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How to recycle

Recycling hints and tips

Love Food, Hate Waste offers tips on how to reduce the amount of food your household wastes. Their site includes recipes using food which would normally be thrown away, and tips about foods where every part can be eaten (for example, leaves, stalks, etc.).

Recycle Now helps people to recycle more things, more often. Their site includes a tool to find places locally where you can recycle a specific item and a handy guide to understanding recycling symbols.

Home composting

By composting garden and kitchen waste at home, you'll reduce the amount of rubbish you send to landfill. Using a compost bin for items like raw fruit and vegetable peelings, grass and hedge clippings, egg shells, tea bags, and thin cardboard packaging will give you free compost which you can use to help your garden bloom.

As well as compost bins, food waste digesters and hot composters let you compost all of your household food waste.

We've teamed up with Get Composting to provide lower prices on home compost bins. To take advantage of the offer, visit the Get Composting website.

Frequently asked questions

What goes in my blue lid recycling bin or clear plastic recycling sack?

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A full list is available under what goes in my bins?

Should I put my waste in bags?

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Recycling should go loose (unbagged) into your blue lid recycling bin. Rinse food containers (especially milk bottles) to keep your bin clean and avoid odours.

Green waste should go loose (unbagged) into your green bin.

Non-recyclable waste (rubbish) should be bagged in your black lid refuse bin to keep it clean and avoid odours. This should mainly be bags of food and kitchen waste.

Do I have to pay for new bins?

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No. The first bins are free. Replacement, or additional (if appropriate), recycling or green garden waste bins are free.

Replacement or additional (if appropriate), refuse bins will be subject to an administration and delivery charge.

Order a replacement bin.

Can I put my name, street, or house number on my bin?

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Yes, you can do something which will identify your bin to avoid confusion on collection days. House number stickers or permanent markers are a good option. You must not do anything which weakens, damages, or alters the structure of your bins.

What happens if I put the wrong things in my bin?

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It's very important that you put the right waste in the right bin. We cannot empty bins that contain the wrong waste (see what goes in my bins?), or that are put out on the wrong day for collection (find your bin collection date). You may need to remove incorrect items from the bin yourself before we can empty it.

Will my black lid refuse bin be big enough?

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The average household should find the black lid refuse bin is enough for their needs. Over 60% of your waste is recyclable, and the blue lid recycling, and green garden waste, bins will help you recycle more. Please make full use of these, and remember to squash and flatten all your waste and recyclables to save space before putting them in the appropriate bin.

I live in a flat, what do I do?

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People living in flats still get a bin collection service. The system used (sacks or bins) will depend on the site. For more information, contact the Environment Contact Centre on 01642 726001.

What if I need help with my bins?

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If you're unable to put your bin at the kerbside for emptying, you can ask for an assessment to see if you're eligible for help.

I don't need my green waste bin

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If you don't have a garden or don't need a green waste collection, we can take your green waste bin away. To arrange this please contact the Environment Contact Centre on 01642 726001.