What goes in which bin

Recycle aerosol cans with other cans in your purple bin. For safety reasons please ensure aerosol cans are completely empty, and do not squash them.

Empty aluminium tubes can be recycled in your purple bin. You can also buy a small metal device to help you squeeze every bit of the contents out!

Plastic wrappers that do not have a shiny foil-like layer on the inside or outside can be included in your recycling bin.

Alternative options

Biscuit, cracker and cake wrappers with a shiny foil-like layer on the inside or outside can’t be put in your blue bin, so if you can’t take them to a collection point put them in your black bin.

Although sorting equipment at the Materials Recycling Facility where items from purple bins are sent cannot detect the colour black, some sorting is done by hand so black plastic trays can be pulled out to recycle.

Mechanical sorting of black plastics is an issue across the UK and work is being done to find a solution. See more information about black plastic recyclability issues.

After rinsing and (where applicable) squashing your bottles and jars, please replace the lids on them before putting in the purple bin. This helps the small lids to find their way through the various conveyors in the sorting process, and they can be separated from the containers later on.

Large pieces of broken bottles and jars only can be put into your blue bin. Please put smaller shards into another jar with its lid on (or bag them and put them in your black bin) - this is to prevent them blowing out as the bin is emptied, which could be dangerous for staff.

Alternative options

Any other type of broken glass such as wine glasses or tumblers, windows, mirrors, picture frames should be carefully bagged and put in your black bin.

Small fragments of broken bottles and jars should also be wrapped (for example, in newspaper), bagged and put in the black bin, unless they can be contained in another jar.

You can put pieces of bubble wrap in your purple bin to recycle with other films. Please cut up very large pieces (bigger than a bin bag) as they can become wrapped around sorting equipment and jam it.

Cardboard butter or fat boxes (e.g. Lurpak butterbox, Trex) have a thin layer of plastic but if wiped completely clean these can be put in the purple bin for recycling.

It is very important that no fat or grease remains on them, so if they can not be cleaned please put them in the black bin.

Alternative options

Most butter wrappers are made from a mixture of paper, plastic and aluminum. They are not suitable for recycling or composting.

All types of clean and dry cardboard are accepted in the purple bin. Please break down and flatten large boxes.

Alternative options

Laminated cardboard for example, sandwich packets contains plastic. This can be put in your blue bin if it is clean, but if it has food on it it must go in your black bin as it is not suitable for composting.

Both cardboard and plastic egg boxes can be recycled via your purple bin.

Rinse, squash and replace the caps on your cartons before putting in your purple bin. If you save the ring-pull from the spout you can also insert that back in before you replace the cap so - separately this would just get lost in the sorting plant.

Cartons are made from layers of plastic, aluminium and card. They are not waxed card and are not biodegradable, but can be recycled into low-grade paper products. 

Please remove catalogues from plastic sleeves before recycling. The sleeves can be put in your purple bin separately.

Clean cellophane wrapping from flowers or other items can be put in your purple bin for recycling, so long as it has no metallic layers. Please see the 'Plastic packaging' listing for a list of examples of plastic packaging which are or are not accepted in the purple bin.

All clean, dry cardboard can be put in the purple bin.

Clean plastic bags and wrapping from items such as cereals, bread and salad can be put in your purple bin.

Due to changes in demand for soft plastic materials it is not always possible to recycle the plastics we collect in this way. When this is the case the plastics are used to generate energy instead.

If you can't find a use for charity collection bags, they can be put in the purple recycling bin.

In 2024 the Royal British Legion introduced a plastic-free poppy design using only paper. This can be put in the purple bin.

Paper, foil, or plain plastic (without a shiny foil layer) wrappers can be put in your purple bin. Please save up small pieces of foil and scrunch into a larger ball to aid recycling.

Alternative options

Plastic chocolate wrappers and chocolate or sweet pouches with a shiny foil-like layer on the inside or outside can’t be put in your blue bin, so if you can’t drop them off at a collection point please put them in your black bin.

Unembellished cardboard cracker parts can be put in your blue bin. No metallic card, glitter, ribbons or wire decorations.

Alternative options

Ribbons, glittery, metallic or plastic parts from crackers can not be recycled, and can cause problems in the recycling process for the card parts.

Any unwanted gifts from inside which are not suitable to re-use or donate to charity.

Tissue paper hats can not be recycled, but can be composted in the green bin.

Cardboard cigarette packets can be put in the purple bin for recycling, but please separate the foil inner and the plastic outer wrap first.

Amazingly, cigarette waste itself can be recycled too. Find out more about Terracycle's waste recycle scheme. Please don't put it in your purple bin though!

Plastic spray bottles can be recycled along with all other plastic bottles in your purple bin. Leave the spray trigger attached.

Materials from your purple bin are sorted and turned into new products. Please put things in the bin loose and not in bags. This helps us process it. You can find out more about processing by visiting RECAP’s website. 

Clean cling film can be put in your purple bin.

Due to changes in demand for soft plastic materials it is not always possible to recycle the plastic films we collect in this way. When this is the case the plastics are used to generate energy instead.

Plastic coffee pods or capsules are not recyclable in your purple bin. This is partly due to their size - small plastic items easily drop out of the sorting equipment used.

To recycle foil capsules would require removing all of the coffee, rinsing and saving them up with other foil until you can make a tennis ball-sized ball, so in practice they are not readily recyclable.

Compostable plastic, bio-plastic or PLA capsules should not be put in either your purple or green bin, and can only be disposed of in the black bin. These do not break down quickly enough for the composting process we use.

Alternative options

There are now some brands which offer compostable coffee capsules:

• Those made from 'bagasse' sugar-cane fibre or wood pulp can be accepted in the green bin e.g. Halo
• Those made from bio-plastic or PLA can not be put in the green bin.

Empty vitamin tubes can be recycled via your purple bin. Leave the cap on.

You do not need to remove windows from envelopes, as they are sieved out during the pulping process.

Clean foil, including foil trays from takeaways or ready-meals can be put in your purple bin. If possible please save up small pieces of foil and scrunch into a tennis-ball sized ball before putting in the bin - this is because very small items can get lost throughout the sorting process, and this will help ensure they can be recycled effectively.

Alternative options

If foil is just too dirty to wash (burnt-on greasy food etc) it is not suitable for recycling. Please put it in the black bin.

