What goes in your recycling bin

Quality of recycling

When your recycling is collected, it is important that your bin only contains acceptable items. If unacceptable items are found in the bin when it arrives at the Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) for sorting, this may result in a days load being rejected. Any rejected load is then sent to landfill and the council will face additional costs exceeding £500.

To date, residents of Mid Suffolk have been producing a high quality and quantity of recycling, with few rejections since the scheme began. Residents are currently recycling over 40% of their waste, enabling the MSDC to exceed government targets!

What can and cannot go into the recycling bin?


Yes please... No thank you...
Aluminium cans / foil
Brochures
Cardboard packaging, i.e. cereal boxes, etc. (large cardboard boxes should be folded flat and left beside your recycling bin)
Catalogues / magazines
Clean plastic bottles, including shampoo bottles and plastic milk bottles (lids removed)
Directories (including Yellow Pages)
Egg boxes (plastic only)
Envelopes
Greeting cards
Hardback books with covers removed
Junk mail
Newspaper
Office paper (including photocopier paper)
Plastic food containers and plastic punnets
Softback books
Steel (cans only)
Wrapping paper
Recycling materials are part-sorted by hand, and therefore for safety reasons glass, sharp metals and other materials dangerous to health need to be kept out of the recycling bin, which includes:

Aerosol cans
Animal waste
Batteries - car and alkali batteries can be taken to HWRCs
Blood contaminated items
CDs, DVDs / video tapes
Cigarette packets, cigarette ends or ash
Carrier bags or plastic wrapping
Coat hangers, wire and string
Crisp packets, foil or plastic
Egg boxes (cardboard and polystyrene)
Electrical goods
Garden waste – this can be taken to local Household Waste & Recycling sites (HWRCs) or authorised bags can be purchased
Glass, crockery or pottery - glass can be taken to local glass banks and crockery/pottery will have to be disposed of in the refuse bin, if not reused elsewhere.
Hard plastic (toys, furniture, flower pots)
Kitchen waste - kitchen waste should be put in the black rubbish bin or composted
Knives, needles, sharp metals
Laminated paper / photos
Liquid waste of any kind - engine oil can be disposed of at HWRCs
Medical / clinical waste
Paint tins, oil containers, car parts or similar – see Hazardous Waste Removal
Polystyrene packaging (meat trays, etc.)
Pots and pans
Rubber
Sanitary waste / disposable nappies
Sand and building materials
Shredded paper
Tetrapak (milk and juice cartons) - there are plans to put Tetrapak carton banks at supermarkets and other sites, until Tetrapak recycling comes to your area you may post Tetrapaks to:-
Tetra Pak c/o, Perrys Recycling, Showground Road, Bridgwater, Somerset TA6 6AJ
Textiles or clothes - please take to local textile banks or charity shops
Tissues and kitchen towel
Vacuum cleaner contents
Wood

Do……….

  • Place recycling loose within the bin.
  • Wash and squash your recycling.
  • Place the right items in your green recycling bin, otherwise it may be rejected.
  • Place the bin out for collection by 7am on the day of collection.
  • Place your bin at the edge of your property boundary for collection.
  • Check your collection calendar to make sure you put the right bin out.
  • Place your bin out with the lid firmly closed and don’t overfill it.

*Please note: It is an offence under Highway Legislation to leave your wheeled bin on the pavement throughout the week. Please ensure it is put back on your property as soon as possible after collection. Persistent offences will lead to collection methods being reviewed.