Recycling Sticker Guide

Welcome to our Recycling Sticker Guide. If you’ve ever stood by your bins wondering which goes where, you’re not alone. Recycling rules can feel confusing, especially with different councils and regions using their own systems. That’s where our Recycling Sticker Guide comes in. Understanding the right colours and labels isn’t just about keeping your home or business organised, it’s also about complying with the latest UK legislation. With the government introducing Simpler Recycling across England and Wales continuing to lead the way with stricter separation requirements. It’s more important than ever to make sure your waste streams are clearly identified.

Recent updates in recycling law mean consistency is now the goal. In England, the new Simpler Recycling framework aims to standardise what households and businesses can recycle. While in Wales, regulations already require food, glass, paper, card, plastics, and metal to be separated at the kerbside. That shift brings a growing need for clear, durable stickers that match official colour schemes, helping everyone from local councils to schools and offices meet compliance. In this Recycling Sticker Guide, we’ll take a detailed look at which stickers you need, what each colour means, and how small changes can make a big difference in reducing contamination and boosting recycling rates.

Quick Navigation

  • Battery Recycling Stickers
  • Cardboard Recycling Stickers
  • Cans Recycling Stickers
  • Clear Plastics Recycling Stickers
  • Clinical Waste Sticker
  • Clothes Waste Stickers
  • Coffee Cup Recycling Stickers
  • Coffee Ground Recycling Sticker
  • Compostable Waste Stickers
  • Confidential Data Stickers
  • Confidential Paper Stickers
  • Crisp Packets Recycling Stickers
  • Dry Mixed Recycling Stickers
  • Food Waste Stickers
  • Garden Waste Stickers
  • General Waste Stickers
  • Glass Recycling Stickers
  • Hardhat Recycling Stickers
  • Hazardous Waste Stickers
  • Liquid Waste Stickers
  • Magazine Recycling Stickers
  • Mixed Recycling Stickers
  • Newspaper Recycling Stickers
  • Newspaper and Magazine Recycling Stickers
  • Non-Recyclable Waste Stickers
  • Paper Recycling Stickers
  • Paper and Cardboard Recycling Stickers
  • Paper Cups Recycling Stickers
  • Plastic Recycling Stickers
  • Plastic Bottle Recycling Stickers
  • Plastic Bottles and Cans Recycling Stickers
  • Plastic Cups Recycling Stickers
  • Plastic Film Recycling Stickers
  • Plastics and Cans Recycling Stickers
  • PPE Waste Stickers
  • Printer Cartridge Recycling Stickers
  • Sharps Waste Stickers
  • sWEEE Recycling Sticker
  • Textile Waste Stickers
  • Tins Recycling Stickers
  • Vape Recycing Stickers

To support consistency across the UK, many councils and organisations follow the guidelines set out by WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme). WRAP is a government-backed body that provides clear recommendations on waste labelling. Helping to standardise colours for recycling streams. Their guidance helps ensure that whether you’re in England, Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland, recycling symbols and sticker colours are easy to recognise and understand. By aligning Recycling Stickers with WRAP’s recommended colour schemes, you can make recycling simpler for users, reduce confusion, and boost participation while staying in step with best practice and national legislation.

Battery Recycling Stickers

Colour: Pink

WRAP’s Recycle Now material stream signage for batteries is typically printed in pink. This makes it instantly recognisable as a hazardous waste stream and easy to distinguish from other recyclables. Our vibrant battery recycling stickers are bold, simple, and highly visible. Helping to improve safety, reduce contamination, and support compliance. Under the Waste Batteries and Accumulators Regulations, retailers selling over 32 kg of portable batteries per year must provide free take-back recycling facilities. It is recommended that clear battery recycling labels ensure these points are easy to identify. Only around 27% of UK batteries are currently recycled, meaning tens of thousands of tonnes still end up in landfill each year.

Key benefits of pink battery recycling stickers:

  • Stands out among other recycling bins
  • Instantly recognisable as a battery collection point
  • Helps reduce contamination from general waste
  • Promotes safer disposal of hazardous materials
  • Supports retailer compliance under UK battery regulations

Shop our Battery Recycling Stickers >>

 

Cardboard Recycling Stickers

Colour: Blue

Cardboard signage uses a blue background with white icons or text to denote cardboard recycling. Blue is a colour that distinguishes it from other recycling streams like plastic or food waste. This crisp blue is both simple and vibrant, making cardboard recycling stations instantly recognisable in schools, offices, or retail settings. Such clarity ensures that staff and users sort cardboard in to cardboard recycling bins properly, keeping it separate from general waste and reducing contamination. Under the Simpler Recycling initiative in England, and with Wales’ existing separation policies, organisations must provide compliant cardboard collection points. Our bold blue stickers deliver exactly that: clarity, compliance, and ease of use. Each year, millions of tonnes of cardboard are recycled in the UK—one of the most widely recovered materials in the national waste stream.

Key benefits of blue cardboard recycling stickers:

  • Quickly recognisable for cardboard-only bins
  • Helps prevent contamination by avoiding likely contaminating waste (food waste)
  • Supports compliance with UK recycling frameworks

Shop Our Cardboard Recycling Labels >>


Can Recycling Stickers

Colour: Grey

Cans recycling points are identified with a grey background, providing a clear and consistent look that sets them apart from plastics, cardboard, and food waste. With Simpler Recycling in England introducing standardised collections, and Wales already enforcing strict separation of metal waste, the need for reliable signage has never been greater. Cans Recycling Stickers give councils, schools and businesses, and retailers the confidence that their bins are properly marked, helping to reduce contamination and improve recycling rates. In the UK, over 75% of aluminium cans are recycled, making it one of the most successfully recovered waste streams.

Key benefits of grey cans recycling stickers:

  • Provides clear identification for metal recycling bins
  • Matches WRAP’s nationally recognised colour standards

Shop Our Cans Recycling Labels >>

 

Clear Plastics Recycling Stickers

Colour: Red.

