Managing your bins
If you recycle as much as you can using all the recycling services the council provides, you’ll find that your black bin rubbish is dramatically reduced.
You can recycle the following items from home:
In your green recycling wheelie bin:
- Paper and card
- Glass bottles and jars
- Plastic bottles, pots, tubs, and trays
- Metal food and drink cans
- Food and drink cartons (Tetra-pak)
In your food waste bin:
- meat and fish, including bones
- fruit and vegetables
- dairy products, including cheese, eggs and eggshells
- bread, cakes, and pastries
- rice, pasta, grains, and cereals etc.
- tea bags, tea leaves and coffee grounds
- used kitchen paper towels
In your garden waste sacks:
- grass cuttings
- leaves and twigs
- weeds, shrubs, plants, and flowers
- hedge trimmings
- fruit fallen from trees and bushes
- branches up to 10cm diameter
- pet bedding, from plant-eating animals only, for example rabbits and guinea pigs
In a loosely tied carrier bag on top of your green recycling bin:
- Small electrical items (no bigger than a two-slice toaster)
In a loosely tied carrier bag on top of your green recycling bin:
- Undamaged used batteries (except car batteries and lithium-ion batteries from phones and laptops etc.)
None of the items listed above should be put inside your black rubbish bin.
Preventing smells
If you put food waste in your rubbish bin, it might start to smell before it’s collected.
This is why it’s so important for everyone to use their food waste collection service, which will remain weekly. Alternatively, plant-based food waste can also be composted at home.
All waste in your black rubbish bin should be contained in securely tied rubbish bags. If you use disposable nappies, these should be placed in securely tied nappy bags before being placed in a rubbish bag, to reduce the risk of odours.