Recycling

Sorting your recycling

Please sort your recycling prior to putting it out for collection. Sorting your recycling helps the crew to collect it more quickly. Quicker collections reduce traffic delays and help to cut down on road congestion. 

Well sorted recycling is also better quality, which is worth more money to help cover the cost of collections and fund vital local services.

Read our leaflet below for more details on how to sort your recycling.

Boxes can be green or black. You can use spare boxes for extra recycling if needed. Please make sure items for recycling are empty and rinsed.

Glass and soft plastics

• glass bottles and jars. No broken glass, drinking glasses or sheet glass please. Remove the lids (place these in red bag for recycling)
• plastic bags and soft plastic wrapping, in a bag no bigger than a carrier bag with the top tied
• plastic carrier bags 
• bread bags 
• frozen food bags 
• delivery bags 
• cereal liners 
• toilet roll wrapping 
• multi-pack wrapping 
• salad, pasta, and rice bags 
• cheese, fish and meat wrapping 
• crisps, sweet bags, biscuit and chocolate wrapping 
• baby, pet food, detergent and cleaning pouches 
• flexible plastic packaging lids 
• fruit nets
• bubble wrap and cling film

Paper and cardboard

• paper and cardboard (flattened)
• brown paper, newspaper, magazines, catalogues, white and coloured paper
• shredded paper - please place into a paper bag or envelope and put at the bottom of your box 
• cartons including Tetra Paks (wash and squash)

Bag separately

Bag each of these items separately in a carrier bag or clear plastic bag and tie loosely to keep them dry.

• small electrical appliances including all household appliances smaller than a standard domestic toaster. For example, kettles, radios, clocks, keyboards, cables, irons, watches, hair dryers and phones
• spectacles
• sunglasses
• clothes in a reusable condition
• shoes (tied in pairs)
• mobile phones
• batteries 
• vapes

Items we don't collect for recycling

• disposable coffee cups
• flat glass, broken glass, pyrex, drinking glasses 
• light bulbs
• black plastic
• polystyrene (non-rigid expanded or foam types)
• hard plastic e.g. buckets and children's toys (can be recycled at recycling centre)
• spray paint or lighter fluid containers
• gas canisters (take to recycling centre and ask staff. These start fires in bin lorries)
• car batteries
• nappies
• business waste
• saucepans
• tissues and paper towels
• glass vases
• pizza boxes or greasy takeaway packaging 
• unemptied food packaging
• blister packs
• wrapping paper, except plain brown wrapping paper

Recycling is sorted by hand. If any of these items are in your containers we won't empty it but will leave a card to explain why.

On your collection day

Your recycling containers should be put out on the edge of your property for collection by 6.30am on your scheduled collection day. 

Your collection point at the edge of your property might be:

• the end of your driveway where it meets the public footpath
• the end of a private road where it meets the main road
• at the rear of your property outside a back gate in a parking area
• on a public footpath outside your property (please return the bin to your property as soon as possible after collection)
• a communal bin collection point for a set of properties

Recycling is collected every week. Flats and properties with communal bin stores will have different recycling containers. You can find more collection information for communal properties on our dedicated recycling webpage for flats.

Here are a few useful facts about recycling containers:

• they are provided to each property free of charge and belong to us
• you should put your house number on them so they don't get mixed up with your neighbours'
• when moving house, please leave containers behind for the new residents