Per WRAP’s guidelines, the standard colour for clear plastic recycling stickers is red background with white icons or text, which helps the recycling stream stand out visibly next to other bins. The vivid red hue ensures users can instantly spot where clear bottles and clear trays should go. minimising confusion with coloured plastics or other waste. Simple, bold labelling supports correct sorting and lowers contamination rates. Each year, the UK recovers over 50% of plastic bottles, but recycling rates for trays, tubs, and PET film collection lag behind, highlighting the need for effective signage.

Benefits of red clear plastics recycling stickers:

  • Immediately identifiable for clear plastics collection
  • Helps prevent contamination with coloured plastics
  • Supports compliance with Simpler Recycling and Welsh regulations

Shop Our Clear Plastics Recycling Labels >>

 

Clinical Waste Stickers

Colour: Yellow

Per WRAP’s guidelines, the standard colour for clear plastic recycling stickers is red background with white icons or text, which helps the recycling stream stand out visibly next to other bins. The vivid red hue ensures users can instantly spot where clear bottles and clear trays should go. minimising confusion with coloured plastics or other waste. Simple, bold labelling supports correct sorting and lowers contamination rates. Each year, the UK recovers over 50% of plastic bottles, but recycling rates for trays, tubs, and PET film collection lag behind—highlighting the need for effective signage.

Benefits of red/white clear plastics recycling stickers:

  • Immediately identifiable for clear plastics collection
  • Helps prevent contamination with coloured plastics
  • Supports compliance with Simpler Recycling and Welsh regulations

     

Shop Our Clear Plastics Recycling Labels >>

 

Clothes Recycling Stickers

Colour: Yellow

Clothing is one of the fastest-growing waste streams in the UK. Therefore, clear labelling is essential to keep them out of general rubbish. According to WRAP’s Recycle Now guidelines, clothes and textiles are marked with a yellow background and white icons or text, making recycling bins instantly recognisable at donation banks, schools, and workplaces. The bright yellow is chosen for visibility and consistency. Ensuring people can quickly identify the correct bin and avoid contamination with general waste or other recyclables.

Clothing is increasingly expected to be collected as their own waste stream. Clothes Recycling Stickers provide an easy, WRAP-compliant way to highlight collection points and improve participation. Each year, the UK throws away over 350,000 tonnes of clothing, much of which could be reused or recycled—making effective signage more important than ever.

Benefits of yellow clothes recycling stickers:

  • Clear, eye-catching colour for textile recycling points
  • Reduces contamination from general or mixed recyclables
  • Encourages higher public participation and donations

Shop Our Clothes Recycling Labels >>

 

Coffee Cup Recycling Stickers

Colour: Orange

Disposable coffee cups are one of the trickiest waste streams to manage. Their plastic linings often mean they can’t be recycled with standard paper or cardboard. To make separation simple, WRAP’s Recycle Now guidelines use an orange background for coffee cup recycling. This bold, vibrant colour stands out in cafés and public spaces. Helping to make locating the correct bin easy and reducing the risk of cups being mixed in with general waste.

Businesses that provide drinks on the go are under increasing pressure to offer clear and compliant recycling solutions. Orange Coffee Cups Recycling Stickers help ensure bins are correctly labelled, making it easier for customers and staff to do the right thing. The UK throws away an estimated 2.5 billion disposable coffee cups every year, with only a fraction currently recycled.

Benefits of orange coffee cup recycling stickers:

  • Eye-catching, WRAP-approved colour scheme
  • Reduces contamination with paper, cardboard, or general waste
  • Encourages staff and customers to recycle correctly
  • Helps tackle one of the UK’s fastest-growing waste challenges

Shop Our Coffee Cup Recycling Labels >>

 

Coffee Cup Recycling Stickers

Colour: Orange

Coffee grounds are an often-overlooked resource, yet the UK generates more than 500,000 tonnes each year. Much of which still ends up in general waste and ends up in landfill. To make collection simple, WRAP’s Recycle Now colour system designates orange stickers for coffee grounds recycling. The bright orange shade is instantly visible. Clear labelling keeps grounds separate from packaging or food scraps so they can be processed effectively.

When recycled properly, coffee grounds can be transformed into compost, soil improvers, and even biofuels. Grounds are rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. These are nutrients that are integral to help boost soil health and improve moisture retention. Adding them to compost reduces the need for chemical fertilisers and cuts greenhouse gas emissions linked to landfill disposal.

Benefits of orange/white coffee grounds recycling stickers:

  • Bold colour makes recycling points easy to spot
  • Keeps grounds separate from food waste and packaging
  • Supports UK recycling and waste management regulations
  • Helps turn waste into soil improvers and compost products

Shop Our Coffee Grounds Recycling Labels >>

 

Compostable Waste Stickers

Colour: Dark Green or Brown 

Compostable waste, such as food scraps and certified compostable packaging, needs to be collected separately to prevent contamination. This ensures that it can be processed into high-quality compost. Both green and brown are accepted colour, as it depends on the type of compostable waste collected. They are chosen for their strong association with nature, making bins immediately recognisable and easy for people to use correctly.

WRAP-aligned Compostable Waste Recycling Stickers are especially important in spaces where compostable packaging and food waste are common. Labelling bins with green or brown stickers reduces the risk of plastics or non-compostable items being mixed in. With Simpler Recycling rolling out in England and Wales already enforcing kerbside separation of food and garden waste, using the right stickers helps organisations stay compliant and improve recycling performance. Composting provides major environmental benefits too. It improves soil health, boosting water retention, and cutting methane emissions from landfill.

Benefits of green or brown compostable waste recycling stickers:

  • Clear visual link to natural and organic materials
  • Reduces contamination from plastics and other recyclables
  • Encourages staff and customers to recycle food and compostable packaging
  • Helps create nutrient-rich compost to improve soil and reduce fertiliser use

Shop Our Compostable Waste Labels >>

 

Confidential Data Recycling Stickers

Colour: Pink

Confidential documents and sensitive data require more than just secure shredding. They need to be clearly separated from everyday recycling. To make this simple, many organisations use pink confidential data stickers to mark bins and containers designated for confidential data. The bold pink shade stands out, making it easy for staff to identify the correct bin for recycling that must be handled securely.