All colours of glass bottles and jars, including those from perfume and medicines, can be put in your purple bin. Please rinse and replace the caps on the bottles - this helps stop the small caps falling out of the sorting process. No need to remove spray pumps. They are separated from the glass when it is broken.

Materials from your purple bin are sorted and turned into new products. Please put things in the bin loose and not in bags. This helps us process it. You can find out more about processing by visiting RECAP’s website.

Rinse and replace the lid on the jar before putting in the purple bin.

Materials from your purple bin are sorted and turned into new products. Please put things in the bin loose and not in bags. This helps us process it. You can find out more about processing by visiting RECAP’s website. 

All greetings cards that do not have glitter, metallic elements or other non-paper adornments can be recycled in your purple bin.

Alternative options

Tear off any parts of the card which have glitter, metallic elements or other non-paper adornments and put these in your black bin. These elements can cause problems in the paper recycling process.

We don't recommend using the codes marked on plastic items to decide whether they can be recycled in your kerbside collections. This is because the same type of plastic can be made into very different items with different thicknesses, some that we can recycle and some that we can't. For example, High Density Polyethylene, (HDPE) can be used to make hard plastic toys and pipes, which are not accepted for recycling in the purple bin, as well as milk bottles and shampoo bottles which are.

That said, most everyday HDPE packaging items that you are likely to be wondering whether you can recycle in your blue bin can be, including:

• Juice and milk bottles
• Yoghurt pots
• Margarine tubs
• Cleaning product bottles

Find out more on our Plastic Recycling page.

Ice cream tubs can be recycled along with all your other clean plastic pots, tubs and trays in your purple bin.

Materials from your blue bin are sorted and turned into new products. Please put things in the bin loose and not in bags. This helps us process it. You can find out more about processing by visiting RECAP’s website. 

Materials from your purple bin are sorted and turned into new products. Please put things in the bin loose and not in bags. This helps us process it. You can find out more about processing by visiting RECAP’s website. 

We don't recommend using the codes marked on plastic items to decide whether they can be recycled in your kerbside collections. This is because the same type of plastic can be made into items with different properties, some that we can recycle and some that we can't. For example, Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) can be used to make black bin bags, which are not accepted for recycling in the purple bin, as well as bags from sliced bread which are. 

That said, most common LDPE packaging items from your home probably would be accepted your purple bin, including:

• Plastic grocery bags (not biodegradable ones)
• Peel-off film lids from punnets etc
• Plastic wrap from toilet roll packs
• Squeezy bottles

Look up a description of your item rather than the plastic code to see if it is recyclable, e.g. 'shampoo bottle'.

Find out more on our Plastic Recycling page.

Metal and plastic lids from jars and bottles can be put in your purple bin.

Although it sounds counter-intuitive, ideally please rinse (and squash if plastic) your bottles and jars, then put the lids back on. Because lids are small, this helps them to go through the sorting process without getting lost, before being separated from the glass later on.

You can find out more about processing by visiting RECAP’s website. 

The bottle from liquid soap can be placed in the purple bin.

The dispenser pump must be removed, as this contains a small metal spring and is not currently recyclable via the purple bin. Please put the pump in the black bin.

Ordinary polythene or cellophane plastic magazine wrappers can be recycled in your purple bin. Compostable 'plastic' wrappers can not be recycled.

Alternative options

Compostable 'plastic' magazine wrap (for example, made from corn starch) does not break down quickly enough in the fast composting process used for green bin material. Please put it in your black bin.

Black bin materials go through a Mechanical Biological Treatment plant prior to being landfilled. You can read more about this processing on the RECAP website.

Materials from your purple bin are sorted and turned into new products. Please put things in the bin loose and not in bags. This helps us process it. You can find out more about processing by visiting RECAP’s website.

Plastic bottles and pots, glass jars and cardboard boxes can all be rinsed out and recycled in your purple bin.

Alternative options

Flexible plastic tubes and flexible plastic / foil pouches can’t be recycled in your blue bin, so if you can’t drop them off at a collection point please put them in your black bin.

Please rinse and put in the purple bin with all your other clean plastic pots, tubs and trays.

Materials from your purple bin are sorted and turned into new products. Please put things in the bin loose and not in bags. This helps us process it. You can find out more about processing by visiting RECAP’s website. 

Please rinse and crush. Beer cans with widgets are accepted.

Only household metal packaging materials (food tins, drinks cans, aerosol cans, biscuit tins, foil and foil trays e.g. from quiches or pies) can be accepted in the purple bins. Other metal items can damage the sorting machinery, so please keep these out. This includes items like frying pans, car parts, taps, coat hangers and furniture which would be classed as scrap metal.

Materials from your purple bin are sorted and turned into new products. Please put things in the bin loose and not in bags. This helps us process it. You can find out more about processing by visiting RECAP’s website. 

Only household metal packaging materials (food tins, drinks cans, aerosol cans, biscuit tins, foil and foil trays e.g. from quiches or pies) can be accepted in the purple bins. Other metal items can damage the sorting machinery, so please keep these out. This includes items like frying pans, car parts, taps, coat hangers and furniture which would be classed as scrap metal.

Materials from your purple bin are sorted and turned into new products. Please put things in the bin loose and not in bags. This helps us process it. You can find out more about processing by visiting RECAP’s website.

Materials from your purple bin are sorted and turned into new products. Please put things in the bin loose and not in bags. This helps us process it. You can find out more about processing by visiting RECAP’s website. 

Materials from your purple bin are sorted and turned into new products. Please put things in the bin loose and not in bags. This helps us process it. You can find out more about processing by visiting RECAP’s website. 

We don't recommend using the codes marked on plastic items to decide whether they can be recycled in your kerbside collections. This is because the same type of plastic can be made into very different items, some that we can recycle and some that we can't. For example, Polyethylene terephthalate, (PET) can be used to make fleece fabric, which is not accepted for recycling in purple bins, and plastic fizzy drink bottles, which are.

That said, most PET packaging items that you are likely to be unsure of if they can be recycled in your purple bin can be, including:

• water, juice and pop bottles
• trays from biscuits
• clear yoghurt pots
• salad dressing bottles

Find out more on our Plastic Recycling page.

It's important that cardboard for recycling is fairly clean and dry. Remove any food, and tear off any parts which look greasy (the greasy cardboard can be put in your green bin for composting).

Alternative options

Please put any cheesy or greasy parts of your pizza box in your green bin.

