Although we can recycle a lot of types of packaging, there are some things which have the recycle logo that we can't recycle. Please check below what we can and can't recycle.
All materials must be dry and clean. If they are not, then it is impossible to recycle them.
Please empty and rinse all containers before recycling them.
If you have a green recycle bin, you do not need to use a sack, just put your recycling straight in the bin.
Items that can be put in your green recycling bin, smart clear sacks or in the smart banks
- Mixed glass bottles and jars (take metal lids off and put them loose in your recycling)
- Unshredded paper, card and flattened cardboard boxes
- Plastic bottles (please squash and keep plastic lids on)
- Plastic pots, tubs and trays and containers
- Food and drink cartons (please squash and keep plastic lids on)
- Tetra Paks (please squash and keep plastic lids on)
- Aluminium and steel tins and cans
If in doubt, leave it out!
What can't I recycle
Please do not put these items in your green bin, smart clear sacks or smart banks:
- food waste
- garden waste
- plastic wrappers
- shredded paper
- food-soiled packaging
- polystyrene
- foil
- paper towels
- plastic bags/bin bags
- textiles, clothes or shoes
- aerosol cans
More information about what you can't recycle and why.
We have one of the lowest council tax charges in the country and we want to keep it that way. If wrong items end up at the recycling centre we are charged more and that ultimately means you, the taxpayer, are charged more.
We have to pay nearly seven times as much for a contaminated load of recycling compared to clean and dry recycling. If the contamination spreads throughout the whole load then nothing can be recycled – it’s such a waste!
The wrong types of materials can also cause havoc at the sorting depot, clogging up machinery and causing breakdowns.
Hints and tips about what you can and can't recycle
What happens to my recycling?
For more information about what happens to your recycling (e.g. paper and card, plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays, mixed glass, tins and cans), and where it goes, please visit the WRWA Reuse and Recycling Centre website and see what happens to my recycling?