Confidential Data Recycling Stickers are widely used in offices, government departments and financial institutions where data protection is critical. By clearly marking these bins, businesses reduce the risk of sensitive data being misplaced, mixed with standard recycling, or exposed to unauthorised access. In the UK, companies are also bound by GDPR and data protection laws, making secure disposal an essential part of compliance.

Benefits of pink confidential data recycling stickers:

  • Distinctive colour ensures bins stand out in workplaces
  • Helps prevent sensitive information entering general recycling
  • Supports GDPR and data protection compliance

Shop Our Confidential Data Recycling Labels >>

 

Confidential Paper Recycling Stickers

Colour: Blue

Confidential paperwork can’t be treated like everyday office recycling. To protect sensitive information and meet strict data protection rules, many workplaces use blue confidential paper stickers to mark bins and consoles reserved for secure paper disposal. The strong blue colour is easy to recognise in busy environments, helping staff quickly identify where to place confidential files that must be kept separate from standard recycling streams.

Blue Confidential Paper Recycling Stickers are especially valuable in organisations where GDPR and data security are a priority. Clear labelling reduces the risk of confidential documents being accidentally mixed with normal paper waste. Helping to ensure they’re handled securely and disposed of correctly. 

Benefits of blue confidential paper recycling stickers:

  • Provides a clear, professional label for secure paper bins
  • Supports GDPR and data protection compliance
  • Encourages staff to use the correct bins confidently
  • Ideal for offices, schools and financial services

Shop Our Confidential Paper Recycling Labels >>

 

Crisp Packets Recycling Stickers

Colour: Orange

Crisp packets may look like simple plastic, but their foil lining makes them difficult to recycle. To tackle this, clear segregation into crisp packet bins can improve recycling rates. Orange is the clear choice for crisp packet recycling stickers, helping people separate packets from general waste and place them in the right stream.

Crisp Packet Recycling Stickers are particularly useful in schools and community hubs that run collection schemes in partnership with specialist recyclers. By clearly labelling collection bins, organisations can cut down on contamination, boosting recycling participation, and preventing crisp packets from ending up in landfill. The UK consumes billions of crisp packets every year, so clear signage is a simple but effective step towards improving recycling rates.

Benefits of orange crisp packet recycling stickers:

  • Easy to recognise labels for dedicated collection bins
  • Helps reduce landfill by diverting flexible plastics
  • Supports school, office, and community recycling schemes

Shop Our Crisp Packets Recycling Labels >>

 

Dry Mixed Recycling Stickers

Colour: Lime Green

Dry mixed recycling is one of the most common waste streams in the UK. It covers everyday items like paper, cardboard, cans, and plastic bottles that can be collected together. To make these bins easy to spot, many local authorities and businesses follow lime green recycling stickers for dry mixed recycling. The strong lime green colour ensures that staff, customers, and the public can quickly identify the correct bin without confusion.

Dry Mixed Recycling Stickers are widely used in offices and schools where it isn’t practical to have separate containers for every material. By labelling bins clearly, organisations can reduce contamination. This helps to improve recycling participation and comply with local waste regulations. With the Simpler Recycling framework being introduced in England, and Wales already enforcing strict separation of key waste streams, clear signage has never been more important.

Benefits of lime green dry mixed recycling stickers:

  • Instantly recognisable bin labelling in busy environments
  • Reduces contamination from food waste or general rubbish
  • Encourages higher recycling rates in workplaces and public areas

Shop Our Dry Mixed Recycling Labels >>


Food Waste Recycling Stickers

Colour: Dark Green

Food waste is one of the largest contributors to landfill in the UK. If not disposed of properly I'd can release harmful greenhouse gases when it isn’t disposed of properly. To make recycling clear and consistent, accepted food waste stickers use a dark green background to label food waste bins. The strong green shade is immediately associated with organic material. Helping to make it easy for schools, restaurants and offices to identify where food scraps belong.

Food Waste Recycling Stickers in dark green provide a simple way to reduce contamination and improve recycling performance. From fruit and vegetable peelings to leftovers, clearly labelled bins ensure food waste can be sent for composting or anaerobic digestion rather than ending up in general waste. The scale of the problem is significant. UK households throw away around 6.6 million tonnes of food waste every year. Unfortunately nearly 70% of it is still fit for consumption. Recycling food scraps not only saves valuable resources but also produces compost and renewable energy through anaerobic digestion. With Simpler Recycling bringing consistent collections across England, and Wales already requiring the separate collection of food waste, using the right stickers helps organisations meet legal obligations while promoting sustainable practices.

Benefits of dark green food waste recycling stickers:

  • Reduces contamination with packaging or general rubbish
  • Supports compliance with UK recycling regulations
  • Encourages better recycling habits at home and work
  • Diverts millions of tonnes of food waste from landfill every year
  • Ensures alignment with WRAP’s national colour coding

Shop Our Food Waste Recycling Labels >>

 

Garden Waste Recycling Stickers

Colour: Dark Green

Garden waste, such as grass cuttings, leaves, branches, and plants should be collected separately so it can be turned into compost instead of ending up in landfill. Garden Waste Recycling Stickers in dark green help reduce contamination with plastics or general rubbish. This helps to ensure the material can be processed into nutrient-rich compost. It's important to keep garden waste separated, and using the correct stickers keeps systems compliant and user-friendly.