If you do not have a green bin and your pizza box has a lot of grease or food on it, it's best to put it in your black bin rather than your purple bin.

Put empty bags in your purple bin. Please do not use bags to contain other items - it means we can't see the items inside properly to check they are accepted, and we may not empty your bin.

Never put plastic bags in your green bin.

Materials from your purple bin are sorted and turned into new products. You can find out more about processing by visiting RECAP’s website. 

Put in your purple bin. Includes drink, shampoo and detergent bottles. Please rinse, squash and put lids back on. 

Materials from your purple bin are sorted and turned into new products. Please put things in the bin loose and not in bags. This helps us process it. You can find out more about processing by visiting RECAP’s website. 

Recycle with other pots, tubs and trays in your purple bin.

Materials from your purple bin are sorted and turned into new products. Please put things in the bin loose and not in bags. This helps us process it. You can find out more about processing by visiting RECAP’s website.

Clear and coloured plastic punnets from fruit or vegetables and food trays from ready meals can be recycled in your purple bin.

Unfortunately sorting equipment at the Materials Recycling Facility where items from purple bins are sent cannot detect the colour black and therefore black plastic trays can not be recycled. This is an issue across the UK and work is being done to find a solution. See more information about black plastic recyclability issue

Rinse and recycle with other pots, tubs and trays in your purple bin.

Please make sure bottles are empty and rinsed out. Put loose in your bin, not in bags. This helps us process it. You can find out more about processing by visiting RECAP’s website.

• yoghurt pots, margarine tubs and fruit punnets
• trays from meat, vegetables or ready meals
• shampoo, fizzy drink, milk or cleaning spray bottles
• thin moulded plastic packaging from Easter eggs, toy packaging, packs of batteries etc

The following plastic films are accepted and will be recycled when markets are available:

General

• thin plastic peel-off lids of all types
• plastic wrappers from kitchen towel, toilet roll, nappy pack, cotton wool, magazines (except compostable plastic)
• plastic fruit and veg bags and wrappers

Bags

• Ordinary carrier bags
• Bread bags
• Multipack crisps outer bags
• Bags from:
  • Cereal and porridge
  • Dried goods – dried fruit, pasta, rice, sugar, pulses, etc
  • Frozen foods and ice cubes
  • Grated cheese

Wrappers and Film

• Cling film
• Pizza wrapping film
• Bread product wrappers:
  • Croissants
  • Pancakes
  • Naan bread
  • Pitta bread
  • Fresh pasta
• Wrappers or packets from:
  • Cheese, pastry, cakes
  • baby wipes, etc
• Flower wrapping (cellophane)

Due to market fluctuations it is not always possible to find recycling outlets for plastic films collected in the purple bins. Under these circumstances they will be used to generate energy instead.

Alternative options

Very dirty items and those with food left inside should either be cleaned before recycling or put in the black bin.

Some examples of plastic packaging that can not be recycled in the blue bin include:

• CD and DVD cases
• shiny metallic plastic pouches from pet food, coffee or drinks (can be taken to participating Co-Op stores)
• crisp packets with a shiny foil coating on the inside (can be taken to participating Co-Op stores)
• polystyrene foam cartons, for example, from takeaways
• moulded, protective polystyrene - for example, from a new TV
• foam or sponge packaging, for example from a new computer
• multi-material wrappers, a mix of paper and plastic or paper and foil, for example some cheese wrappers or peel off lids on coffee jars.

Smaller plastic plant pots (smaller than about the size of an A3 piece of paper) which are not black can be recycled via your purple bin if they are clean. Rinse off soil or compost.

Alternative options

Very dirty pots and all black pots are not recyclable, please put in your black bin.

Unfortunately, recycling sorting equipment cannot detect the colour black and therefore black plastic items can not be recycled. This is an issue across the UK and work is being done to find a solution to reduce black plastic recyclability issues.

These can be recycled with other plastic pots and tubs in your purple bin.

Materials from your purple bin are sorted and turned into new products. Please put things in the bin loose and not in bags. This helps us process it. You can find out more about processing by visiting RECAP’s website. 

Materials from your purple bin are sorted and turned into new products. Please put things in the bin loose and not in bags. This helps us process it. You can find out more about processing by visiting RECAP’s website.

We don't recommend using the codes marked on plastic items to decide whether they can be recycled in your kerbside collections. This is because the same type of plastic can be made into items with different properties, some that we can recycle and some that we can't. For example, Polypropylene (PP) can be used to make coat hangers, which are not accepted for recycling in the purple bin, as well as yoghurt pots, which are. 

That said, most common PP packaging items from your home probably would be accepted your purple bin, including:

• Microwave meal trays
• Yoghurt pots
• Bottle tops (keep attached to bottles)
• Pill bottles
• Margarine tubs

Look up a description of your item rather than the plastic code to see if it is recyclable, for example, 'yoghurt pot'.

Find out more on our Plastic Recycling page.

Cardboard type binders (not plastic-covered) can be dismantled by removing the metal rings. The cardboard part can then be put in the blue bin. The metal part can be taken with other scrap metals to a Household Recycling Centre, or put in the black bin.

Alternative options

Plastic or plastic-coated binders not suitable for re-use should be put in the black bin. Plastic or plastic-coated binders not suitable for re-use should be put in the black bin.

Both plastic and glass empty roll-on deodorant bottles and their lids (replace Roll-on deodorant bottle)

Sandwich boxes can be recycled along with other cardboard packaging. Just remember to make sure that they are empty of food first. The plastic versions can also be recycled.

Some boxes are designed so that the plastic lining and window can be removed before recycling. If it’s easy to remove it then you can do so. These should be put in your black bin.

Alternative options

If your sandwich packet has a lot of mayonnaise or other food stuck on it, please put it in your black bin.

Please put shredded paper in an old envelope or paper bag to prevent it blowing out when the bin is emptied and littering the street. Large quantities can be put in a transparent sack (available in supermarkets). 

The aluminium tray from single-use BBQs can be recycled in a purple bin or a litter recycling bin.

Ensure the charcoal has fully cooled before emptying it in a rubbish bin. The wire mesh can only be recycled with scrap metals at a Recycling Centre, so if that's not an option this will need to go into a rubbish bin too.

Tubes from cosmetics or toothpaste which do not have a metal lining inside can be put in your purple bin for recycling, with the lid on. You'll need to cut the tube open to check for metal lining, and to rinse the product out of it as it needs to be clean for recycling.

