What to do with food tins and drinks cans?
Food tins and drinks cans are made from steel or aluminium. Both of these items are 100% recyclable and can be reprocessed again and again so it’s important we recycle them rather than throw them away.
Household recycling collections
You can usually recycle food tins and drinks cans with your kerbside recycling, this includes pet food tins and larger food tins such as those containing sweets and biscuits.
Household waste recycling centre (HWRC)
Yes, food tins and drinks cans are accepted at most household waste recycling centres.
Other recycling collections
When out and about, you may also see “Recycle on-the-go” bins. Look for bins with a recycling swoosh label for cans or mixed recycling. These are often found in shopping centres, transport hubs and event venues. You might also have these in staff canteens or around your school or even on your local high street.
How should I recycle food tins?
Remove the lid completely when opening the tin, empty the contents and then give it a quick rinse out to remove any stubborn bits of food residue stuck in there.
The edges can be sharp so carefully place the lid into the bottom of the tin, then squash it so the lid does not fall out (squashed tins also save space in your recycling bin).
Leave the labels on (unless your council has advised otherwise).
Recycling is constantly evolving and changing so check back for updates or try our recycling locator to find out what you can recycle at home and where you can recycle or pass on unwanted items in your local area.