Benefits of dark green garden waste recycling stickers:

  • Clear link to natural, organic material
  • Reduces contamination with non-compostable waste
  • Encourages correct disposal in homes and public spaces

Shop Our Garden Waste Recycling Labels >>

 

General Waste Recycling Stickers

Colour: Black

Not everything can be recycled, and that’s where general waste comes in. Items such as polystyrene, crisp packets, plastic film, and heavily contaminated packaging often need to go into this stream, unless collected separately. To keep things consistent, the guidelines use a black background for general waste stickers. The bold, neutral colours make these bins stand out, helping people quickly distinguish them from recycling containers and reducing confusion.

General Waste Recycling Stickers are essential in offices, retail spaces, and public areas where a wide mix of materials is disposed of every day. By clearly labelling general waste bins, organisations can minimise contamination in recycling streams. The scale of the issue is huge: in the UK, around 27 million tonnes of household waste are produced annually, with over 45% currently recycled. But the remainder ends up as general waste. Misplaced items can make things worse too: a single contaminated recycling load may be rejected entirely, sending everything to landfill or incineration. Clear labelling is a simple, low-cost solution to reduce these risks.

Benefits of Black general waste stickers (black/dark grey):

  • Reduces contamination in key recycling streams
  • Supports local authority and workplace waste systems
  • Helps staff, customers, and the public dispose of waste correctly
  • Plays a role in boosting recycling rates by keeping waste streams separate

Shop Our General Waste Recycling Labels >>


Glass Recycling Stickers

Colour: Aqua

Glass is one of the most widely recycled materials in the UK. It can be endlessly reused without losing quality. To make glass recycling clear and consistent, glass recycling stickers use an aqua background. The aqua shade is strongly associated with bottles and jars, making the stickers easy to recognise in households, offices, hospitality venues, and public spaces.

Glass Recycling Stickers help reduce contamination by showing exactly where bottles and jars should go. It keeps them separate from plastics, cans, or general waste. Clear labelling ensures that collected glass can be recycled efficiently into new containers or used in construction materials. In the UK, we recycle around 76% of glass packaging, but millions of bottles and jars still end up in landfill every year. This highlights the importance of clear, consistent signage.

Benefits of dark green glass recycling stickers:

  • Strong colour link to glass bottles and jars
  • Reduces contamination from plastics and food waste
  • Encourages higher recycling rates in homes and businesses
  • Helps divert millions of glass items from landfill annually

Shop Our Glass Recycling Labels >>

 

Hardhat Recycling Stickers

Colour: Red

Hard hats are essential for safety, but once they reach the end of their life, they can’t just be thrown into general waste. Many UK recycling schemes now accept them. Helping to ensure the plastic can be repurposed into new products rather than sent to landfill. To make these collection points easy to identify, red stickers are often used for hard hat recycling bins. The bright red colour is bold and highly visible. Made to be perfect for construction sites, factories, and warehouses where clear signage is crucial.

Hard Hat Recycling Stickers make it simple for workers to spot the right bin and dispose of helmets responsibly. This not only improves recycling rates but also supports companies in meeting sustainability targets and reducing waste-to-landfill. With over three million hard hats issued every year in the UK, proper labelling plays a key role in keeping this specialist waste stream under control.

Benefits of red hard hat recycling stickers:

  • Highly visible colour for busy site environments
  • Encourages workers to recycle PPE responsibly
  • Prevents hard hats ending up in general waste or landfill
  • Supports corporate sustainability and recycling goals
  • Ideal for construction, engineering, and industrial workplaces

Shop Our Hardhat Recycling Labels >>

 

Hazardous Waste Stickers

Colour: Yellow

Hazardous waste includes items like chemicals, paints, aerosols and solvents. These are things that can’t go into normal recycling or general waste. To ensure safe handling, organisations use yellow backgrounds for hazardous waste bins and containers. The bold yellow shade provides an immediate warning, helping staff and the public identify dangerous materials quickly.

Hazardous Waste Stickers are vital in healthcare, laboratories and manufacturing. On occasions it can also include even offices where small quantities of hazardous items may be produced. Properly labelled bins reduce the risk of accidents, contamination, and environmental damage while keeping organisations compliant with UK waste legislation. The UK generates over 5 million tonnes of hazardous waste annually, making correct separation and labelling essential.

Benefits of yellow hazardous waste stickers:

  • Prevents dangerous contamination with other waste streams
  • Supports compliance with UK waste safety regulations
  • Reduces risk of harm to staff, customers, and the environment

Shop Our Hazardous Waste Labels >>

 

Liquid Waste Stickers

Colour: Bright Light Blue

Liquids can cause major contamination if poured into bins meant for recycling or general waste. To keep systems clean and safe, many organisations use liquid waste stickers to clearly mark liquid collection points. The pale blue shade is easy to spot and often associated with water, making it a practical colour choice for encouraging the correct disposal of leftover drinks or other liquids.

Light Blue Liquid Collection Point Stickers are particularly useful in offices, schools, shopping centres. They are also used in event venues where people often need to empty bottles, cups, or cans before recycling. By separating liquids first, bins stay cleaner, contamination is reduced, and recycling loads are far less likely to be rejected. The UK throws away billions of drink containers every year, and even a small amount of leftover liquid can spoil an entire bag of recycling.

Benefits of light blue liquid collection stickers:

  • Recognisable colour strongly linked with liquids and water
  • Reduces contamination of recycling and general waste bins
  • Keeps bins cleaner and more hygienic in public spaces
  • Encourages users to empty drinks before disposal
  • Supports higher recycling success rates across sites

Shop Our Liquid Waste Labels >>

 

Magazine Recycling Stickers

Colour: Blue

Magazines, catalogues, and brochures are all recyclable. However, they need to be kept separate from general waste to ensure the paper fibres can be reused effectively. Magazine recycling stickers feature a blue background with white icons or text. The bright blue colour stands out on bins in offices, libraries, and public spaces, helping people quickly identify the correct place to dispose of magazines.

