If you make or sell food, the tray, sleeve or carton that goes out with your product either becomes raw material again or sits in landfill. The way you design and label it has a big say in which.
When you recycle food packaging, materials stay in circulation, less food packaging waste goes to landfill, and fewer greenhouse gas emissions come from making new material from scratch.
For food businesses, it also shapes the rules you follow and how customers see your brand.
What happens to food packaging in general waste – By Manchester’s custom packaging experts
Packaging that goes into general waste is either buried in landfill or burned in an incineration plant.
Landfill uses up land and releases greenhouse gases such as methane as household waste breaks down.
Incineration recovers some energy, but it still destroys the material, so the carton or tray you threw away has to be replaced with new packaging made from fresh resources.
Single-use plastic packaging, such as a film lid or plastic tray, is often in use for a few minutes and can then stay in landfill for decades.
The environmental impact of recycling packaging materials
Recycling reduces waste at the point where it matters most, because recyclable materials that go back into manufacturing replace virgin material that would otherwise have to be extracted and processed.
Food packaging materials like card, glass and metal can be recovered and used again.
Lower material use usually means lower energy demand and fewer emissions along the supply chain.
Cardboard packaging is a good example, since paper fibres can go through the recycling process several times before they become too short to use again.
Recycling facilities can only process material that arrives clean and sorted, so one badly filled bin can undo the work of recycling the rest.
Which food packaging can go in the recycling bin
What UK councils collect at the kerbside varies across the UK, so check your local recycling guidance before you assume anything.
Even so, cardboard, metal containers, glass jars, plastic bottles and rigid plastic containers such as food trays and tubs are widely recycled through kerbside recycling.
Card-based food packaging, including sleeves, cartons, takeaway food boxes and paper bags, is easy to recycle in the paper and card bin once any loose food has been removed and the packaging is clean.
Plastic bags, film and other packaging that stays out of the recycling bin
Plastic film, plastic bags, crisp packets, polystyrene and black plastic are the usual non-recyclable exceptions.
Soft plastics tangle in sorting machinery and black plastic is often missed by sorting-plant scanners.
None of them can be recycled at the kerbside in most areas unless your council says otherwise.
How food residue and contamination affect recycling
Contamination is the most common reason recyclable packaging gets rejected.
A tub with food residue stuck inside, or a pizza box soaked through with grease, can spoil the paper or plastic around it.
One dirty item can downgrade a whole load in the recycling stream.
Successful recycling needs only a quick scrape and a light rinse.
Leftover food belongs in a food waste caddy where your council runs one, because food waste recycling and dry recycling travel through separate waste streams.
Food waste can be turned into energy and fertiliser.
Reading the recycling label of your packaging
The recycling symbol on each pack tells you what goes in the recycling and what doesn’t.
If a pack carries no label, check it against your council’s list before you recycle it.
Don’t confuse the recycling symbol with the ℮ mark, this tells you the average weight or volume on many items. Not any information regarding recycling.
Compostable and biodegradable packaging
Biodegradable packaging breaks down eventually, but the word carries no time limit or conditions, so a biodegradable label doesn’t mean an item can go in the recycling bin.
Compostable packaging, including items made from bagasse (the fibre left over from sugarcane), is designed to break down in composting conditions and usually needs a separate collection.
Check with your council before putting any compost-friendly packaging in a food waste caddy.
Recycling rules for food businesses
Workplace recycling rules
Workplaces in England have had to separate dry recyclables, food waste and non-recyclable waste since 31 March 2025, and micro-firms with fewer than 10 full-time equivalent employees have until 31 March 2027, according to GOV.UK.
The rules cover waste from customers and visitors as well, so a café or shop needs bins its customers can use properly for the packaging waste generated on site.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own versions of these packaging recycling requirements.
Food businesses should check the rules for the area where they trade, including what customers can recycle on site.
Extended producer responsibility fees
Under UK extended producer responsibility, businesses that supply packaging pay fees based on its weight and how recyclable it is.
Recyclable materials cost less to put on the market and help lift recycling rates.
Brand perception and excess packaging
Packaging that is clearly labelled supports correct disposal and brand perception.
A customer who can see where each part belongs is more likely to recycle it properly.
Cutting excess packaging, such as a second layer that adds no protection, lowers your costs and gives customers less to throw away.
How packaging design makes recycling easier
Whether packaging can be recycled is largely decided at the design stage, so choosing materials with that in mind comes first.
Packaging made from a single material, without plastic windows or laminated layers, is easier to recycle and more likely to be accepted by councils.
At Custom Pack Studio, our bespoke packaging is made in Scotland from 100% recyclable, FSC and PEFC certified board.
We also hold BRC Global Packaging (High Hygiene) certification for food-safe packaging.
When reviewing your packaging, ask of each item in your current packaging whether a customer can recycle it at home through their normal kerbside collection, and look at plastic alternatives for any component that fails that test.
A card box with a plastic window, for example, can be swapped for an all-card pack that goes straight into the paper and card bin.
Questions about recycling food packaging
Can you recycle plastic food packaging?
Rigid plastic bottles, tubs and trays are collected by most councils, but plastic film, plastic bags and black plastic usually aren’t. Check the label and your council’s list, and empty and lightly rinse each item before it goes in.
Do I need to wash food packaging before I recycle it?
A quick scrape and a light rinse is enough, because packaging doesn’t need to be spotless. Loose food and heavy grease can spoil other material in the bin, so remove the leftovers before you recycle the rest.
Can I put food waste in a plastic bag?
Some councils accept food waste in a plastic bag or compostable liner because the bags are removed at the processing plant, while others only take compostable liners or loose waste. A bag of food should never go in the dry recycling bin.
Is biodegradable food packaging recyclable?
Biodegradable and compostable packaging usually can’t go in the dry recycling bin, and it needs composting conditions to break down. Check the label and your local food waste collection before you recycle or dispose of it.
How do I know if packaging is recyclable?
The on-pack recycling label tells you whether an item is widely recycled, should be checked locally, or isn’t yet recyclable. Your council’s website then confirms what its kerbside collection accepts, since the rules differ between areas.
Choose food packaging that’s easy to recycle with Custom Pack Studio
If you’re reviewing your packaging for a food product, a free design consultation is a good place to start.
With no minimum order, you can trial a recyclable format on a small run before committing to a larger one.
Call us on 01294 314 919, email contact@custompackstudio.co.uk or request a free quote online, and we’ll help you design food packaging your customers can recycle at home without a second thought.
