Our aim is to collect as much recyclable waste as possible. The materials collected from the green recycling bins are passed onto a contractor. The contractor separates all the materials using mechanical and manual sorting. The materials can then be sold on to be used to make new products. Here is a virtual tour of the materials recycling facility (MRF). The council has implemented various schemes to help reduce and reuse your waste.
We collect any excess recyclable waste at the same time as your green wheeled bin as long as it is loose in transparent bags. Please make sure any excess recyclable waste is placed in a plastic bag, do not use a black bag because this will not be collected.
All drinks cans, bottles and food cans must be washed out before placing in green bins/bags to avoid contamination.
All of the following items can be put in your green bin/bag:
- Paper - junk mail, office paper, newspapers, magazines
- Cardboard - brown card, glossy card, egg boxes,
inner tubes from toilet and kitchen roll
- Metal Cans - drink cans, food cans, pet food cans
- Plastics - types 1, 2 and 4 * such as plastic bags, plastic bottles - lids off, plastic milk containers - lids off
* these numbers can be found in a triangle on many plastic items
Shredded paper can not be recycled in the green bin because the machinery at the sorting factory is incapable of separating it and it can clog up the mechanisms.
You can find more information about recycling plastics on the downloadable document 'Recycling guide'.
Please make sure that you are careful not to recycle anything with personal details on it, unless it has been made unreadable first.
The following materials must not be placed in the green recycling bin/bag
- kitchen food waste
- garden waste *
- glass bottles *
- margarine tubs
- yoghurt pots
- polystyrene
- tetrapaks (juice cartons)
- electrical items (including batteries)*
* please take these items to your nearest tip (household waste sorting site )
Remember to put your bin out by 7:00am on day of collection and put it away again after it has been emptied.