How to use your recycling bins or boxes

What to put into your recycling bins or boxes, what waste should be kept separate and where to put your box for collection.

What goes in your black recycling bin and boxes

If you live in a residential area outside the city centre, you are likely to have recycling collected through our black bin or box collection service.

Please put the following items into your recycling bin or boxes, they can be mixed together:

  • tins and cans - empty and washed, with lids inside 
  • aerosols - empty with lids removed
  • cardboard - flattened and folded so that it fits into the box
  • paper - including magazines and windowed envelopes
  • plastic bottles - washed and squashed, with lids put back on

Items that you need to separate

Please keep glass items like bottles and jars in a black box together, washed, with metal lids back on. Plastic lids should be placed in your household rubbish.

Some items can't be collected by our black bin or box recycling service.

If you have electrical items, clothes and other non-household or garden waste, you’ll need to:

Batteries can be recycled at battery recycling points listed on Recycle Now's website.

Where to put your black recycling bin or boxes

To make sure we can collect your recycling, please:

  • put your black bin or boxes on or by the pavement at the front of your property - crews won't climb walls, open gates or access steps, so make sure there's nothing in the way
  • leave your bin or boxes out the night before your collection or by 6am on the day of your collection
  • remove your black bin or boxes from the pavement after collection if you can

More information

Find out how to recycle other household items in our A to Z guide to recycling.