'I'm a binman – these are the only four types of plastic you should recycle'

'I'm a binman – these are the only four types of plastic you should recycle' Recycling is a source of confusion for many, with almost nine in 10 Brits reportedly placing the wrong items in their recycling bins, but a useful acronym could simplify the process A binman has identified four types of plastic we should focus on when recycling. Recycling continues to be a source of confusion, with nearly nine in 10 Brits reportedly placing incorrect items in their recycling bins and just 9 per cent claiming they feel "confident" they're doing it properly. Toye Ogunleye, recycling manager at North London Waste Authority, emphasised that it costs them to sort through people's waste to extract non-recyclables, an expense that ultimately lands on UK taxpayers. Fortunately, he's made things easier for us by sharing a useful acronym to help people work out which plastic items to "focus on" - and says we shouldn't "worry" about the rest. Recyclable materials include paper, plastics, glass, metals (including foil), and card. He told the i Paper: "Focus on BPTT: bottles, pots, tubs and trays. Don't worry about anything outside of that or the four other categories." Simply remove any film from these items, wash them, and then dispose of them. Meanwhile, items that don't fit into these categories cannot go in household recycling bins, including cling film, crisp packets, broken glass, aerosols, wood and ceramics, though many can be taken to a recycling centre. Gary Oshunrinde, environmental manager for Veolia Camden, meanwhile, told the outlet about the items we should never put in recycling, one of which can cause fires. He said: "Batteries are still mistakenly thrown into recycling bins, where they can cause fires in vehicles and recycling centres. Veolia saw a fire occur at least once a day in its facilities and waste collection vehicles across the UK last year." Gary also pointed to electricals and vapes, which can't be put in your household bin, noting how explosions can occur when other items make contact with or crush them. It was also noted that we should avoid throwing paint away in this manner due to the fumes. This follows a refuse collector setting the record straight on the proper disposal of plastic shopping bags. Someone enquired: "Can someone settle a debate for me. Tesco bags, are they recyclable? Says on them they are, but it doesn't feel right." No1 Binman on TikTok, who has more than 170,000 followers, confirmed they are recyclable, though it's not a simple process. He pointed out that they cannot go in household recycling bins. It was suggested that carrier bags, which can jam machinery at recycling plants, can be taken back to the supermarket. However, the best option was reported to be putting them in your regular rubbish bin or reusing them. As for paper bags, experts at Best Pac UK explained: "The great news for the environment is that yes, paper bags can be recycled, but only if they're actually made from paper. "Whilst most plastic bags, for example, are not recyclable, almost all types of paper bags can be recycled, helping to reduce the amount of plastic landfill sitting on the earth and polluting our oceans."