Residents have a responsibility to dispose of waste correctly.

When too many non-recyclable or unclean items are placed in the recycling, it cannot be sorted and the entire load is sent to the energy from waste plant for incineration, rather than being sorted and sent for reprocessing into new materials and products. This process is more harmful to the environment and is an additional cost to local taxpayers.

For this reason, if you put incorrect items in your recycling bin or recycling sacks, the waste will not be taken and you will receive a letter telling you what to do.

If your recycling bin is contaminated, we will not collect it until your next collection day,

What to do if you receive a letter

If your bin is not collected, you can check the reason by visiting our missed bins page.

If your bin was missed because it was contaminated, you will receive a letter on the first occasion to tell you which items you will need to remove from your recycling bin or clear sacks before your next scheduled collection date. If necessary, please use cardboard boxes to store your excess recycling until the next collection.

If you live in a property with communal recycling bins, the managing agent of the building will be required to remove contamination from the recycling bins themselves. If you present a contaminated recycling bin or sack for a second time within a 6 month period, an officer may visit your property to assist you in understanding how to recycle correctly.

If further instances of contamination occur within a 6 month period and all reasonable steps have been taken to inform residents at the property about correct recycling, your recycling bin will be removed. We do not want to do this as we want to help people to do the right thing and maximise the collection of recyclable material, which is good for the environment.