What goes in your green boxes
We provide 2 green boxes for you to sort and separate your recycling.
All items must be empty, rinsed and not contaminated with food. Fabric items must be clean and dry, otherwise it is not possible to recycle them.
If you are struggling to fit everything in you can order another box free of charge and separate out different types of items further.
Items not listed below will not be collected. Read about what we can’t collect and why.
Recycling box 1
What you can put in
- plastic bottles, tubs and trays*
- tins, cans and aerosols
- aluminium foil
- cardboard and brown paper packaging
- cartons (also known as Tetra Paks)
*No black plastic or bioplastic
Squash plastics and cans. Keep them separate in the box from cardboard and cartons.
Recycling box 2
What you can put in
- glass bottles and jars
- newspapers and magazines
- paper
- shredded paper*
- batteries*
- vapes*
- clothes and textiles*
- paired shoes*
- towels, sheets and blankets*
- small electrical items known as Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)
*Use plastic bags to separate these items.
Keep glass bottles and jars separate in the box from newspapers, magazines and paper.
Check a specific item
To check how to dispose of a specific item not listed above use the look-up tool on the Recycle Now website.
Soft plastics
There is currently a household collection trial underway in some areas for soft plastics such as carrier bags, bread bags, food wrappings. These should be bagged and placed in box 1, but only if you are on the trial. It is not possible to request to join the trial.
Why we ask you to separate different items
Our collection vehicles have separate compartments for different items. The collection crews can put things in the right compartment quicker when your recycling is sorted first.
This means fewer items need to be sent for mechanical sorting which saves money and carbon emissions.