Amber warning tags
From 11 September 2023 blue bins that have a low quantity of the wrong material in them, will receive an Oops! (amber) tag, but will be emptied.
If your bin (blue or burgundy) contains the wrong or unsafe material, the collection crew will put a red tag on your bin and your bin will not be emptied.
Our Contamination in bins page has more information.
Your blue bin is collected every 4 weeks from the kerbside (or the agreed collection point) and should be presented by 6:30am on the morning of your collection day.
You can recycle the following in your blue bin:
Right stuff, right bin!
Don't get caught out by wishcycling. Wishcycling is unintentionally putting the wrong thing in the blue bin.
What you can recycle in the blue bin
Plastic (rinsed and squashed)
- Food trays
- Drinks bottles
- Milk bottles
- Tablet and medicine bottles
- Yoghurt pots
- Sauce bottles
- Shampoo bottles
- Hand wash bottles
- Plastic lids and bottle tops
- Tubs
- Cleaning products
- Lids and tops
Cans (emptied and rinsed)
- Drinks cans
- Food tins
- Chocolate and biscuit tins
- Empty aerosol cans
- Aluminium foil
- Foil trays
- Metal lids
Cartons (rinsed and squashed)
- Soup cartons
- Juice cartons
- Other cartons
Top tips on using your blue bin
- All materials should be loose, clean, empty and dry (not bagged)
- Please rinse and squash cans, tins and plastic containers
- Flatten your plastic bottles
- Remove plastic film lids and food tray liners from cartons, plastic trays and pots
- Make sure foil and foil containers are not contaminated by food waste
- Make sure aerosol cans are empty before recycling
In the interest of health and safety, please ensure that your bins are presented at the kerbside for collection without anything attached, including rope or bungee cords, as this can become entangled with our lifting equipment and is a danger to operatives.
Problems occur when recycling bins include items which they are not supposed to, this is called contamination. Putting the wrong items in the wrong bin causes recyclable material to become contaminated, and can lead to it being rejected by our re-processor.
If your blue bin contains the wrong material, we will advise you by placing a tag on the bin. The bin will not be uplifted. Any wrong material must be removed and placed in the correct bin/container. The bin can then be presented again on the next scheduled collection day.
Blue bin wishcycling
Wishcycling is unintentionally putting the wrong thing in the blue bin.
The following items are often wishcycled and should not be put in the blue bin:
Soft plastics and film
Why not?
- Not widely recycled and needs specialist recycling
What to do
- Take to a supermarket or other collection point
Foil pouches, sweet wrappers and crisp packets
Why not?
- Made of metallicised plastic which is not recyclable
What to do
Dirty takeaway containers and drinks cups
Why not?
- Food residue make them unrecyclable
- Polystyrene takeaway trays cannot be recycled
What to do
Hard plastics eg plastic toys
Why not?
- Comprised of hard and moulded plastics that need to be separated
What to do
- Donate for reuse or dispose in the green bin - if too large, take to a recycling centre
Packaging eg polystyrene, bubble wrap and polythene packaging
Why not?
- Not widely recycled and needs specialist recycling
What to do
Metals, cookware and kitchen items eg cutlery
Please DO NOT PUT the following materials in your blue bin:
If you are not sure if a material can be placed in your blue bin, please contact us:
If your blue bin contains the wrong material, we will advise you by placing a sticker on the bin. The bin will not be uplifted. Any wrong material must be removed and placed in the correct bin/container. The bin can then be presented again on the next scheduled collection day.