How to sort your recycling - See which recycling bin to use...
Please remember to sort your recycling and ensure all lids are placed on the boxes ready for collection to prevent items from blowing around your street. The materials we collect are loaded into different compartments on our vehicles to keep them separate and ensure they are of good quality so they can go on to be recycled easily. Getting it right really makes a big difference and means we can recycle even more from the kerbside. You can download our handy waste wizard recycling leaflet to keep as a reminder.
Please do not use foreign objects (such as rocks or bricks) inside the boxes to weigh them down. In windy conditions if you need to weigh boxes down, please weigh down on the top of the lid so the operatives can safely remove and then empty the boxes.
Ask the waste wizard where to repair, recycle, donate, or dispose of your items
Green recycling box
Use one recycling box for plastic bottles, tubs, trays and pots as well as metal tins, cans, foil and empty aerosols.
How to recycle plastic bottles, tubs, trays, metal tins, cans and aerosols
- Replace lids and tops. If the lid stays on the container it will get recycled
- Squash bottles to save space
- Empty and rinse bottles, tubs, trays, tins and cans. Leftover foods or liquids can contaminate other recyclables and if they contain liquid or food residue they may not be accepted during the automated sorting process. Liquid can also damage the machinery
- Labels and lids can all be left on but plastic film and plastic ring joiners must be removed and put in the general rubbish bin
- Scrunch kitchen foil, tub and pot lids and wrappers together to form a ball - the bigger the ball, the easier it is to recycle.
- Soap dispensers can be recycled but not the pump section itself as it contains metal. Please remove the pump and put in your general rubbish bin
Plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays
|
Yes please |
No thanks |
|---|---|
| Pots, for example yogurt, soup | Medicine packs, for example headache pill blister packs |
| Tubs, for example margarine, ice cream | Film lids from the pots or trays |
| Trays or punnets, for example raw or cooked meat trays; take-away trays; fruit and veg trays. Black plastic is accepted but not black polystyrene trays | Laminated pouches such as cat food and coffee pouches that spring back when you try and scrunch them - these are not currently recyclable |
| Chocolate and biscuit tubs and trays | Paint pots - recycle these at your local recycling centre. Please check the website prior to visit |
| Other clear rigid plastic packaging | Plastic toys - these are not currently recyclable, but if in reasonable condition you could donate to charity |
| Dishwasher tablet and washing capsule tubs | Expanded polystyrene such as packaging inserts, or black polystyrene trays |
| Food and drink cartons or tetrapaks | |
| Medical plastic such as syringes or epipens | |
| Carrier bags or plastic bags, unless these contain items for recycling such as batteries or clothes | |
| PPE gloves or masks |
Food tins, cans and aerosols
|
Yes please |
No thanks |
|---|---|
| Drink cans | Laminated foil, for example cat food or coffee pouches that spring back when you try and scrunch them |
| Food tins: put tin lids inside the tin | Crisp packets and sweet wrappers |
| Biscuit/chocolate tins and their lids | Metal containers for chemicals, such as white spirits, paints or engine oils |
| Aerosols: remove plastic caps and recycle with plastics | General kitchen ware, for example cutlery, pots and pans |
| Aluminium foil: scrunch foil together to form a ball | Any other metal items, such as kettles, irons, pipes, white goods |
| Aluminium foil trays, for example take-away trays | |
| Aluminium tubes such as for tomato puree: remove plastic caps |
In a separate green recycling box
Use a second recycling box for all paper, newspapers and magazines.
Paper, newspapers and magazines
|
Yes please |
No thanks |
|---|---|
| Newspapers and supplements | Paper that is stained with foodstuffs, grease, paint or dirt, such as greaseproof or baking paper, children's paintings |
| Magazines, brochures and catalogues | Hygiene/sanitary products, such as nappies, wipes, sanitary towels |
| White paper, such as computer paper, letters | Used paper towels |
| Shredded paper: please put this inside a paper bag | Tissues |
| Telephone directories | Cotton wool and make up pads |
| Junk mail and flyers | Wet wipes |
| Envelopes, including those with a window | Sticky papers such as Post-it notes, sticky labels or paper tape |
| Non-paper gift wrap or bags such as foil-based gift wrapping | |
| Crisp or sweet packets or wrappers | |
| Wallpaper and decoration paper | |
| Brown paper: this should be recycled with card because it causes brown flecks in new paper | |
| PPE such as gloves or masks |
In another green recycling box (if you have space)
Use a separate green recycling box for your glass bottles and jars. If you do not have space for a third green recycling box, please separate your glass and paper recycling in one box, with paper on the bottom and glass on the top.
