Your own example actually highlights the resultant confusion I'm talking about. I agree with you that it is not, but cooking foil could reasonably be interpret

Your own example actually highlights the resultant confusion I'm talking about. I agree with you that it is not, but cooking foil could reasonably be interpreted as being food waste because it's involved in cooking food and likely to have bits of food stuck to it. If you travel round the world, different places have very different lists of what is permitted. In London, bones were a no-no for food waste, but in Toronto, the organic waste bin allows bones, pet litter, used diapers, paper plates and even paper towel with cleaning products in it - all in regular plastic shopping bags (so no need for cellulose bags like in the UK). Frankly, I have no idea how they sort that lot out - I hope no-one actually touches any of the stuff. The whole process is so complex (in every location) that is is almost impossible to get right and that is the fundamental problem getting an effective recycling regime to work. (Though, Toronto does have a handy trash guide on their website to help you pick where it goes http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=03ec433112b02410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=03ec...) It was all so much simpler in my remote rural past where anything organic was eaten by the dog, anything flammable was burned for heating and the remains (essentially a few tin cans and glass jars) went into the trash (in theory, that was easily recyclable but it was before it was a Thing).