While everything from glass and plastic, to paper and cardboard can be recycled, some things simply can’t be, whether because of contamination, their hazardous nature, or their packaging is made from multiple materials.
Sustainable recycling companies like the London-based Bywaters collect non-recyclable materials, sending the resulting energy to the National Grid, which helps to both power the UK and ensure that no waste is sent directly to landfill.
While nail varnish bottles are made of recyclable glass, the varnish they contain is hazardous, meaning that the bottles can’t be recycled at all.
Mirrors can’t be recycled due to the reflective coating applied to the back of the glass which, like Pyrex dishes, burns at a different temperature to regular glass.