Plastics
Bubble wrap
bubble wrap, bubble film, packaging film, paper bubble wrap
Can you recycle?
Sometimes
Sometimes — plastic bubble wrap goes to supermarket soft-plastic drop-off, while paper bubble wrap recycles with your paper.
How to prepare
1. Sort plastic bubble wrap from paper bubble wrap. 2. Take clean plastic bubble wrap to a supermarket soft-plastics drop-off. 3. Recycle paper bubble wrap with your curbside paper and card. 4. Keep all of it clean, dry, and free of tape.
Common mistakes
Putting plastic bubble wrap in your curbside bin, where it tangles sorting machines. Recycling bubble wrap with tape and labels still on. Binning it when it's so easy to reuse.
What happens after you recycle it?
Recycled plastic bubble wrap becomes new films, bags, and plastic lumber; paper bubble wrap is pulped into new paper and card.
Drop-off guidance
Plastic bubble wrap goes with films and bags at supermarket front-of-store collection points. Paper bubble wrap goes in curbside paper recycling. Both are also easy to reuse for packing.
FAQs
Can I recycle bubble wrap?
Yes — plastic bubble wrap at supermarket soft-plastic drop-offs, and paper bubble wrap with your curbside paper. Keep it clean and dry.
Where can I recycle bubble wrap near me?
Use the lookup above to find supermarket soft-plastic drop-offs and curbside paper recycling near you.
Is it free to recycle bubble wrap?
Yes. Supermarket drop-off and curbside paper recycling are free to use.
Can I get paid to recycle bubble wrap?
No. There's no payment for bubble wrap, but it's free to recycle and easy to reuse.
