Brown bins (recycling)
Recycling that contains contaminants will not be collected by the collection crews until the contaminants have been removed.
Recycling from Leicestershire (except North West Leicestershire, which is sorted at their depot in Coalville), goes to Casepak, a Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) in Leicester. Materials are sorted into the different material categories using state-of-the-art equipment and machinery before being baled and sent on to processers for recycling.
How to present your recycling
- Empty, rinse and dry all bottles, jars and containers and place lids back on
- Flatten cardboard* and cartons – keep it dry
- Remove any polystyrene or sticky tape from cardboard boxes
- Place lids back on all bottles, jars and cartons
- Items should go in loose
- All packaging should be empty
*Large pieces of neatly flattened cardboard can be left by the side of your recycling bin. For further information, please visit the Lesswaste website (see link below).
- Glass (No flat glass/mirrors/drinking glasses)
- Aerosol cans from the kitchen and bathroom (These must be empty. Please avoid aerosols from the garage or shed that contain hazardous materials such as WD40 or spray paint.)
- Aluminium foil and foil trays (These must be clean)
- Plastic bottles, pots, tubs, trays and punnets (Any colour except black)
- Plastic bags (not black) such as carrier bags, bread bags, salad and vegetable bags
- Plastic film, such as bubble wrap, cling film and cellophane (These must be clean)
- Cardboard including egg boxes, toilet roll, and kitchen roll middles (Please flatten boxes and remove any polystyrene or sticky tape)
- Other cardboard, such as cereal boxes and card from ready meals
- Files and folders without metal components
- Greeting cards (No glitter, fabric or embellishments)
- Cartons/tetra packs
- Food and drink cartons, such as milk, soups
- Paper - Newspapers, magazines, leaflets, catalogues, directories and envelopes
- Wrapping paper (Plain paper only. No glitter, fabric or embellishments.)
- Shredded paper (Place inside an open topped box such as a cereal box or paper bag. Only shred the part of the document that contains personal information.)
- Softback books and hardback books – ideally donate for reuse where possible
- Black plastic
- Food waste
- Nappies
- Polystyrene
- Green waste
- Toys - most charity shops accept usable old toys
- CDs and DVDs - most charity shops accept old DVDs and CDs that still work
- Liquid filled bottles (Please empty, rinse and dry bottles before placing in the bin)
- Wood
- Ceramics
- Ornaments
- Large electrical or electronic equipment (Any equipment that is too big to fit in a standard size carrier bag cannot be left by your bin)
- Certain types of paper - kitchen paper/tissues, photographs, wallpaper and tissue paper
- Certain metals - metal tubes (such as tomato puree), paint tins and cooking oil tins
- Crisp tubes (such as Pringles)
- Trigger sprays or pump action lids from household sprays and soaps
- Crisp packets or other metallised plastic wrappers (for example, from sweets; chocolates; biscuits; tea bags)
- Metallised food and drink pouches, such as from pet food or soft drinks
- Plastic plant pots or seed trays of any colour
- Medical blister packs (such as paracetamol packs)
- Paint tins
Small electrical items
Residents are now able to recycle small electrical items. These include:
You can now place small electrical items with your waste and recycle collection, so they can be recycled. These include:
- Irons, toasters, blenders and other kitchen appliances
- Power tools
- Smoke detectors and thermostats
- Hairdryers, clippers and shavers, electric toothbrushes, straighteners and curling tongs
- Radios, CD/MP3 players and speakers
- Alarm clocks, calculators, clocks and torches
- DVD and video players, game consoles and remote controls
- Mobile phones, cameras and chargers
- Hard drives and computer components
- Small electrical toys
- Household, mobile phone and laptop batteries
Place items in a standard size carrier bag. Do not mix electrical items, textiles and batteries, please place them in separate bags. Place the bags at the side of your bin, not in it, on the day of your collection. Please note that collection is limited to 3 standard size carrier bags at any one time.
We will not collect:
- low energy light bulbs
- TVs, laptops and computer monitors
- anything too big to fit inside a standard size carrier bag
Textiles
You can now place recycled textiles with your waste and recycle collection. These include:
- All kinds of clothing
- curtains
- bed sheets
- blankets
- towels.
Items don't need to be in good condition as they will be recycled into something else.
Place items in a standard size carrier bag. Do not mix electrical items and textiles, please place them in separate bags. Place the bags at the side of your bin, not in it, on the day of your collection. Please note that collection is limited to 3 standard size carrier bags at any one time.
We will not collect:
- Duvets
- pillows
- cushions
- shoes
- rugs
- carpet
Batteries
Residents are now able to recycle small household batteries, such as AA or AAA.
It's important when recycling batteries that you only use dedicated recycling points. Batteries should always be placed in an appropriate designated battery container and must not be put in any general waste bin or mixed with other waste, as they contain toxic and corrosive materials and can cause fires.
Batteries can be recycled:
- At your local recycling and household waste site
- At some supermarkets
- With your waste or recycling collections. Please place batteries in a small carrier bag at the side of you bin, not in it, on the day of your collection. Do not mix with electrical items and textiles, please place them in separate bags. Please note that collection is limited to 1 small carrier bags at any one time.
Alternatively, try to reduce what you use:
- Rechargeable batteries reduce waste and save money in the long term
- If possible use mains electricity
Mobile phones
If you have a mobile phone you would like to recycle, please visit Envirofone (see link below).