Alternative options

If you can't take tubes with a metal lining to a Boots store for recycling, they need to go in your black bin.

Thin aluminum cases from tealights, which do not have any wax remaining in them, can be put in your blue bin for recycling.

Alternative options

Tealight cases still containing candles or wax should be put in your black bin. 

Materials from your purple bin are sorted and turned into new products. Please put things in the bin loose and not in bags. This helps us process it. You can find out more about processing by visiting RECAP’s website.

Materials from your purple bin are sorted and turned into new products. Please put things in the bin loose and not in bags. This helps us process it. You can find out more about processing by visiting RECAP’s website.

Leave triggers on your empty spray bottles and put them in your purple bin, these can be recycled along with bottle caps.

Materials from your purple bin are sorted and turned into new products. Please put things in the bin loose and not in bags. This helps us process it. You can find out more about processing by visiting RECAP’s website. 

You can put things straight into the green bin. You can wrap food waste in newspaper or put it in a paper bag. Please do not biodegradable 'plastic' or corn starch bags. These do not break down quickly enough and result in extra processing costs. Your bin could also be refused collection. More information on how the compost is made can be found on RECAP’s website. 

Do the scrunch test - if your wrapping paper springs back rather than staying scrunched, it is probably made of metallised plastic, and can not be recycled.

Heavily glittered paper should also not be recycled as the plastic glitter and glue cause problems with the recycling process.

If the paper stays scrunched, and isn't glittery, it can be recycled in your purple bin.

Alternative options

Metallic, glittery or plastic gift-wrap that you cannot re-use needs to be placed in your black bin as it can not be recycled.

Rinse out and recycle plastic yoghurt pots with other plastic packaging in your blue bin.

If you can't access a Terracycle collection point, air freshener cartridges should be put in your black bin.

Allow to completely cool and then bag it and put in your black bin. It must be bagged or it will blow out when the bin is emptied, and can cause eye injuries for our bin collectors. Similarly, dust from vacuum cleaners or sweeping should also be bagged.

If you cannot take them to supermarkets, place baby food pouches in the black bin.

If you cannot access a Terracycle collection point, Babybel packaging can go in your black bin.

Plastic wrappers that do not have a shiny foil-like layer on the inside or outside can be included in your recycling bin.

Alternative options

Biscuit, cracker and cake wrappers with a shiny foil-like layer on the inside or outside can’t be put in your blue bin, so if you can’t take them to a collection point put them in your black bin.

Please do not put black bags in your other bins. Even if a black sack contains recycling your blue bin may not be emptied if it contains one since we cannot see what is inside. Please put recycling into your blue bin loose.

Empty black sacks - Unfortunately sorting equipment at the Materials Recycling Facility where items from blue bins are sent cannot detect the colour black and therefore black items can not be recycled. This is an issue across the UK and work is being done to find a solution. See more information about black plastic recyclability issues.

These are made of mixed materials, usually plastic and foil firmly glued together or sometimes plastic and paper, so are not easy to recycle.

Large pieces of broken bottles and jars only can be put into your blue bin. Please put smaller shards into another jar with its lid on (or bag them and put them in your black bin) - this is to prevent them blowing out as the bin is emptied, which could be dangerous for staff.

Alternative options

Any other type of broken glass such as wine glasses or tumblers, windows, mirrors, picture frames should be carefully bagged and put in your black bin.

Small fragments of broken bottles and jars should also be wrapped (for example, in newspaper), bagged and put in the black bin, unless they can be contained in another jar.

If you are unable to take it to a household recycling centre, you can put it in your black bin.

Cardboard butter or fat boxes (e.g. Lurpak butterbox, Trex) have a thin layer of plastic but if wiped completely clean these can be put in the purple bin for recycling.

It is very important that no fat or grease remains on them, so if they can not be cleaned please put them in the black bin.

Alternative options

Most butter wrappers are made from a mixture of paper, plastic and aluminum. They are not suitable for recycling or composting.

Plastic cable ties are made of nylon and are too small to be recycled effectively, they must be put in the black bin. Biodegradable cable ties are available – these should also be disposed of in the black bin.

Old candles are not collected for recycling. Please put them in your black bin

All types of clean and dry cardboard are accepted in the purple bin. Please break down and flatten large boxes.

Alternative options

Laminated cardboard for example, sandwich packets contains plastic. This can be put in your blue bin if it is clean, but if it has food on it it must go in your black bin as it is not suitable for composting.

Please bag securely and put in black bin. Loose cat litter can be hazardous to our crews when emptying the bin.

Do not put cat litter (even if it's marked biodegradable) in your green bin as it can be hazardous during processing.

Never put crockery into a glass bottle bank or your blue bin. It is very damaging in the glass recycling process.

Did you know most chewing gum contains plastic? It's therefore not food waste, and must go in the black bin.

Paper, foil, or plain plastic (without a shiny foil layer) wrappers can be put in your purple bin. Please save up small pieces of foil and scrunch into a larger ball to aid recycling.

Alternative options

Plastic chocolate wrappers and chocolate or sweet pouches with a shiny foil-like layer on the inside or outside can’t be put in your blue bin, so if you can’t drop them off at a collection point please put them in your black bin.

Unembellished cardboard cracker parts can be put in your blue bin. No metallic card, glitter, ribbons or wire decorations.

Alternative options

Ribbons, glittery, metallic or plastic parts from crackers can not be recycled, and can cause problems in the recycling process for the card parts.

Any unwanted gifts from inside which are not suitable to re-use or donate to charity.

Tissue paper hats can not be recycled, but can be composted in the green bin.

Tinsel, baubles and other plastic decorations can not be recycled.

Wreaths or other natural decorations containing florists wire, ribbons or other plastic or metal embellishments that are hard to remove should be put in the black bin.

Dismantle so that the bin lid closes properly.

Cigarette filters contain plastic and should never be discarded on the ground; you could be fined for littering.

Peel off lids on jars tend to be made of a mixture of materials, such as plastic and foil or plastic and paper, and are therefore not recyclable.

Compostable or biodegradable 'plastic' corn starch caddy liners (for example, BioBag), bio-plastic cups (or compostable paper cups, which have a layer of bio-plastic) and cutlery (for example, Vegware or Edenware), and other compostable plastic packaging (for example, Two Farmers crisp packets, Riverford salad bags and some magazine sleeves) cannot be accepted in the green bins, even if they are EN13432 certified or display the compostable seedling logo, as they do not compost quickly enough for our fast composting process. 

