Kerbside Recyclable Food Packaging
Kerbside recyclable food packaging is a cornerstone of sustainable waste management in the hospitality and food industry. By embracing materials that integrate seamlessly into household recycling systems, businesses can reduce environmental impact, enhance customer trust, and contribute to a more circular economy.
The future of food packaging lies in simplicity, transparency, and recyclability—and kerbside solutions provide a clear path forward.
The demand for sustainable solutions in the food and hospitality sector has placed kerbside recyclable food packaging at the forefront of innovation.
As consumer awareness of environmental issues grows, businesses are under pressure to reduce waste and demonstrate greener practices.
Kerbside recyclable packaging—materials that can be collected and processed through standard household recycling schemes—offers a practical, accessible way to achieve this.
What is Kerbside Recyclable Packaging?
Kerbside recyclable packaging refers to food packaging that is widely accepted in local recycling collections. It is designed to fit within the existing recycling infrastructure, ensuring that once consumers dispose of it correctly, the packaging is recovered, reprocessed, and turned back into valuable raw materials.
Unlike specialist or compostable packaging, kerbside recyclables are straightforward for households, removing the confusion often associated with disposal.
Kerbside recyclable food packaging is any food or drink packaging that can be collected in your household recycling bin by your local council.
Benefits of Kerbside Recyclable Packaging
For food businesses, using kerbside recyclable packaging enhances brand reputation and meets consumer expectations for sustainability.
Clear, recyclable packaging communicates a business’s commitment to environmental responsibility, attracting eco-conscious customers.
It also helps businesses comply with tightening waste regulations and extended producer responsibility policies.
Kerbside recyclable packaging reduces landfill dependency, supports circular economies, and conserves raw materials.
By making recycling easier for households, businesses also play a role in reducing consumer confusion around waste disposal.
This includes clean
- Plastic bottles, pots, tubs, and trays
- Metal food and drink cans, foil trays
- Glass bottles and jars
- Paper and cardboard
In the UK, most councils collect these items together as dry recyclables, but some areas may separate paper/card from plastics and metals. Always check your local council’s recycling guide.
How to Prepare Kerbside Recyclable Packaging
- Rinse and empty all containers to remove food or liquid
- Leave lids on small bottles (under 40 mm) so they don’t fall out during sorting
- Flatten boxes to save space in your bin
Upcoming Changes to UK Recycling Rules
By March 2026, a standardised four‑bin system will be introduced across England for households:
- Dry recyclables
- Food & garden waste
- General waste
- Paper & card
Why Choose Kerbside Recyclable Packaging for Your Business?
- Widely accepted across UK councils—easy for customers to dispose of correctly
- Reduces general waste volumes and disposal costs
- Supports UK recycling targets and avoids contamination fines
- Demonstrates your commitment to sustainability and eco‑friendly operations
Kerbside Recycling FAQs
This is packaging that can commonly be recycled at home through the local council waste collection.
Products are clearly labelled as kerbside recyclable where relevant, but individuals may need to check their local collection rules to ensure certain types of plastic are included.
Kerbside recyclable products are designed to be broken down and re-used or repurposed, and with proper recycling it can expand the lifetime usage of a plastic product.
Compostable and biodegradable products however are designed to break down at either a commercial composting location or through home composting and shouldn’t be re-used.
- Paper & cardboard
- Metals: Aluminium and steel packaging
- Glass jars and bottles
- Liquid cartons
Not good kerbside recyclable material choices:
- Polystyrene (EPS)
- Plastic film & cling wrap
- Plastic-coated paper (like coffee cups unless collected separately)
- compostable/biodegradable plastics(often require industrial composting)
- Liquid cartons
- Compostable bioplastics
Kerbside recyclable products refer to products specifically that can be disposed of at home through local council waste collection, whilst these rules may vary from between councils.
Not all products can be recycled in the same way, and some recycling requires more industrial processes. All of our products are clearly labelled where kerbside recycling is a possibility to ensure your customers know how to dispose of their packaging.
Yes - many of our products are safe for a variety of hot food and drink options including hot meals, soups, and drinks. Information is provided on each specific product page to highlight if it is a product for hot or cold food and liquids.
If you have any questions or concerns, get in touch with our team who will be able to reassure you of a specific product's uses.
If you offer takeaway services and regularly have food packaging and containers delivered to customers homes, kerbside recycling is a cost-effective and environmentally friendly way to ensure your food and drinks are delivered without issue, whilst also ensuring your packaging meets growing customer demands from an eco standpoint.
Alongside delivery, clear instructions can be given to customers for how to properly recycle their packaging to ensure it is handled correctly.
Yes - this is the main benefit of kerbside recyclable packaging as it can be easily sorted and disposed of at home for local council collection.
No - not all kerbside recyclable packaging is the same. Some require different recycling methods, with certain products requiring parts of the packaging to be separated from others.
Find out more on our disposal page with information that can be passed on to your customers for how to correctly recycle their packaging.
Kerbside recyclable food packaging is fantastic for any business that handles home delivery for food and drink, it’s a cost effective and durable replacement to single use plastic containers, and the ease of recycling alongside clear instructions provides quick and easy disposal for the customer.
Our recyclable food packaging is used for a wide range of applications including restaurants, food markets, takeaway delivery, and many other options.