From 31 March 2026, the Government made some changes to household bin collections across England as part of its Simpler Recycling initiative. In Surrey, the changes mean that more items can now go in your recycling bin. Here’s our guide to the new items…
Tetra Pak cartons such as juice and soup cartons
Wherever you live in Surrey, you can now put Tetra Pak cartons into your mixed recycling bin. Tetra Pak is usually used for products like fruit juice, plant-based milks and soups. It is made from a mix of materials – paper, plastic and foil – meaning it is harder to recycle than many items.
When Tetra Pak is recycled, it is separated into the different materials it is made from. The paper part of the product is turned into new paper products and the plastic and aluminium parts of the product are turned into pellets, which can be shaped to create new items such as crates.
TOP TIP – empty, rinse and, if possible, remove lids of Tetra Pak cartons before putting them in your recycling bin.
Squeezy metal tubes such as tomato puree and cosmetics tubes
Wherever you live in Surrey, you can now put squeezy metal tubes such as tomato puree and cosmetics tubes in your mixed recycling bin.
When recycled, squeezy metal tubes are shredded, melted then purified before being cast into sheets or moulded into shapes to create new metal products.
TOP TIP – empty your metal squeezy tubes before putting them in your recycling bin.
Squeezy plastic tubes such as toothpaste tubes
Wherever you live in Surrey, you can now put squeezy plastic tubes such as toothpaste tubes in your mixed recycling bin.
When recycled, squeezy plastic tubes are melted down and shaped into new plastic products such as t-shirts or picnic benches.
TOP TIP – empty your plastic squeezy tubes before putting them in your recycling bin.
Foil and foil trays
Wherever you live in Surrey, you can now put foil and foil trays in your mixed recycling bin.
When recycled, foil is shredded, melted then purified before being cast into sheets or moulded into shapes to create new metal products.
TOP TIP – scrunch foil into a ball no smaller than a tennis ball before putting in your recycling bin.
Empty aerosol cans
Wherever you live in Surrey, you can now put empty aerosol cans in your mixed recycling bin.
When recycled, aerosol cans are shredded, melted then purified before being cast into sheets or moulded into shapes to create new metal products.
TOP TIP – empty aerosol cans before putting them in your recycling bin.
Non-black plastic plant pots
Wherever you live in Surrey, you can now put non-black plastic plant pots in your mixed recycling bin.
When recycled, non-black plastic plant pots are melted down and shaped into new plastic products such as t-shirts or picnic benches.
TOP TIP – clean your non-black plastic plant pots before putting them in your recycling bin. Black plastic plant pots should go in your rubbish bin.
If you want to know which bin to put virtually any item you can think of in, use the Surrey Recycles search tool. Just enter your postcode then an item and the tool tells you what to do with it.