These items will have the opportunity to break down to some extent when placed in the black bin, since all material undergoes biological processing before being landfilled.

Please use only newspaper or 100% paper caddy liners for food waste in your green bin. You can also put food waste in your green bin loose.

You can find out more about why bio-plastics are tricky to deal with from City to Sea.

If can't get to a Household Recycling Centre, allow to cool, pour into a plastic bottle, seal and put into your black bin.

Synthetic/plastic corks need to be put into your main black bin.

Although cotton wool is technically compostable, some of the products it is used to remove are not suitable for composting. Some make-up remover pads may also contain plastic. Please dispose of in your black bin.

Crisp packets can't be recycled via the blue bin so must be put in the black bin if you cannot drop them off at a specialist recycling point.

If you cannot take them to a Terracycle collection point, put crisp tubes in your black bin. 

The plastic lid can be put in the blue bin but the tube itself is made of layers of plastic, foil and card and cannot be recycled. It is possible to remove the metal bottom of the tube with a tin opener, the metal can then be put in your blue bin. The remainder should be put in the black bin.

Single-use plastic cutlery is no longer sold in the UK, but if you still have some to dispose of it needs to go in your black bin as it is not recyclable. 'Compostable' plastic cutlery must also be put in the black bin as it is not suitable for our green bin composting process.

Black bin items go through a mechanical and biological sorting process before going to landfill. Find out more on RECAP's website. 

Always empty your vacuum cleaner into a bag before placing this into your black bin. It can be a plastic bin liner or a paper sack. Loose dust or ash can blow out of the bin when it is being emptied and cause eye injuries for bin collection staff. 

Please bag securely and put in black bin. Loose cat litter or dog poo can be hazardous to our crews when emptying the bin.

Do not put cat or dog faeces in your green bin as it can be hazardous during processing.

Clean foil, including foil trays from takeaways or ready-meals can be put in your purple bin. If possible please save up small pieces of foil and scrunch into a tennis-ball sized ball before putting in the bin - this is because very small items can get lost throughout the sorting process, and this will help ensure they can be recycled effectively.

Alternative options

If foil is just too dirty to wash (burnt-on greasy food etc) it is not suitable for recycling. Please put it in the black bin.

Black bin items go through a mechanical and biological sorting process before going to landfill. Find out more on RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page. 

Gift tags are too small to be sorted correctly along with other card. Paper items smaller than postcard size often drop through sorting machinery and conveyors, ending up with glass, where they then have to be removed.

Broken wine glasses, tumblers or other glass drinking vessels should be carefully wrapped in newspaper or carrier bags, bagged and put in your black bin.

Small fragments of broken bottles and jars should also be bagged and put in the black bin, unless they can be contained in another jar.

If your greaseproof paper has a silicone coating, or if you are not sure, please put it in your black bin.

All greetings cards that do not have glitter, metallic elements or other non-paper adornments can be recycled in your purple bin.

Alternative options

Tear off any parts of the card which have glitter, metallic elements or other non-paper adornments and put these in your black bin. These elements can cause problems in the paper recycling process.

Pet and human hair for disposal at the kerbside should be placed in your black bin.

If it is unsuitable for re-use or recycling (e.g. it is mouldy, wet or soiled) put it in your black bin.

If you can't reuse these items, put them in your black bin.

Soiled, mouldy or wet items not suitable for donation can be put in your black bin.

Please put these in your black bin.

These are usually a mixture of plastic and paper, or in the case of Amazon Prime envelopes a mixture of different plastics, and cannot be recycled.

If you do not have a home compost bin or heap put your worn out bag in your black bin. Clean cotton bags can be recycled with clothes in clothing collection banks. Fabrics and jute are not accepted in green bins as they can jam the shredding machinery and take too long to compost.

Black bin items go through a mechanical and biological sorting process before going to landfill. Find out more on RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page. 

Halogen bulbs and traditional incandescent bulbs do not contain mercury like compact fluorescent lamps (CFL's) and can be safely disposed of to landfill.

They should never be placed in glass recycling or mixed recycling bins, as they are a different type of glass from bottles and jars.

Ordinary polythene or cellophane plastic magazine wrappers can be recycled in your purple bin. Compostable 'plastic' wrappers can not be recycled.

Alternative options

Compostable 'plastic' magazine wrap (for example, made from corn starch) does not break down quickly enough in the fast composting process used for green bin material. Please put it in your black bin.

Black bin materials go through a Mechanical Biological Treatment plant prior to being landfilled. You can read more about this processing on the RECAP website.

Plastic bottles and pots, glass jars and cardboard boxes can all be rinsed out and recycled in your purple bin.

Alternative options

Flexible plastic tubes and flexible plastic / foil pouches can’t be recycled in your blue bin, so if you can’t drop them off at a collection point please put them in your black bin.

Please remove from the plastic tray and put in your black bin.

Please ensure your bin lid closes fully.

Black bin items go through a mechanical and biological sorting process before going to landfill. Find out more on RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page. Please note that bin lids must be properly closed.

It is difficult to remove the varnish and the bottles are too small to be captured during the recycling process.

Please bag, tie the bag and put in your black bin, to prevent litter when the bin is emptied.

Some packing chips are now made from biodegradable or dissolvable materials, but these are not accepted in the green bin. Black bin materials go through a biological process to break down any compostable elements.

Paper cups, even those with a recycle mark, are not easily recyclable unless collected as part of a dedicated scheme (see above) and can not be put in the blue bin.

Compostable paper cups (e.g. Vegware, Edenware) have a layer of compostable 'plastic' which makes them unsuitable for putting in the green bin. Compostable plastic can take up to 12 weeks to break down, and the process we use takes 6-8 weeks. Compostable cups put into the black bin will have a chance to break down during the biological process they are put through before landfilling.

Plastic parcel strapping is not suitable for recycling at the kerbside. In fact, it can cause serious problems in the sorting facility, where it becomes tangled around machinery. Machines have to be shut off so that it can be cut free.

Black bin items go through a mechanical and biological sorting process before going to landfill. Find out more on RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page. 

Disposable period products should be wrapped or bagged and put in your black bin. Never flush them down the toilet as they cause blockages and can end up in the sea.