Magazine Recycling Stickers provide a simple, low-cost way to cut down on contamination. Clear bin labelling ensures glossy paper is directed into the right stream. This helps in supporting the production of recycled paper products and reducing the demand for virgin materials. The UK recycles around 80% of paper and card each year, but millions of magazines still end up in landfill 

Benefits of blue magazine recycling stickers:

  • Easy-to-recognise WRAP-approved colour scheme
  • Keeps magazines out of general waste
  • Supports high UK paper recycling rates

Shop Our Magazine Recycling Labels >>

 

Mixed Recycling Stickers

Colour: Lime Green

Mixed recycling makes it simple to recycle everyday items together without needing separate bins for each material. To keep this clear and consistent, lime green labels are used on mixed recycling bins. The bright lime colour is vibrant, modern, and easy to recognise in busy environments like offices, transport hubs, and retail spaces.

Lime Green Mixed Recycling Stickers help people make quick decisions about waste disposal. In the UK, we generate around 27 million tonnes of household waste annually. About 12 million tonnes of packaging waste. Of this, approximately 70% of paper and cardboard and 76% of glass packaging are recycled. However, contamination remains one of the biggest challenges. Studies suggest that one in five items placed in recycling bins is incorrect, which can lead to entire loads being rejected. Clear, WRAP-aligned labelling reduces mistakes, keeps recycling streams cleaner, and supports higher recovery rates.

Benefits of lime green mixed recycling stickers:

  • Vibrant, eye-catching colour improves bin recognition
  • Reduces contamination by guiding users correctly
  • Encourages recycling in offices, schools, and public spaces

A note on Orange Mixed Recycling Stickers

Some organisations and local schemes also use orange mixed recycling stickers. This is particularly prevalent in regions aiming to differentiate recycling streams within a single site. While orange is less common than lime green, it remains a bold, highly visible choice and can be effective in places where multiple recycling systems operate side by side. However, wherever possible, following WRAP’s recommended colour scheme ensures consistency and reduces confusion for users.

Shop Our Mixed Recycling Labels >>

 

Newspaper Recycling Stickers

Colour: Blue

Newspapers remain one of the easiest and most valuable materials to recycle. Newspaper fibres can be reused multiple times to create new paper products. To make disposal simple, WRAP’s Recycle Now guidelines recommend a blue backgroundt for newspaper recycling bins. The bold blue colour us recognisable, making it easy for users to separate newspapers from general waste.

Blue Newspaper Recycling Stickers provide a low-cost but highly effective way to boost recycling rates and reduce contamination. In the UK, around 80% of paper and cardboard is already recycled. However, millions of newspapers still end up in landfill or incineration unnecessarily. Clear signage encourages consistent recycling habits and helps reduce the demand for virgin paper. In turn this helps to protect forests and cutting carbon emissions in the process.

Benefits of blue newspaper recycling stickers:

  • WRAP-approved colour for paper and newspaper streams
  •  Helps divert millions of newspapers from landfill each year

Shop Our Newspaper Recycling Labels >>

 

Newspaper and Magazine Recycling Stickers

Colour: Blue

Newspapers and magazines are among the most widely recycled items in the UK. Keeping them separate from general waste ensures their high-quality fibres can be reused . To make this simple, WRAP’s Recycle Now guidelines recommend a blue background. This consistent colour scheme makes bins easy to recognise helping people quickly identify where their newspapers and magazines should go. Newspaper and Magazine Recycling Labels are a cost-effective way to increase recovery rates. In the UK, around 80% of paper and cardboard is recycled, yet millions of newspapers and glossy magazines still end up in landfill or incineration unnecessarily.

Benefits of blue newspaper and magazine recycling labels:

  • Reduces contamination with general waste or other recyclables
  • Helps divert millions of tonnes of paper waste from landfill
  • Supports the UK’s strong paper recycling industry and sustainability goals

Shop Our Newspaper and Magazine Recycling Labels >>

 

Non-Recycling Stickers

Colour: black 

Not everything belongs in recycling, and that’s where Non-Recyclable Stickers provide real clarity. While most sites use “general waste” bins, this wording can cause confusion. Does it mean anything at all, or just what can’t be recycled? A Non-Recyclable label makes it clear that the bin is specifically for items that cannot currently be recycled. Often these bins will be joined with a Landfill waste sticker or a wider range of recycling bins to help direct people to do the right thing.

Using Non-Recyclable Stickers helps improve recycling performance by giving people a clear alternative. Helping to keep recyclable materials out of the wrong stream. This is particularly valuable in spaces where users may not be familiar with the local system. Contamination is a huge problem in the UKa nd whole loads can be rejected if contaminated. By separating non-recyclables, organisations can keep their recycling cleaner and more efficient.

Benefits of Black Non-Recyclable stickers:

  • Removes confusion around the term “general waste”
  • Reduces contamination in recycling streams
  • Gives staff, customers, and households a clear option

Non-Recyclable vs. General Waste Stickers

  • General Waste: A broad, catch-all label that can be misinterpreted as “anything can go here”. This often leading to recyclables being wrongly thrown away.
  • Non-Recyclable: A clear, unambiguous label that tells people the bin is only for items that cannot be recycled under current systems, helping protect recycling quality.

By switching from “General Waste” to “Non-Recyclable,” organisations can improve recycling habits, reduce errors, and keep bins consistent with WRAP’s push for clearer labelling.

Shop Our Non-Recycling Labels >>

 

Paper Recycling Stickers

Colour: Blue

Paper is one of the UK’s recycling success stories, with high recovery rates and strong demand for recycled fibres. To make it simple for everyone to recycle paper correctly, WRAP’s Recycle Now guidelines use a blue background for paper recycling bins. The blue shade is easy to spot and strongly linked with paper recycling. Making it an ideal choice for schools and offices.

Our paper recycling stickers provide clear signage that reduces contamination. Newspapers, letters, envelopes, and office paper can all go into these bins, while food-stained or laminated paper should be avoided. In the UK, around 80% of paper and card is recycled each year. Helping to save energy, cut carbon emissions, and reduce the need for virgin wood pulp. Clear labels not only improve recycling rates but also support compliance with local council and workplace recycling schemes.