How to recycle paper and glass bottles and jars
- Put lids and caps back on. This reduces the chance of them getting lost during the sorting process as they can be recycled separately
- Empty and rinse - a quick rinse will do. Leftover liquid can contaminate other recyclables which may mean they aren't recycled
- Paper is a valuable recyclable material but only when it is clean
- Remove any plastic wrapping from newspapers and magazines - this can be recycled with plastic bags at larger supermarkets
- If you scrunch paper and it doesn't spring back, then it can be recycled
- Please note brown paper should go in your blue bag with your card.
Glass bottles and jars
|
Yes please |
No thanks |
|---|---|
| Bottles of any colour, such as wine, beer, spirits | Glass cookware, such as Pyrex, microwave plates |
| Jars such as for sauces, jam, baby food | Drinking glasses |
| Non-food bottles, such as perfume, aftershave, face creams | Ceramics such as crockery, earthenware |
| Vases | |
| Nail varnish bottles | |
| Mirrors or window panes | |
| Light bulbs and tubes | |
| Broken glass |
Blue recycling bag
Use your blue recycling bag for brown corrugated cardboard and light card.
All cardboard must be inside the bag.
How to recycle cardboard
- Cardboard should be folded and flattened to fit inside your bag
- Tape, polystyrene and plastic inserts need be removed from cardboard packaging.
- Glitter, badges and batteries should be torn off greeting cards
- Egg boxes and rolls from kitchen towel and toilet rolls can be recycled and can also be home composted
Cardboard
|
Yes please |
No thanks |
|---|---|
| Cardboard boxes, such as cereal and dishwasher tablet boxes | Card that contains foodstuffs, dirt or paint |
| Corrugated cardboard | Glitter covered greetings cards |
| Online delivery boxes and cardboard envelopes | Food and drink cartons |
| Greetings cards without glitter | |
| Egg boxes | |
| Brown paper |
Household batteries, small electrical appliances, vapes, textiles and shoes
Household batteries, small electrical appliance and textiles and shoes must be put in separate bags and put inside a recycling box with the lid closed. Please tie all bags.
Vapes
Vapes can now be recycled at the kerbside. Please place your used vapes into a separate carrier bag and put inside one of your recycling boxes with the lid closed. Please make sure that the bag is tied. Please do not put vapes or batteries into your refuse bin.
Vapes can also be disposed of through take-back schemes, or at the household recycling centre.
Which types of batteries can be recycled?
- All household batteries including 'button' batteries from watches
- Battery packs from laptops, mobile phones, power tools and remote control units
- Car batteries should be recycled at designated collection points at recycling depots
Which types of batteries can be recycled?
- All household batteries including 'button' batteries from watches
- Battery packs from laptops, mobile phones, power tools and remote control units
- Car batteries should be recycled at designated collection points at recycling depots
How to recycle small electrical appliances
It's easy to check if an electrical item, toy or game is recyclable if it has reached the end of its working life. Simply ask the following questions and if the answer is yes, to any of these, it is recyclable:
- Does it have a plug?
- Does it use batteries?
- Does it need charging?
- Does it have a picture of a crossed out wheelie bin on it?
|
Yes please |
No thanks |
|---|---|
| Kitchen appliances such as toasters, kettles, food blenders | TVs and monitors |
| Home appliances such as irons, radios, lamps, clocks, small dvd players | Large appliances such as vacuums and microwaves |
| Personal care/grooming appliances, such as shavers, electric toothbrushes, hair dryers and curlers | Light bulbs/fluorescent tubes |
| Hand-held power tools | Car/motorbike batteries |
| Mobile/digital phones | |
| Cameras | |
| Small games consoles, tablets, e-readers | |
| Fairy lights, solar-powered lights | |
| Electrical cables and chargers | |
| Children's electronic toys | |
| Household batteries (including AA, AAA, C, D, 9v, button batteries, mobile and laptop batteries | |
| Vapes |
How to recycle unwanted clothes and textiles
- Bag your items (using an old carrier or a bag of similar size or smaller) and put inside your green recycling box
- Drop off your unwanted items at recycling centres and clothing and textile banks in supermarket and local car parks. Find your nearest recycling bank
- Donate items to registered charities and re-use organisations
- One of the most convenient ways to donate clothes is through registered charity collection services. Some charities, such as The British Heart Foundation, offer a free clothing collection service from your home. It's easy to arrange via their website. You don't even need to order a bag, just re-use your own bags and boxes from home
- If you are fundraising for your school, church or organisations such as Girl Guides or Scouts, there are textile companies who can arrange a collection to help you to raise money for your cause.
Food waste
Use your green caddy for food waste. Bag your food waste to help keep your caddy clean.
Visit our food waste pages for more information on food waste recycling.
For a handy reminder of what you can recycle in the home please watch this video from our friends at Recycle Now.