These type of pouches are made from layers of plastic and aluminium which are very difficult to separate out, and therefore they can not be recycled at the moment. Please put in the black bin.

Black bin items go through a mechanical and biological sorting process before going to landfill. Find out more on RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page. 

Photos are made from various different kinds of plastic or coated paper, and can not be recycled.

It's important that cardboard for recycling is fairly clean and dry. Remove any food, and tear off any parts which look greasy (the greasy cardboard can be put in your green bin for composting).

Alternative options

Please put any cheesy or greasy parts of your pizza box in your green bin.

If you do not have a green bin and your pizza box has a lot of grease or food on it, it's best to put it in your black bin rather than your purple bin.

These can’t be recycled in your blue bin, so if you can’t drop them off at a collection point please put them in your black bin.

Empty plastic bottles which contained chemicals such as anti-freeze, motor oil or white spirit should not be recycled.

Only plastic packaging can be recycled in your blue bin.

These cannot be recycled at present.

• yoghurt pots, margarine tubs and fruit punnets
• trays from meat, vegetables or ready meals
• shampoo, fizzy drink, milk or cleaning spray bottles
• thin moulded plastic packaging from Easter eggs, toy packaging, packs of batteries etc

The following plastic films are accepted and will be recycled when markets are available:

General

• thin plastic peel-off lids of all types
• plastic wrappers from kitchen towel, toilet roll, nappy pack, cotton wool, magazines (except compostable plastic)
• plastic fruit and veg bags and wrappers

Bags

• Ordinary carrier bags
• Bread bags
• Multipack crisps outer bags
• Bags from:
  • Cereal and porridge
  • Dried goods – dried fruit, pasta, rice, sugar, pulses, etc
  • Frozen foods and ice cubes
  • Grated cheese

Wrappers and Film

• Cling film
• Pizza wrapping film
• Bread product wrappers:
  • Croissants
  • Pancakes
  • Naan bread
  • Pitta bread
  • Fresh pasta
• Wrappers or packets from:
  • Cheese, pastry, cakes
  • baby wipes, etc
• Flower wrapping (cellophane)

Due to market fluctuations it is not always possible to find recycling outlets for plastic films collected in the purple bins. Under these circumstances they will be used to generate energy instead.

Alternative options

Very dirty items and those with food left inside should either be cleaned before recycling or put in the black bin.

Some examples of plastic packaging that can not be recycled in the blue bin include:

• CD and DVD cases
• shiny metallic plastic pouches from pet food, coffee or drinks (can be taken to participating Co-Op stores)
• crisp packets with a shiny foil coating on the inside (can be taken to participating Co-Op stores)
• polystyrene foam cartons, for example, from takeaways
• moulded, protective polystyrene - for example, from a new TV
• foam or sponge packaging, for example from a new computer
• multi-material wrappers, a mix of paper and plastic or paper and foil, for example some cheese wrappers or peel off lids on coffee jars.

Smaller plastic plant pots (smaller than about the size of an A3 piece of paper) which are not black can be recycled via your purple bin if they are clean. Rinse off soil or compost.

Alternative options

Very dirty pots and all black pots are not recyclable, please put in your black bin.

Unfortunately, recycling sorting equipment cannot detect the colour black and therefore black plastic items can not be recycled. This is an issue across the UK and work is being done to find a solution to reduce black plastic recyclability issues.

If you can't get to a Household Recycling Centre, you can put it in your black bin. They can not be recycled in your blue bin.

Some retailers are moving away from polystyrene meat trays, so try to seek out recyclable plastic trays where possible. If not, polystyrene trays should go in the black bin.

Please put polystyrene in your black bin. Bag any broken pieces to avoid them blowing out when the bin is emptied and causing litter.

Black bin items go through a mechanical and biological sorting process before going to landfill. Find out more on RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page.

Due to their sticky strip Post-It notes tend to get stuck onto other items and sorted incorrectly. Their size also makes them difficult to sort, and they usually end up contaminating the sorted glass. Please put them in the black bin.

All medical waste and disposable PPE (such as face masks and gloves) should be disposed of using your black bin, or a litter bin if outside. If there are no litter bins outside, take the waste home.

If you are suffering from Coronavirus symptoms, any medical waste and PPE should be bagged separately and left for 72 hours (3 days) before going into your black bin.

Protective foam or sponge packing materials, such as those used to protect electronic goods in transit, can not be recycled in your household collections. Please put these in your black bin.

If the materials have been marked as recyclable you may wish to contact the retailer and ask if they provide a scheme for recycling these, since they will not be recyclable in any council schemes in the UK.

Even if made from a material that is technically recyclable, these are too small to be sorted correctly by machinery for recycling.

We don't recommend using the codes marked on plastic items to decide whether they can be recycled in your kerbside collections. This is because the same type of plastic can be made into very different items with different thicknesses, some that we can recycle and some that we can't. For example, Polyvinyl Chloride, (PVC) can be used to make shower curtains, which are not accepted for recycling in the blue bin, as well as shampoo bottles which are.

Most common PVC items are not recyclable in your blue bin, for example:

• Clothing
• Disposable gloves
• Music records
• Signage, stickers and tapes
• Pipes

Look up a description of your item rather than the plastic code to see if it is recyclable, e.g. 'shampoo bottle'.

Find out more on our Plastic Recycling page.

Broken Pyrex should never be put in a recycling bin or bank with other glass. It has a very high melting point, and will cause other glass that is with it to be wasted and result in problems for the glass recycling facility.

Wrap in paper or tissue, bag with other waste and put in your black bin.

Due to their size, receipts are difficult to sort correctly and often end up contaminating the sorted glass. 

Some thermal receipts also contain BPA plastic which is associated with health risks, and therefore should not be used in recycled paper products.

If your pads or cup have come to the end of their life, they need to be disposed of in the black bin.

Black bin items go through a mechanical and biological sorting process before going to landfill. Find out more on RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page.

Cardboard type binders (not plastic-covered) can be dismantled by removing the metal rings. The cardboard part can then be put in the blue bin. The metal part can be taken with other scrap metals to a Household Recycling Centre, or put in the black bin.

Alternative options

Plastic or plastic-coated binders not suitable for re-use should be put in the black bin. Plastic or plastic-coated binders not suitable for re-use should be put in the black bin.

Sandwich boxes can be recycled along with other cardboard packaging. Just remember to make sure that they are empty of food first. The plastic versions can also be recycled.