Benefits of blue paper recycling stickers:

  • Recognisable WRAP-approved colour coding
  • Reduces contamination from food waste or non-recyclables
  • Helps divert millions of tonnes of paper from landfill annually

Shop Our Paper Recycling Labels >>

 

Paper and Cardboard Recycling Stickers

Colour: Blue

Paper and cardboard make up a large portion of everyday waste. It includes things like office documents and newspapers to packaging and delivery boxes. To keep these valuable materials out of landfill, we recommend using a blue background sticker for paper and card recycling bins. The bold blue colour stands out clearly, helping people quickly recognise where their paper and cardboard should go.

Paper and Cardboard Recycling Stickers provide a simple, low-cost way to reduce contamination and encourage correct recycling habits. Clean paper, flattened cardboard, magazines, and packaging can all be placed in these bins. While items like greasy pizza boxes or laminated paper should be avoided. In the UK, paper is one of the most successful recycling streams. But millions of tonnes are still lost to general waste each year. Clear labelling makes a big difference, supporting local council schemes, workplace recycling systems, and national sustainability goals.

Benefits of blue paper and cardboard recycling stickers:

  • Easy-to-recognise colour coding, trusted across the UK
  • Encourages staff, customers, and households to recycle more
  • Helps prevent contamination with food or non-recyclables
  • Suitable for offices, schools, homes, and public recycling points

Shop Our Paper and Cardboard Recycling Labels >>

 

Paper Cup Recycling Stickers

Colour: Blue

Paper cups are a common feature of daily life, but their plastic lining means they can’t always go into standard paper or cardboard recycling. To make things clear, special paper cup stickers can be used for paper cup recycling bins. The bright blue colour is bold, eye-catching, and easy to recognise. Making it suitable in cafés, offices, schools, and public spaces where takeaway drinks are popular.

Paper Cup Recycling Stickers make it simple for people to know exactly where to put their used cups. Helping to keep them separate from other waste streams. This reduces contamination and ensures cups are sent to specialist recycling facilities where they can be processed into new paper products. In the UK, we use an estimated 2.5 billion disposable cups every year, but only a fraction are recycled. Often due to confusion and poor signage. Clear labelling helps businesses and councils increase recycling rates, comply with waste rules, and cut down on landfill.

Benefits of blue paper cup recycling stickers:

  • Reduces contamination in paper and cardboard recycling streams
  • Supports specialist cup recycling schemes across the UK
  • Encourages responsible disposal in busy environments
  • Helps tackle one of the fastest-growing waste challenges

Shop Our Paper Cup Recycling Labels >>

 

Plastic Recycling Stickers

Colour: Red

Plastics are one of the most widely used materials in daily life, but also one of the most challenging to recycle correctly. To make things clear, WRAP’s Recycle Now guidelines recommend a red background sticker for plastic recycling bins. The bold red colour stands out instantly, making it easy for people to identify where bottles, trays, and other recyclable plastics should go.

Red Plastic Recycling Stickers are a simple but powerful way to reduce confusion and contamination. Especially in busy environments like offices and hospitality spaces. In the UK, we generate over 2.5 million tonnes of plastic packaging waste each year. However, unfortunately only about 50% is currently recycled. Clear, consistent labelling helps people separate their plastics more effectively. Helping to ensure higher recovery rates and less waste ending up in landfill or incineration.

Benefits of red plastic recycling stickers:

  • Highly visible WRAP-approved colour coding
  • Makes it easier to recycle bottles, tubs, and trays correctly
  • Helps cut contamination with non-recyclable plastics

Shop Our Plastic Recycling Labels >>

 

Plastic Bottle Recycling Stickers

Colour: Red

Plastic bottles are one of the easiest and most common items to recycle. However, they’re often mixed with the wrong plastics or thrown into general waste. To make them stand out, WRAP’s Recycle Now guidelines recommend a red background for plastic bottle recycling. The bold red colour is clear aand instantly helps people separate bottles from other waste streams.

Red Plastic Bottle Recycling Stickers are ideal for workplaces, schools, leisure centres, and public areas where bottled drinks are widely used. They encourage quick disposal and reduce contamination. Helping to ensure bottles are recycled into new products like packaging and even furniture. In the UK, households alone use around 13 billion plastic bottles every year, yet more than 3 billion aren’t recycled. Clear signage is a low-cost but effective way to boost recycling rates and cut down on landfill.

Benefits of red plastic bottle recycling stickers:

  • Bright WRAP-approved colour for quick recognition
  • Encourages correct disposal in high-use areas
  • Helps reduce recycling contamination
  • Diverts billions of bottles from landfill annually

Shop Our Plastic Bottle Recycling Labels >>

 

Plastic Bottles and Cans Recycling Stickers

Colour: Red/Grey

Plastic bottles and drinks cans are two of the most commonly used and easily recycled materials. Many councils and organisations collect them together in the same bin, making recycling quicker and simpler. To keep this clear, WRAP’s Recycle Now guidelines recommend a red background with white icons or text for plastic bottles and a grey/silver background for cans. However, when they’re collected together, bins are often labelled with a red design so users instantly know both items belong inside. Some businesses prefer a grey version if cans are the priority in that recycling bin.

Plastic Bottle and Can Recycling Stickers make disposal straightforward in high-traffic areas such as schools, offices and transport hubs. They reduce confusion, cut contamination, and help keep recycling streams clean so bottles and cans can be transformed into new packaging or even construction materials. In the UK, households use about 13 billion plastic bottles and 9 billion drink cans every year, yet billions are still lost to landfill. Clear dual-purpose stickers are an easy, low-cost step towards improving recovery rates and meeting sustainability goals.

Benefits of plastic bottle and can recycling stickers:

  • Combines two major recycling streams in one easy bin
  • Reduces contamination and mistakes in busy environments
  • Supports councils, schools, and businesses in recycling targets

Why collect bottles and cans together?

