5 Things You Should Not Put in the Recycling Bin, According to North London Waste Authority

"Food causes a lot of problems when mixed with other recyclables, especially paper and cardboard, because it can really spoil their quality. Recyclable packaging should be rinsed before it goes in the recycling bin. If your council offers food-waste collections, you can also recycle your food so that it can be used to generate energy or turned into nutrient-rich compost," the NLWA told POPSUGAR.

"The COVID-19 outbreak has seen a rise in use of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as surgical masks, gloves, and disposable tissues," the NLWA said. "These items are not recyclable even when clean, but if put into the recycling cause a safety risk to our staff who have to pick them out manually. You can find out more about this issue on the NLWA website."

"In the United Kingdom alone, more than 206,456 tonnes of textile waste is produced each year and only 25 percent of it is either reused or recycled. Textiles are recyclable at designated collection points like on-street banks, recycling centres, and through textile collections, but they should not go into the household recycling," the NLWA said.

"Our 2019 research found that one in 10 UK parents with children under 3 has put used nappies in with the household recycling," the NLWA said. "The workers at the Material Recovery Facility (MRF) have to pull dirty nappies off conveyor belts by hand so that the rest of the recycling can be processed properly."