Some boxes are designed so that the plastic lining and window can be removed before recycling. If it’s easy to remove it then you can do so. These should be put in your black bin.

Alternative options

If your sandwich packet has a lot of mayonnaise or other food stuck on it, please put it in your black bin.

Wrap sharp items in newspaper in a separate bag before adding to your bagged general waste in your black bin.

Wrap sharp items in newspaper in a separate bag before adding to your bagged general waste in your black bin.

Alternative options

Dispose of tubes which contain old sealant in your black bin. They cannot be recycled with the sealant inside.

Wrap sharp items in newspaper in a separate bag before adding to your bagged general waste in your black bin.

Alternative options

Dispose of tubes which contain old sealant in your black bin. They cannot be recycled with the sealant inside.

Although not recyclable itself, small amounts of sellotape do not need to be removed from paper or boxes before putting them in the blue bin. 

Whole rolls of un-useable sellotape should be put in the black bin.

Shells are made of the mineral calcium carbonate. They are inorganic and will not compost, so should not be put in the green bin.

These can’t be recycled in your purple bin, so if you can’t drop them off at a collection point please put them in your black bin.

Tubes from cosmetics or toothpaste which do not have a metal lining inside can be put in your purple bin for recycling, with the lid on. You'll need to cut the tube open to check for metal lining, and to rinse the product out of it as it needs to be clean for recycling.

Alternative options

If you can't take tubes with a metal lining to a Boots store for recycling, they need to go in your black bin.

Tea and coffee packets are usually made from metallised plastic, and can not be recycled. You can do the scrunch test - foil will not spring back when scrunched, but plastic will.

Thin aluminum cases from tealights, which do not have any wax remaining in them, can be put in your blue bin for recycling.

Alternative options

Tealight cases still containing candles or wax should be put in your black bin. 

Black bin items go through a mechanical and biological sorting process before going to landfill. Find out more on RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page.

Dirty, oily or wet towels can not be re-used or recycled.

Black bin items go through a mechanical and biological sorting process before going to landfill. Find out more on RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page.

Small pieces of treated wood (for example, parts of varnished or stained furniture) can be put in your black bin. 

We don't recommend using the codes marked on plastic items to decide whether they can be recycled in your kerbside collections. This is because the same type of plastic can be made into items with different properties, some that we can recycle and some that we can't.

This is particularly true for items marked with a 7. This covers a wide range of different plastics which just aren't one of the six most common types used for packaging. For example acrylic, nylon or fibreglass. 'Other' plastic items are very unlikely to be recyclable except in specialist schemes.

Look up a description of your item rather than the plastic code to see if it is recyclable, for example, 'yoghurt pot'.

Find out more on our Plastic Recycling page.

Black bin items go through a mechanical and biological sorting process before going to landfill. Find out more on RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page. 

Broken glass or ceramic vases can not be recycled (the glass may be a different type from container glass).

Video and audio cassettes, CDs, DVDs and minidisks are not recyclable in your kerbside collections. If you can not find an alternative use for them they must be disposed of in your black bin or at a Household Recycling Centre.

Vinyl records can not be recycled. If broken, put in your black bin.

Wallpaper not suitable for reuse should be put in the black bin.

Black bin items go through a mechanical and biological sorting process before going to landfill. Find out more on RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page.

Black bin items go through a mechanical and biological sorting process before going to landfill. Find out more on RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page.

Usually what we would think of as waxed paper is actually paper with a thin layer of plastic or cellophane. These kinds of papers which are mixed with other materials can not be recycled or composted and should be put in your black bin with general rubbish.

Most wet wipes contain a mix of paper and plastic fibres so are not recyclable, compostable or flushable (even the vast majority of those which are marked 'flushable' - this just means they will not block your toilet).

Compostable wipes made of viscose or compostable plastics are not accepted in the green bin, as they may not break down quickly enough for our fast composting process, and can also not be differentiated from other wipes. You should also not put any wipes with human waste on them in an ordinary home compost bin. 

Black bin items go through a mechanical and biological sorting process before going to landfill, so any parts which are compostable will have the chance to decompose.

Wool insulation (or from jumpers) is not suitable for the green bin. This is partly because these kind of fibres can jam the shredding machinery used before composting, and also that wool can take several months to break down. The process used for green bin material takes 6-8 weeks.

If clothes are soiled or wet, please place them in your black bin.

Do the scrunch test - if your wrapping paper springs back rather than staying scrunched, it is probably made of metallised plastic, and can not be recycled.

Heavily glittered paper should also not be recycled as the plastic glitter and glue cause problems with the recycling process.

If the paper stays scrunched, and isn't glittery, it can be recycled in your purple bin.

Alternative options

Metallic, glittery or plastic gift-wrap that you cannot re-use needs to be placed in your black bin as it can not be recycled.

Black bin items go through a mechanical and biological sorting process before going to landfill. Find out more on RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page.

Allow to completely cool and then bag it in a paper bag and put in your green bin. It must be bagged or it will blow out when the bin is emptied, and can cause eye injuries for our bin collectors.

Ash from a mixture of wood and briquettes or coal should be put in the black bin.

You can put sugar cane fibre disposable plates, bowls etc in your green bin to be composted. 

Please note that this applies only to items which look like compressed paper or cardboard, not any which resemble plastic.

Please place your bamboo or wooden BBQ skewers into the green bin.

All cooked and uncooked food waste can go in the green bin.

You can put things straight into the green bin. You can wrap food waste in newspaper or put it in a paper bag. Please do not use biodegradable 'plastic' or corn starch bags. These do not break down quickly enough and result in extra processing costs. Your bin could also be refused collection. More information on how the compost is made can be found on RECAP’s website. 

You can put things straight into the green bin. You can wrap food waste in newspaper or put it in a paper bag. Please do not use biodegradable 'plastic' or corn starch bags. These do not break down quickly enough and result in extra processing costs. Your bin could also be refused collection. More information on how the compost is made can be found on RECAP’s website. 

Cut up and put pieces in the bin with the lid fully closed.

Paper coffee filters and coffee grounds can be put in your green bin. 

You can put things straight into the green bin. You can wrap food waste in newspaper or put it in a paper bag. Please do not use biodegradable 'plastic' or corn starch bags. These do not break down quickly enough and result in extra processing costs. Your bin could also be refused collection. More information on how the compost is made can be found on RECAP’s website.