Plastic bottles and cans can be collected in the same bin because they’re both lightweight, rigid containers that can be easily separated at modern recycling facilities. Sorting technology such as magnets, eddy currents, and optical scanners quickly splits metals from plastics, ensuring each material goes into its own recycling process. Combining them at the collection stage keeps things simpler for households and businesses without compromising recycling quality.

Shop Our Plastic Bottles and Cans Recycling Labels >>

 

Plastic Cups Recycling Stickers

Colour: Red

Plastic cups are widely used in workplaces, schools, events, and hospitality venues. However, without clear signage they often end up in general waste. To make recycling easier, many organisations use red stickers for plastic cup recycling bins, following WRAP’s recommended colour scheme for plastics. The bright red background is bold and eye-catching. Helping users quickly spot the right bin.

Plastic Cup Recycling Stickers encourage correct disposal. Keeping cups separate from paper cups and other non-recyclables. Once collected, the cups can be processed into new plastic products, reducing demand for virgin materials and cutting carbon emissions. In the UK, billions of disposable cups are used each year, and a large proportion still go to landfill. Clear labelling is one of the simplest ways to reduce waste, improve recycling rates, and support sustainability goals.

Benefits of plastic cup recycling stickers:

  • Clear WRAP-approved colour coding for plastics
  • Reduces confusion between paper and plastic cups
  • Helps divert single-use plastics away from landfill

Shop Our Plastic Cups Recycling Labels >>

 

Plastic Film Recycling Stickers

Colour: Red

Plastic film, such as bread bags, carrier bags, wrapping and other soft plastics, has historically been one of the hardest materials to recycle. For years, most local authorities excluded film from kerbside collections because it became tangled in sorting machinery and contaminated other recycling streams. To avoid confusion, bins for film should be marked with red plastic recycling sticker, following WRAP’s colour guidelines for plastics. The bold red makes the stream instantly identifiable. Helping supermarkets, schools, and businesses where film collections are becoming more common.

Regulatory changes: what’s happening?

The UK is moving towards Simpler Recycling, with plans to expand kerbside collections. Meaningo households can recycle a consistent set of materials, including plastic film. These changes are designed to make recycling easier, reduce contamination, and increase recovery rates across the UK. For organisations, this means preparing now with clear signage and separate bins for films and flexible plastics.

Why keep plastic film separate?

Unlike bottles, tubs, or trays, film is lightweight and flexible. This makes it tricky for standard sorting facilities. Mixing it with other plastics can contaminate whole loads and reduce the quality of recycling. By keeping film separate:

  • It can be directed to specialist recyclers who turn it into new bags, packaging, or construction materials.
  • It prevents tangling in machinery that sorts rigid plastics and metals.

What to do now

Until new legislation fully rolls out, film is often collected at supermarket drop-off points or through specific business schemes. Households and organisations should continue using these routes while councils update kerbside services. Using red plastic film recycling stickers now is a simple step towards preparing for regulatory changes while improving recycling habits today.

Shop Our Plastic Film Recycling Labels >>

 

 

PPE Waste Recycling Stickers

Colour: Yellow

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as masks, gloves, visors, and aprons has become a common feature. However, most PPE is not recyclable through standard streams. This is ecause it may be contaminated or made from mixed materials. That’s why many organisations use yellow stickers to mark PPE waste bins, keeping it separate from general and recyclable waste. The bold yellow colour is associated with caution and healthcare, making it easy to spot quickly.

PPE Waste Stickers are especially important in hospitals and dental surgeries where large volumes of disposable PPE are used daily. Correct disposal reduces contamination risks, supports workplace health and safety, and ensures compliance with waste management regulations. In the UK, the Environment Agency requires that clinical and infectious waste, including contaminated PPE, is stored and transported separately before treatment or disposal. For non-clinical workplaces, having a clearly labelled PPE waste bin helps avoid confusion and contamination of recycling streams.

Benefits of PPE waste stickers:

  • Clear, highly visible colour coding for quick recognition
  • Keeps PPE out of recycling and general waste bins
  • Reduces contamination and supports health & safety compliance
  • Ensures waste is managed in line with UK regulations

Shop Our PPE Recycling Labels >>


Printer Cartridges Recycling Stickers

Colour: Pink

Printer cartridges and toner units are made from plastics, metals, and inks that can be recycled into new products.However, millions still end up in landfill every year. To make disposal simple and consistent, bins for cartridges are often marked with pink recycling stickers in line with WRAP’s colour scheme. The strong pink background makes these bins stand out in print-heavy workplaces where cartridges are regularly replaced.

Printer Cartridge Recycling Stickers provide a highly effective way to guide people to the right bin. Recycling cartridges not only saves valuable raw materials but also prevents harmful inks and toners from entering the waste stream. In the UK alone, it’s estimated that over 65 million printer cartridges are sold each year, but only around 15% are returned for recycling. Clear labelling helps boost these numbers, supports  sustainability goals and reduces waste disposal costs.

Benefits of printer cartridge recycling stickers:

  •  Encourages cartridge recycling in offices and schools
  • Diverts millions of units from landfill annually
  • Protects the environment from chemical contaminatiom

Shop Our Printer Cartridge Recycling Labels >>

 

Sharps Waste Stickers

Colour: Yellow

Sharps waste, such as needles, syringes and other medical instruments, requires strict handling to protect people and the environment. To ensure this waste is separated clearly and disposed of safely, bins are marked with yellow sharps waste stickers featuring bold black icons or text. The high-contrast yellow and black combination is a universal warning sign, instantly alerting users that the bin is for hazardous items and must be used with care.

Yellow Sharps Waste Stickers are essential in hospitals, dental practices and even some workplaces where sharps are used for training or testing. Clear labelling ensures compliance with UK healthcare waste regulations, helps staff and patients dispose of sharps safely, and reduces the risk of accidental injury or contamination. Under the Environmental Protection Act and NHS guidelines, sharps must be collected separately in rigid, puncture-resistant containers with clear labels, before being sent for specialist treatment or incineration.

