Is expanded polyethylene recyclable?

Expanded foam packaging, such as expanded LDPE used around blinds and picture frames, sits in a recycling grey area. It's neither truly rigid nor flexible, so it's usually not accepted in kerbside or flexible plastic collections. For now, this "Schrödinger's plastic" is best treated as general waste unless a specialist recycling option is available.

This episode of Recycled Content, is the 'Rubbish or Not' from episode 96 of Talking Rubbish, which first aired on 28th May 2026.

While every ...