You can put things straight into the green bin. You can wrap food waste in newspaper or put it in a paper bag. Please do not biodegradable 'plastic' or corn starch bags. These do not break down quickly enough and result in extra processing costs. Your bin could also be refused collection. More information on how the compost is made can be found on RECAP’s website.

Plastic coffee pods or capsules are not recyclable in your purple bin. This is partly due to their size - small plastic items easily drop out of the sorting equipment used.

To recycle foil capsules would require removing all of the coffee, rinsing and saving them up with other foil until you can make a tennis ball-sized ball, so in practice they are not readily recyclable.

Compostable plastic, bio-plastic or PLA capsules should not be put in either your purple or green bin, and can only be disposed of in the black bin. These do not break down quickly enough for the composting process we use.

Alternative options

There are now some brands which offer compostable coffee capsules:

• Those made from 'bagasse' sugar-cane fibre or wood pulp can be accepted in the green bin e.g. Halo
• Those made from bio-plastic or PLA can not be put in the green bin.

All food waste, including cooked, raw, dairy, meat and bones can be put in your green bin.

You can put things straight into the green bin. You can wrap food waste in newspaper or put it in a paper bag. Please do not use biodegradable 'plastic' or corn starch bags. These do not break down quickly enough and result in extra processing costs. Your bin could also be refused collection. More information on how the compost is made can be found on RECAP’s website.

You can put real corks straight into the green bin.

You can put things straight into the green bin. You can wrap food waste in newspaper or put it in a paper bag. Please do not use biodegradable 'plastic' or corn starch bags. These do not break down quickly enough and result in extra processing costs. Your bin could also be refused collection. More information on how the compost is made can be found on RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page.

Avoid pouring down the drain – it can cause blockages and problems for wastewater treatment facilities. Find out more on Anglian Water's website. Allow fat to solidify and put in your green bin. You can buy devices called ‘fat traps’ to help with this, which are small biodegradable pads made from coconut fibre. You use them to soak up fat, which then solidifies, and the pad can be put in your green bin. 

All cooked and uncooked food waste, including fish, meat and bones can be put in your green bin.

You can put things straight into the green bin. You can wrap food waste in newspaper or put it in a paper bag. Please do not use biodegradable 'plastic' or corn starch bags. These do not break down quickly enough and result in extra processing costs. Your bin could also be refused collection. More information on how the soil improver is made can be found on RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page.

We waste more food than we think. In UK households we waste 6.5 million tonnes of food every year, 4.5 million of which is edible (i.e. not onion skins, egg shells etc).

• Check your cupboards and fridge, plan meals and make a list before you shop 
• Hit pause on produce by freezing it before (or on) its use-by date 
• Get creative in the kitchen to use up food which would otherwise be wasted – find recipes online 
• Turn your fridge temperature down to below 5°C – keeping foods like milk fresher for longer 
• Check out all the tips and advice at Love Food Hate Waste

Fruit pits or stones can be added to a home compost bin, but they take an extremely long time to break down. Those put into the green bin will go through a shredder and high temperature process giving them a better chance, and will continue to break down slowly when the compost is in use.

More information on how the soil improver is made from your garden and food waste can be found on RECAP’s website.

You can put things straight into the green bin. You can wrap food waste in newspaper or put it in a paper bag. Please do not use BioBags or corn starch bags. These do not break down quickly enough and reduce the quality of the compost made. Your bin could also be refused collection. More information on how the compost is made can be found on RECAP’s website.

All cooked and uncooked food waste can go in your green bin.

You can put things straight into the green bin. You can wrap food waste in newspaper or put it in a paper bag. Please do not biodegradable 'plastic' or corn starch bags. These do not break down quickly enough and result in extra processing costs. Your bin could also be refused collection. More information on how the compost is made can be found on RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page.

You can put things straight into the green bin. You can wrap food waste in newspaper or put it in a paper bag. Please do not biodegradable 'plastic' or corn starch bags. These do not break down quickly enough and result in extra processing costs. Your bin could also be refused collection. More information on how the compost is made can be found on RECAP’s website. You can find out your bin collection days on our bin collection day page.

Nutshells can be put in a home compost bin, but they take an extremely long time to break down. When added to the green bin they pass through a shredder and a high temperature process, giving them a better chance. They will also continue to slowly break down while the compost is in use.

Paper towels or kitchen roll (but not wet wipes) can be put in your green bin. Please do not put them in your blue bin as the paper is low quality and not suitable for recycling, as well as usually being wet or dirty.

It's important that cardboard for recycling is fairly clean and dry. Remove any food, and tear off any parts which look greasy (the greasy cardboard can be put in your green bin for composting).

Alternative options

Please put any cheesy or greasy parts of your pizza box in your green bin.

If you do not have a green bin and your pizza box has a lot of grease or food on it, it's best to put it in your black bin rather than your purple bin.

Soiled sawdust or wood shavings from rabbit/guinea pig/hamster/gerbil cages can be put in your green bin. If you have large amounts please put in a paper bag, as the sawdust can blow out over the bin collectors when emptying the bin.

You can put things straight into the green bin. You can wrap food waste in newspaper or put it in a paper bag. Please do not use BioBags or corn starch bags. These do not break down quickly enough and reduce the quality of the compost made. Your bin could also be refused collection. More information on how the compost is made can be found on RECAP’s website.

Before putting your tissue paper in the green bin please make sure that any sellotape has been removed.

Tissues are not suitable for recycling. Even if they were clean, the paper is too low-quality with fibres too short to be made into new paper. Tissues can go into your green bin to be composted.

You can put things straight into the green bin. You can wrap food waste in newspaper or put it in a paper bag. Please do not use biodegradable 'plastic' or corn starch bags. These do not break down quickly enough and result in extra processing costs. Your bin could also be refused collection. More information on how the compost is made can be found on RECAP’s website. 

Once you have used your turkey carcass to make stock, broth or gravy, it can go in your green bin to be composted. Bones are mostly made of the protein collagen, so they are organic and will break down when shredded and composted at high temperatures.

Branches and pieces of bark up to the thickness of a broom handle can be accepted in the green bin. Larger pieces can be added if they are split first.

Sawn timber is not suitable for composting as it may have been pressure treated or contain nails.

All weeds except the particularly pernicious Japanese Knotweed and Hemlock can be safely put in your green bin. The high temperatures the compost reaches during the municipal composting process will kill off any seeds.