Benefits of yellow sharps waste stickers:

  • Universally recognised warning colours
  • Helps prevent accidents and needle-stick injuries
  • Ensures compliance with healthcare and environmental regulations
  • Keeps sharps out of general and clinical waste streams

Shop Our Sharps Waste Labels >>

 

sWEEE Recycling Stickers

Colour: Pink

What is sWEEE?

sWEEE stands for Small Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment. It includes items like hairdryers, kettles, mobile phones, and small IT equipment that have reached the end of their life. These products often contain valuable metals such as copper, aluminium, and even gold. They also contain plastics and hazardous materials that need careful handling. Because they’re so common in households and workplaces, clear signage is essential to stop them being thrown into general waste.

Pink sWEEE Stickers

To make disposal simple, bins for small electricals are often marked with pink sWEEE stickers. The bold pink shade is distinct and eye-catching, helping users immediately recognise the correct bin for electrical items. This colour choice keeps sWEEE bins separate from other recycling streams. Helping to reduce contamination and ensuring items are directed into specialist recycling systems.

Pink sWEEE Stickers are particularly useful in offices, schools, retail take-back points and community collection hubs. With the UK producing around 1.5 million tonnes of WEEE waste every year, improving small electrical recycling is vital. Clear labelling supports take-back obligations for retailers, and keeps valuable materials in circulation instead of being lost to landfill or incineration.

Benefits of pink sWEEE stickers:

  • Bright, recognisable colour to distinguish small electricals
  • Supports compliance with WEEE regulations and take-back schemes
  • Diverts valuable metals and plastics back into the circular economy

Shop Our sWEEE Recycling Labels >>

 

Textile Recycling Stickers

Colour: Yellow

Clothing and household textiles often end up in landfill even though most of them can be reused or recycled. To make disposal clear and consistent, bins for textiles are usually marked with yellow stickers featuring white icons or text under WRAP’s colour guidance..

Textile Recycling Stickers are used in retail take-back points and community collection hubs where clothes and fabrics are frequently donated or discarded. Recycling textiles helps extend the life of materials, reduces pressure on landfill, and cuts down the environmental impact of fast fashion. In the UK, around 336,000 tonnes of clothing are thrown away each year, but much of this can be reused or repurposed. Clear labelling gives people the confidence to recycle correctly, supporting both charity reuse schemes and commercial textile recovery.

Benefits of yellow textile recycling stickers:

  •  Encourages clothing reuse and fabric recycling
  •  Reduces contamination with non-recyclable items
  •  Suitable for schools, retail, and community sites

Shop Our Textile Recycling Labels >>

 

Tins Recycling Stickers

Colour: Grey

Food tins, biscuit tins and other metal containers are highly recyclable. However, on occasions many still end up in general waste. To make recycling clearer, WRAP’s Recycle Now guidelines recommend a grey background for tins recycling bins. The metallic-style colouring helps people quickly connect the sticker to metal packaging, ensuring tins are separated correctly from plastics, paper, or general waste.

Tins Recycling Stickers are widely used in kitchens, schools, hospitality venues and public spaces where food and drink packaging is common. They encourage proper disposal and collection. Making it easier for councils and businesses to capture more high-value metal for recycling. In the UK, recycling metals is especially effective, aluminium and steel can be recycled endlessly without losing quality. On top of that, recycling them saves up to 95% of the energy needed to produce new material.

Benefits of tins recycling stickers:

  • Helps keep tins separate from plastics and paper
  • Supports the recycling of valuable aluminium and steel
  • Reduces contamination in mixed recycling bins

Shop Our Tins Recycling Labels >>

 

Vape Recycling Stickers

Colour: Purple

Vapes and vape accessories are a fast-growing waste stream. They require specialist disposal because they contain batteries, plastics, metals, and sometimes hazardous liquids. Throwing them in general waste or standard recycling bins can cause contamination and even fire risks due to the lithium-ion batteries inside. To keep things clear, collection points are increasingly being marked with distinct vape recycling stickers. Vspe recycling labels use an eye-catching purple so bins stand out from general recycling and battery collections.

Vape Recycling Stickers make it easy for users to spot the correct bin in shops or public spaces where vape take-back schemes are being rolled out. In the UK, regulations now require retailers selling vapes to offer in-store take-back schemes, ensuring used devices are collected and passed on for safe recycling. With an estimated 5 million disposable vapes thrown away every week, clear signage is critical to prevent hazardous waste entering the wrong stream and to recover valuable materials like lithium, aluminium, and copper.

Benefits of vape recycling stickers:

  • Distinct, highly visible design to separate vapes from other waste
  • Reduces fire and contamination risks in bins and collection vehicles
  • Supports compliance with UK take-back regulations for retailers
  • Helps recover valuable metals and battery components

Shop Our Vape Recycling Labels >>

 

What stickers do I need?

The exact stickers you’ll need will depend on your waste collector’s requirements and the type of waste streams you generate. This could be your local authority or specialist waste management contractor. Different contractors and councils may have slightly different rules on how waste should be separated. We recommend checking with them directly if you're unsure. It’s always best to check with your provider first to make sure your stickers match their collection system.

Do I need to follow WRAP guidelines?

You don’t have to follow WRAP’s colour coding. However, it’s strongly recommended because it promotes consistency and reduces confusion. Especially for staff, students, or the public who may use bins in multiple locations. That said, if your office, school, or business finds that different colours would be more effective for your own set-up, that’s absolutely fine. What matters most is that the stickers are clear, consistent, and easy to understand.

Custom colours and sizes

While WRAP’s colours are the standard, we can also provide non-WRAP colour options. We can customise recycling stickers to any size, shape, or colour scheme that works best for your workplace. Whether you need large, bold labels for public spaces, discreet sizes for office bins, or a tailored colour system to fit your existing branding, we can help create stickers that are both effective and practical.