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Original poster

Do you wash rinse bottles out before you recycle?

95 replies

GFFord · 05/08/2022 15:27

I don't normally but I've read that remaining liquid can contaminate the rest of the recycling. Additionally, can the pumps in hand wash be recycled? I've seen on a UK recycling site that you can't but it's vague, should I be disposing of the pumps and recycling the bottles, and also washing the soap out of these bottles?

OP posts:
HonestlyKen · 05/08/2022 15:27

Yes, I rinse everything.

carefullycourageous · 05/08/2022 15:28

Yes I rinse everything. Yes I would remove the pumps. They just go in the bin - so I don;t buy them anymore, just refills, or usually hand soap.

Redshoeblueshoe · 05/08/2022 15:28

No I rinse nothing

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waterlego · 05/08/2022 15:28

Yes, I rinse stuff out but the rest of my family don’t, despite my please so I often have to rummage around to get stuff back out to wash it. I put the pump part of the bottle into the main waste bin as I thought they weren’t recyclable.

waterlego · 05/08/2022 15:28

*pleas

Original poster
GFFord · 05/08/2022 15:31

Just read that a bit of leftover soap/detergent etc in the bottle is ok and doesn't need to be rinsed, apparently it can be beneficial to the recycling process? Sticky foods and drinks should be washed out in my opinion.

OP posts:
NannyR · 05/08/2022 15:31

Yes, our council asks that containers, tins and bottles are rinsed clean before going on the recycling bin.

Original poster
GFFord · 05/08/2022 15:33

@Redshoeblueshoe do you wash out jars and containers that have food residue on them, especially sticky stuff that would contaminate the load at recycling plants?

OP posts:
Isseywith3witchycats · 05/08/2022 15:33

yes i rinse all the tins and bottles out didnt know about pump dispensers will put those in the main bin from now on

smooththecat · 05/08/2022 15:36

Recycling that is not clean is considered contaminated and can lead to the whole batch being rejected, i.e. doesn't end up being recycled. Household recycling is generally low quality (materials-wise) for this reason, I'm not convinced it ends up back in the chain, I know a lot of it ends up being incinerated.

Redshoeblueshoe · 05/08/2022 15:38

Ok you are going to think I'm dreadful - but for say a tin of tomatoes I rinse it and put the water in with the food. But say an empty wine bottle - seriously do people wash them ?

starlingsintheslipstream · 05/08/2022 15:38

Always rinse. Always remove pumps and place in refuse. Our council ask that stuff is also dry but I must admit, I don't generally leave stuff to dry before putting it in the recycling bin.

larkstar · 05/08/2022 15:39

Yes - everything - yogurt pots, tins, jam jars, everything.

fussychica · 05/08/2022 15:47

I wash out anything messy or sticky. I don't rinse out wine or beer bottles. I do throw, the very rarely used, pump dispensers in the ordinary waste and put the container in recycling.

BigWoollyJumpers · 05/08/2022 15:48

Yes I rinse everything, even without the contamination issue, why put manky jars and tins, and milky bottles, straight in your recycling bin? It must honk after a couple of days, and attract flies..... just yuk.

MrsAvocet · 05/08/2022 15:48

I wash everything, unless it's something like the plastic carton I've just got some fruit in. I'll put that in as it is as it's clean, but anything that has food residue gets washed.

Stroopwaffle5000 · 05/08/2022 15:52

Yes, I thought that it would be rejected if it wasn't 😳

Whendovescry03 · 05/08/2022 15:56

I give things a quick rinse before it goes in the recycling. The box would get manky if anything dirty went in. To be honest if anything is very dirty/sticky, I just lob it in the normal bin instead of recycling. I figure that's better than ruining the rest of the recycling and I'm not convinced much gets recycled anyway.

AlisonDonut · 05/08/2022 15:58

Yes of course.

Pashazade · 05/08/2022 16:18

Yes everything gets rinsed, jars and tins go through the dishwasher seeing as we're running it anyway.
With pump triggers there is a terra cycle scheme for these so you may have somewhere local that takes them, for those people who have been throwing them away.
Also double check about bottle caps, our local council recycling can only take jam jar lid size and above plastic lids the rest go into the black bin although apparently do get sifted out and used for other stuff.....

GreenEyedDevil · 05/08/2022 16:19

Yes, everything gets rinsed.

IsDaveThere · 05/08/2022 16:19

Redshoeblueshoe · 05/08/2022 15:38

Ok you are going to think I'm dreadful - but for say a tin of tomatoes I rinse it and put the water in with the food. But say an empty wine bottle - seriously do people wash them ?

Well not actually wash them as such, just half fill with water, swish it round a bit, empty out and chuck in the recycling box. It also stops the bottom of the box from going manky from all the dribbles of wine/lager that come out of the empty bottles and cans.

Firesidefox · 05/08/2022 16:22

No because I don't believe it doesn't end up in landfill whatever you do.

WhatHaveIFound · 05/08/2022 16:23

Yes, I rinse all bottles (plastic & glass), jars & cans. You're supposed to aren't you?

Caspianberg · 05/08/2022 16:23

Yes I rinse everything

a) it will contaminate everything else at recycling plant

b) our plastic is collected every 6 weeks. It would stink with 6 weeks leftover dregs in things in summer

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