jar and bottle glass, and even one rogue piece can ruin an entire batch.

🥴 Why it matters:A single piece of ceramic in a load of recyclable glass can cause structural weaknesses in the end product—think bottles that break too easily.

✅ Better Option:

• Get Crafty: Use broken pieces in garden mosaics, stepping stones, or as drainage fillers in plant pots.

• Final Farewell: If all else fails, wrap carefully and place in the rubbish—RIP, Nana’s favourite mug.

9. Paper Towels & Tissues (too used to be useful)

They work hard wiping up spills and sneezes—but once they’ve done their messy job, they’re no longer clean paper and can't be recycled.

🤧 Why the rejection?They’re usually made from low-quality recycled fibres and are often soiled with food, grease, or ickier things (looking at you, flu season).

✅ Better Option:

• If It’s Clean-ish: Compost used towels and tissues if they’re just damp or food-related.

• If It’s Gross: Snot? Bleach? Bin it. Your compost bin has boundaries too.

10. Pringles Cans (snack tubes of doom)

Ah, Pringles. Once you pop, you can’t stop... but unfortunately, neither can your recycling bin. These crispy tubes are a Frankenstein’s monster of materials: cardboard on the outside, foil-lined plastic on the inside, with a metal base and plastic lid for good measure. It’s the ultimate mixed-material mash-up—and recycling centres just say nope.

🥔 Why the problem?

The combo of materials is nearly impossible to separate without specialised equipment, which most recycling facilities don’t have. So that snacky goodness comes at a cost to the planet.

✅ Better Options:

• Craft It Up: These tubes are surprisingly sturdy. Repurpose them as:

  • Pasta or spaghetti holders

  • Art supply containers (paintbrushes, pencils, you name it)

  • Cookie gift tins (just wrap them in cute paper)

  • DIY speaker amplifier for your phone—yes, it works!

  
  

• Store & Sort: Use them to stash hair ties, charging cables, sewing bits, dog treats... anything that usually disappears into the void.

Eco tip: When snacking, try to choose brands with packaging you know your local recycling centre can process, or go for loose snacks from bulk bins using your own reusable bag or jar.

Keep on questioning, keep on composting, and remember: the best waste is the waste you never create. Happy sorting!