WHY CAN I PUT THIS INTO MY RECYCLING BIN ...BUT NOT THIS?

Answer: because of the utterly baff ling packaging that makes it so hard to choose eco-friendly household staples

When it comes to recycling, everyone wants to do their bit. But knowing what can or can’t be recycled is far from straightforward.

not only do different councils have different rules for what to put in home recycling bins, but today it’s possible to buy identical products in a range of different packaging.

Just looking at them, it’s hard to understand why one can be recycled and another can’t. Be it the plastic bag your loaf is wrapped in or the tray for your ready-meal curry, it’s all about understanding the materials from which they are made.

Of course, the more packaging that’s recycled, the less that ends up in landfill or, worse still, littering the countryside.

The Mail has long campaigned against the scourge of plastic. This year the newspaper is encouraging people to take part in Keep Britain Tidy’s The Great British Spring Clean, picking up litter between March 22 and April 23.

here, Simon ellin, chief executive of The Recycling Association, assesses a typical shopping basket of everyday goods to highlight the packaging that can, or can’t, be easily recycled at home . . .