Baby Feeding & Weaning Cleanout Guide: Bottles, Nipples & Formula Cans
- 1The most common mistake when cleaning out nursery and feeding supplies is throwing silicone nipples, suction plates, and bibs into curbside plastic recycling.
- 2Heat-resistant silicone cannot be melted down with plastics and must go into general household trash.
- 3PPSU plastic and glass bottles must be thoroughly washed and sorted curbside.
- ✓Electric breast pump motors should be dropped into small appliance e-waste bins, while bulky infant bathtubs require municipal bulky waste stickers.
Follow these steps
- 1
Disassemble and wash bottle bodies and components: Separate screw rings, caps, and bottles, washing milk residues with warm water. Discard golden PPSU and PP plastic bodies in plastics recycling, and heat-resistant glass bottles in glass recycling (wrap cracked glass in newspaper for non-combustible sacks).
- 2
Discard silicone nipples, teethers, and suction bowls in general trash: Thermoset silicone rubber (nipples, suction plates, silicone spoons, puree freezer cubes, bibs) cannot be melted into recyclable resin; always toss into general municipal trash bags.
- 3
Sort formula tins in three steps: Remove plastic snap lids for plastic recycling; peel off the thin aluminum foil pull-ring seal for general trash; rinse the empty steel tin canister and drop it into metal/can recycling.
- 4
Dispose of expired powdered milk in dry trash bags: Never dump formula powder in bulk down kitchen drains or toilets as rich fats and proteins congeal into sticky pipe clogs; discard dry powder inside plastic bags within general trash.
- 5
Recycle breast pump motors as small e-waste & sticker infant bathtubs: Drop electric breast pump motor units into small household e-waste collection boxes for free (tubes and plastic flanges go to trash); large baby bathtubs exceeding 50cm require a municipal bulky waste sticker (₩2,000–₩3,000).
Frequently asked question
Can cracked or broken glass baby bottles be put in curbside glass recycling?
No. Glass baby bottles are made of borosilicate heat-resistant glass designed for boiling sterilization, having a much higher melting point than standard beverage bottles. Wrap broken heat-resistant glass securely in newspaper and discard in non-combustible PP bags (special waste bags).
Can electric breast pump motor units be thrown away in general trash bags?
Do not throw them in general trash. Electric breast pump units contain electric motors, circuit boards, and rechargeable batteries. They qualify as small electronic appliances under 1 meter and can be dropped off for free at apartment e-waste bins or community centers.
Why can't silicone baby bibs, spoons, and bottle nipples be recycled as plastics?
Silicone is a thermoset elastomer that degrades without melting when heated. If mixed into standard thermoplastic (PP, PE, PET) recycling streams, it ruins entire batches of melted resin; therefore, all silicone baby supplies must go into municipal general trash.