Amber warning tags

From 11 September 2023 blue bins that have a low quantity of the wrong material in them, will receive an Oops! (amber) tag, but will be emptied.

If your bin (blue or burgundy) contains the wrong or unsafe material, the collection crew will put a red tag on your bin and your bin will not be emptied.

An amber tag will tell you what material shouldn't be in your bin - a hole will be punched next to the image of the wrong material. The bin WILL be emptied.

Amber tag - Oops you've made a mistake. We will not be able to collect your bin if it has these items in it on the next collection - food waste, packets and wrappers, nappies, glass, plastic bags, polystyrene

Should the wrong or dangerous materials (for example hypodermic needles or human excrement) be in your bin or you bin is overweight, a red tag will be placed on your bin and it will NOT be emptied.

Red tag -We could not empty your bin today. We can only empty your bin if contains the correct items and they are loose, clean, empty and dry

It is important to ensure that the right materials go in the right bin. If we get it right, it gives the best opportunity for the materials to be recycled.

If the wrong materials are mixed in, the overall quality is affected and can result in the collected materials being unsuitable for recycling and being sent to energy recovery (incineration).

We will not empty bins containing the wrong materials

Why is contamination a problem?

When a bin is contaminated it not only spoils the work of other residents who have been using the service correctly, it also costs the Council a lot of money to dispose of the non-recyclable materials. Furthermore, there is a loss of revenue for the material lost. This revenue would normally be reinvested into providing Council services.

What can I do to prevent contamination?

To find out what materials should be in your bins, please refer to the What goes in my bins? section:

Handy tips!

Small changes can make a big difference and improve the quality of material collected. It also removes the possibility of your bin not being collected.

  • Keep your bins secure – don't leave your bin on the street between collections. This reduces the opportunity for a passer-by to put something in the bin causing it to be contaminated.
  • Only put your bin out on collection day. Bins should be presented at the kerbside (or agreed collection point) for 6:30am.
  • Number your bin – this helps to identify your bin.
  • It's important to put the right stuff in the right bin and ensure that non-recyclable waste which should be in the green bin, is not put in the recycling bins.
  • Think about what is being put in your recycling bins and have consideration for our employees who need to handle and remove the contamination.

Wishcycling

Wishcycling is unintentionally putting the wrong thing in your bin.

We're all keen to recycle more of our stuff and do the right thing. However, without realising you could be unintentionally putting the wrong things in your recycling bin. This is called wishcycling and will lead to your recycling bin being contaminated and not collected.

We're encouraging residents to put the right stuff in the right bin and to follow this guide on common wishcycled items.

Common wishcycled items

To request a downloadable version of the wishcycling information, email:


Blue bin - common wishcycled items

Soft plastics and film
red plastic carrier bag

Why not?

  • Not widely recycled and needs specialist recycling

What to do

  • Take to a supermarket or other collection point
Foil pouches, sweet wrappers and crisp packets
empty crisp packet

Why not?

  • Made of metallicised plastic which is not recyclable

What to do

Dirty takeaway containers and drinks cups
Takeaway container full with food

Why not?

  • Food residue make them unrecyclable

What to do

Large plastics eg plastic toys
Yellow plastic toy duck

Why not?

  • Comprised of hard and moulded plastics that need to be separated

What to do

  • Donate for reuse or dispose in the green bin - if too large, take to a recycling centre
Packaging eg polystyrene, bubble wrap and polythene packaging
Roll of bubble wrap

Why not?

  • Not widely recycled and needs specialist recycling

What to do

Metals, cookware and kitchen items eg cutlery
Cutlery including knife, fork and 2 spoons

Why not?

  • Not easily broken down

What to do


Burgundy bin - common wishcycled items

Soft plastics and film
red plastic carrier bag

Why not?

  • Not widely recycled and needs specialist recycling

What to do

  • Take to a supermarket or other collection point
Cartons
Apple juice carton

Why not?

  • These are made from mixed materials

What to do

Dirty takeaway containers and drinks cups
Takeaway container full with food

Why not?

  • Food residue make them unrecyclable

What to do

Wallpaper
Roll of wallpaper

Why not?

  • Made of mixed materials

What to do

Padded envelopes (bubble wrap inside)
Brown padded envelope with bubble wrap lining

Why not?

  • Made of mixed materials

What to do

  • Where possible, remove the bubblewrap (put this part in the green bin) and put the paper part in the burgundy bin
Tissue, kitchen towel and napkins
White paper napkins

Why not?

  • These are often covered in food residue, making them unrecyclable

What to do

On collection day the crews carry out a visual inspection to check the bin for contamination. This inspection will look for materials which should not be in your recycling bin as well as checking the weight of the bin. We will not empty your bin if it has the wrong materials in it and if it is too heavy.

It is the householder's responsibility to remove the wrong materials and represent the bin on the next scheduled collection day. Alternatively, material can be taken to your nearest Household Waste Recycling Centre where recyclable materials can be deposited.

Should you want your bin emptied before the next scheduled collection date, there will be charge of £16.20 per bin. To arrange an uplift please call the Contact Centre.

Common items that contaminate bins

  1. Table of contents

Plastic bags

If you use plastics bags to collect your recycling materials, please tip the contents of the bag into the correct recycling bin. Afterwards either reuse it or recycle it at a local supermarket. If you are not going to recycle the emptied plastic bag, it should go in the green bin.

Contaminated blue bin

Plastic film

Plastic film and netting, such as cling film, crisp and sweet packets, biscuit wrappers, foiled lined plastics are not recyclable. All of these items should be put in your green bin.

Film in the green bin

Food containers

All plastic food container trays should be rinsed before being placed in the blue bin. Cardboard food containers such as pizza boxes should be placed in the burgundy bin. If the containers have food in them, they can't be recycled and should be placed in the green bin.

Contaminated blue bin

Food waste

All types of food waste should be placed in your food caddy, which is collected weekly.

Polystyrene

Polystyrene can't currently be recycled so please use your green bin.

Nappies

Nappies should be put in your green bin or you can request the Absorbent Hygiene Product (AHP) collection service.

Clothes

If you have any clothes or any kind of fabric that you want to recycle you can request textile bags from us that will be collected along with the black box or you can take them to one of our recycling centres or recycling points.