“Food Tins & Drink Cans” (Recyclenow.com, 2019) gives the general guidelines for what to do during kerbside recycling in the UK:
Metal lids and caps on glass containers, e.g. metal jam jar lids, can be left on to recycle with glass... By putting the lids/caps back on glass jars and bottles it reduces the chance of them getting lost through the sorting process.
However, it is better to check with your council. On a quick search, I already found many council websites that differ from this guideline.
“Glass Collection Service” (Southampton.gov.uk, 2019):
please remove the lids, corks and tops (and put these in your normal general waste bin)
“What You Can Put in Your Recycling Bin” (Lewisham.gov.uk, 2019):
You can recycle the lids of glass and plastic bottles, but please remove them first.
“Glass” (Recycleforwestsussex.org, 2017):
Please take these off the glass bottle or jar and place loose in your recycling bin.
“Green Box and Blue Bag Recycling” (Forest of Dean District Council, 2016):
Glass bottles and jars (remove lids, caps and corks)
