Cornwall bin study: half your rubbish could have been recycled

Take a proper look before you tie up your next black bag. According to Cornwall Council’s latest analysis of what people are actually throwing away, there is a good chance half of it should never have gone in the bin in the first place.

Recycling is up, but so is what’s being missed

Cornwall Council‘s recycling rate has increased by around 20% since weekly food waste collections and fortnightly recycling and rubbish collections were introduced in 2024. But analysis of rubbish collected from 500 Cornish homes, carried out in July 2025 and November 2025, found many people are still putting food and other recyclable material in the bin rather than in the collections meant for it.

A quarter of your bin is food, much of it never opened

Around a quarter of household rubbish consisted of food. Almost half of that food was still in its packaging when it was thrown away, meaning it had never even been opened.

“It’s quite shocking that so much food, especially food that has never been opened, is being put in the bin,” said Councillor Loic Rich, cabinet member with responsibility for Environment and Climate Change at Cornwall Council. “This is costing families a lot of money, and it impacts our environment too.”

Plastics, paper, glass and textiles make up the rest

Plastics and metal, paper and card, textiles and glass together made up 17% of the rubbish analysed, all material that could have gone out with the recycling instead.

Batteries and vapes are turning up in the rubbish too

The study also found batteries, vapes and other small electrical items among the rubbish. Loic warned that this puts collection crews at risk. “These can cause explosions when crushed in the collection lorries so please think about the crews’ safety and recycle batteries and vapes responsibly,” he said.

How to check what can be recycled

This Recycle Week (14 to 20 September), Cornwall Council is urging everyone to think twice before putting things in the bin. To check whether an item can be recycled, use the council’s online A-Z. There are also tips on how to reduce food waste and what to put in your recycling bags and boxes on the Cornwall Council website.

“People in Cornwall are recycling more than ever before but this analysis shows that there is more work to be done,” Loic said.

📷Woman throwing trash into household bins for waste sorting in the kitchen for recycle. Plastic, paper, bio and mixed waste. Sorting waste at home concept. High quality photo