Recycling packaging in blue bins

What materials can we dispose of in the blue recycling bin?

• Paper packaging and cardboard boxes from electrical appliances, milk, cereals, cookies, sugar, detergents, toothpaste, paper bags, juice boxes.
• Aluminum cans from soft drinks, beers.
• Plastic packaging from water bottles, soft drinks, yogurt, butter, oil, detergents, cleaning supplies, shampoos, shower gels, deodorants, plastic bags, and cling film.
• Tinplate cans, such as those for evaporated milk, coffee, tuna, pet food, tomato paste, cookies.
• Caps from plastic bottles, which should be removed and disposed of separately in the bin (as they are recycled differently). Alternatively, they can be placed in special recycling containers designed just for caps.

What materials should not be disposed of in the blue recycling bin?

• Cardboard boxes from ready-to-eat food packaging (e.g., pizza). These are often greasy and cannot be recycled, causing issues during sorting.
• Small pieces of paper. The blue bin system cannot handle paper pieces smaller than an A4 sheet, such as torn pages or tickets.
• Wet or dirty paper. Contaminated tissues or greasy paper pieces are not recyclable and can render other materials in the bin unusable.
• Ceramic materials, like old coffee mugs or clay yogurt pots, should be placed in regular bins.
• Foam and polystyrene. Both are highly flammable and can ignite during any stage of the recycling process. These should go in regular bins.
• Packaging of toxic materials. Plastic or metal containers that held motor oils, antifreeze, pesticides, etc., should not be placed in blue bins due to the difficulty of cleaning toxic residues.
• CDs, DVDs, and videotapes. Although primarily made of aluminum, these contain multiple additives making recycling difficult.
• Straws and plastic cutlery. These single-use plastics are not easily recyclable by recycling systems.
• Plastic furniture. Blue bins are unsuitable for plastic furniture, only for their packaging materials. Large plastic items should be taken to bulky waste collection centers.
• Other items not suitable for blue bins include: gloves, sandpaper, leather items, lamps, ink cartridges (which can be recycled at different collection points), motor oil containers, balls, toys, wooden objects, toothbrushes, shoes, clothes, disposable diapers, tape, mattresses, pens, photos, syringes and medical waste (which require special handling), batteries, electrical appliances (like irons, microwaves), branches and prunings, construction materials, and soil.

Where are blue bins located?

You can find blue bins throughout the island, on streets and in parking areas, often next to garbage bins.
Regardless of the color of the bin's lid or any sticker indication on it, all recyclable packaging as described above can be disposed of in blue bins.