Till receipts aren't recyclable - am i the only one who didn't know?!

[Boringthreadalert]

Sorry for being boring but I'm annoyed I've only just found this out!

It's to do with the type of paper they're printed on.
Did anyone else know this?! I feel like it should be communicated better. Would definitely encourage me to say no to them more than I do at present!

I’ve never put them into recycling because our council won’t take small scraps of paper. Also I would never say no to one, because sometimes you walk out of a shop and the alarm goes off etc.

I also saw the programme saying that pizza boxes can’t be recycled, even though they have the recyclable symbol on them, due to the grease. Companies need to add a layer of something to absorb the grease, as this is ridiculous. Our council changed everyone’s bins to those small ones to try to increase recycling rates, plus they only collect them every two weeks (and they will not collect black bags), so there’s no room for pizza boxes in them!

?? So many times my til receipt is wrong and have been overcharged.

I shred mine along with personal docs and use the shedded paper to line waste bin liners.

@Sparklyhat I’m the same as your colleague. I don’t recycle anything either, it just all goes in our normal bin.

I’m not sorting through my rubbish 🤷‍♀️

You honestly don't need to shred receipts though. They don't have full details on any more. I just chuck mine in the bin.

@askmenow Having once worked in retail, most people don’t want their receipts, and of those that take them, most screw them up and throw them away themselves.

FuckinghellthatsUnbelievable · Today 10:54

I knew that. I found it surprising that pizza boxes aren’t recyclable. I think due to grease contamination.

If the lid's greasy, but the rest isn't, you can rip the lid off and recycle the clean part. You are also supposed to wash food residue from plastic tubs etc, as it contaminates the recycling process.

I knew about receipts, because they're thermal ink paper and I work in an industry which used to use something similar, before everything went digital.

I know, I'm a proper saddo!

ive spoiled loads aswell

also the take this to a supermakrt for recycling-well i do mine online so dont go to the shop so that something else i cant recycle

nobody is going to spot that till receipts have been shredded with other paper.
We can’t put any shredded paper in the recycling. It has to go in a bag and put in the general rubbish bin.

Yeah, that's right. If I don't actively need the receipt then I don't ask for one. Be careful with takeaway containers too; if they have any remnants of food on them they can't be recycled. Also, peel off the plastic stickers on as many bottles as you can or that bottle can't be recycled. Put the stickers in with the soft plastics.

Honestly, I think I spend half my life getting rubbish ready for recycling and I get most of it ends up in landfill anyway.

Sorting your rubbish for recycling isn't exactly difficult. Just keep recycling separate until you bin it. I don't understand the mindet of "I'm not doing THAT" (get over yourself) or it's the Council's job (crappy excuse for basically being lazy). It's a good thing to do that will add seconds to your day. The less going into landfill and polluting the environment the better.

I shred all paper. I used to run a business from home so I just got in the habit.

I also always take a receipt. I was once stopped in a shop doorway and challenged about my purchases and also I know several people who are discriminated against (usually teens and black people) so I hate that the norm is now to not give out receipts.

I do recycle - however no matter what we do I think a lot of it gets incinerated anyway rather than recycled

Didn't know. I shred all mine but eventually that gets recycled.

I didn't know that. Been putting them in for years.

On the downside my local sainsbury's now won't let you out the barrier without a receipt. More landfill.

I didn't know that, or about pizza boxes. Usually shred receipts anyway although I prefer not to have one unless it's something I may need to return. I have bank notifications on my phone which pop up as soon as I use my card, so if any overzealous security person wants to stop me at the door I will show them the amount I've just paid and let them do the maths on the items in my bag.

While I didnt know thermal paper wasnt recyclable until now, they two kinds of paper are clearly distinguishable, so I will throw the thermal ones and recycle the regular paper ones.
Ive been putting them all in the recycling up until today!

Clearly they don't!

I get the majority of my receipts by email now. No waste & all in one place.

No they don't as this thread has proven.

Obviously not…

Well yeah I see that now!

I think this thread illustrates why the government announcement last October, that recycling will be standardised across the country, is a good thing. There was a lot of muttering at the time about making it more difficult but there are so many variations between councils nobody really knows what's acceptable and what's not.

Hopefully when it comes in (2026) they will really be able to get down to this sort of fine detail. Also if everyone is doing the same the recycling centres will be able to streamline their operations and by maing the process more efficient be able to recycle more and better.

I had no idea @Boringthreadalert and always put them in the paper recycling so thank you for that information, I will stop doing that now. Pizza boxes (takeaway obviously) I always put in the food recycling as I do any cardboard contaminated with food waste.

I've learnt another thing about not putting small scraps of paper in the recycling bin. All shredded paper is for the garden/compost bin but I rip up quite a bit too and put in the recycling bin. What size is too small? Half a fiver in size, quarter a fiver?