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What goes in your bins

Green recycling bin

All recycling in your green bin should be clean, dry and loose (or placed in a clear bag). 

What should go in your green bin

  • Plastic bottles; milk, pop, water, cleaning products, beauty products (with tops)
  • Margarine tubs, butter tubs, soft cheese tubs, yoghurt pots, cream pots
  • Plastic ready meal food trays - unless they are black
  • Clear food trays
  • Empty carrier bags, no other types of plastic bag
  • Newspapers and magazines
  • Junk mail, greeting cards, envelopes, wrapping paper
  • Yellow Pages, telephone directories, paperback books
  • Writing paper, printer paper
  • Shredded paper
  • Food cans (no pet food pouches)
  • Drink cans
  • Foil - no food or cooking residue
  • Foil dishes
  • Aerosol cans (no lighter fuel cans)
  • Cardboard and corrugated boxes
  • Cereal boxes 
  • Washing powder boxes
  • Milk or fruit juice cartons, including Tetra Pak
  • Plastic or cardboard egg boxes 
  • Glass bottles, all colours (no tops) 
  • Jars (no tops)

What should not go in your green bin

  • Black bin liners 
  • Bagged waste
  • Bottles still containing liquid 
  • Nappies and hygiene products 
  • Take away pizza boxes and fast food wrappings
  • Food waste and dirty food containers
  • Black plastic food trays 
  • Textiles - Clothes, shoes and bedding (You can take these to your nearest Household Waste Recycling Centre, charity shop or put them out for charity collections)
  • Electrical goods (can be recycled if you take items to a Household Waste Recycling Centre)
  • Polystyrene
  • Food wrappers
  • Shiny plastic wrappers eg; crisp packets, sweet wrappers, tea bag packets 
  • Tupperware 
  • Toys 
  • Bubble wrap
  • Hardback books 
  • Pyrex or cooking dishes 
  • Crockery 
  • Window glass 
  • Picture glass 
  • Drinking glasses 
  • Mirrors
  • Garden waste
  • Any other items which are not included in the 'What should go in my green bin' list above.

Take to the Household Waste Recycling Centre (tip) for recycling

  • Clothes, shoes and bedding 
  • Electrical goods
  • Wood / Medium-density fibreboard (MDF)
  • Batteries

You can find more information in the 'What can I put in my bins?' pdf leaflet, including the 'Recycling Top 20'.

Still not sure if the item can go in your green recycling bin? Check the Recycle Now website.

Contaminated recycling bin:  Yellow tags

If there are non-recyclable items in your green bin, we will put a yellow tag on the handles and we will not empty it. When the non-recyclable items have been removed, we will empty your bin on your next scheduled collection day.

Grey general waste bin 

What you cannot reuse or recycle goes in the general waste collection. We do not collect any household waste that is not in your general waste bin. We do not offer more than one general waste bin. You can apply for a bigger bin if four or more people are living in your property.

Apply for a bigger bin

Confidential or personal informational

Make sure you dispose of confidential or personal information such as bills or bank statements appropriately. Your rubbish and recycling bins are not secure; be vigilant about identity theft.

Brown garden waste bin

Use your garden waste bin for:

  • flowers and plants
  • grass cuttings
  • hedge clippings
  • tree clippings
  • leaves

Garden waste should be loose inside your brown bin. It should not include pots, bags, containers or kitchen and food waste.

Other ways you can manage your garden waste

Get home composting advice and offers on compost bins on the Get Composting website. There are also tips on how to recycle garden waste on the Recycle Now website.

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