Paper & Cardboard
We collect your cardboard weekly for recycling. Please use your blue bag bag for your cardboard, food and drinks cartons (Tetra Paks) and brown paper only. For more information please go to Cardboard and plastics.
See below to find out exactly what to put in your green box and in your blue bag.
Green Box - paper only
- Newspapers
- Magazines
- Junk mail (remove plastics wrapping)
- Catalogues
- Directories
- White and coloured office paper and envelopes (including windows)
- White based wrapping paper and paper thin greetings cards
- Small amounts of white shredded paper (no more than 2 carrier bags at a time)
Blue Bag - cardboard, food and drinks cartons and brown paper
- Cardboard packaging
- Cereal boxes, toothpaste boxes, ready meal sleeves and so on
- Egg boxes, toilet roll tubes and so on
- Brown paper
- Food and drinks cartons (Tetra Paks)
- Can I put envelopes with windows in for recycling?
You can put envelopes in for recycling even if they have windows. You also do not need to remove any staples to recycle the paper.
- Can I put in paper with staples?
You also do not need to remove any staples to recycle the paper.
- Can I recycle shredded paper?
We can collect small amounts of shredded paper for recycling but must be careful not to overfill the vehicle. Please only put it out in small amounts at a time.
- Can I recycle drinks cartons?
Yes, please wash ansd squash and put in your blue bag with your cardboard. We also have 5 recycling banks where you can take your drinks cartons for recycling.
- Morrisons, Bath
- Tesco, Norton Radstock
- Radco car park, Norton Radstock
- Co-op, Keynsham
- Pixash Lane Recycling Centre, Keynsham
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Plastics
We recycle most household plastic packaging used to package food and drinks for recycling. This includes plastic pots, trays, tubs and bottles. For more information please go to Cardboard and plastics.
- What kinds of plastic are collected via the Green Box recycling collections?
We collect most types of household plastic packaging. By this we mean solid items used to contain food and drinks such as:
- Pots (such as yoghurt pots)
- Tubs (such as margarine and ice cream tubs),
- Trays (such as ready meal, fruit and take away trays)
- Bottles (such as milk, drinks, shampoo and washing up bottles
Please do not include black plastic, plastic flim and plastic not used for packaging as we cannot recycle these.
- How should the plastic packaging be presented?
The phrase to remember is ‘tops off, wash and squash!'
Bottles with their tops on will not compact and when the bottles are baled the bales can fall apart or even explode because of this so they can only be rceycled if you keep them loose.
Please make sure the plastic is clean, flattened and kept together. You can mix plastics with the cans because we will use a magnet to separate the cans from the plastic.
- What kinds of plastic can't be recycled?
Although we can now collect a wide range of plastic packaging, there are still some types of plastic that we cannot take for recycling. This includes:
- Black plastic (such as trays and bags)
- Plastic film (such as carrier bags, bubblewrap, clingfilm)
- Non packaging items (such as toys and plant pots)
- Plastic used to contain medical, chemical, garage or garden materials
- Polystyrene
- Dirty plastic (plastic contaminated with food)
It is not possible for us to recycle these types of plastic at this time.
- Can I recycle my plastic carrier bags?
Carrier bags can be recycled at some supermarkets, they are recycled commercially as part of those companies’ commercial waste management system. If we collected plastic bags there would be serious volume problems on the trucks as outlined above and they would be difficult for us to bale.
- What happens to the plastic packaging once it is collected?
The plastic is fed via a conveyor onto a sorting line, the cans are removed by magnets and the bottles are then baled.
Bales are sent to reprocessing companies in the UK and are made into items such as drainage pipes, waste bins, park benches, food and drinks packaging and even fleeces.
- How can I produce less plastic waste?
It is difficult to eliminate all plastic waste produced as it is part of so much packaging, but doing things like re-using carrier bags and buying produce loose (or in compostable paper bags) will help reduce this waste in the first place. Buying longer-lasting products and avoiding disposable items such as razors where possible also helps.
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GreenBox Recycling
Everything that we collect for recycling is recycled back into many different products. To find out what happens to each of the materials we collect see What happens to the green box materials?
- What day is my collection?
To find out your collection day, please go to www.bathnes.gov.uk/myarea or contact Council Connect on 01225 39 40 41, email councilconnect@bathnes.gov.uk .
- How should I put my recycling out for collection?
You can put your material out for recycling in any suitable container providing you put it at the edge of your property where it is visible and accessible by 7am on the day of collection.
We can provide large and small recycling boxes free of charge on request to help you with your recycling. we also provide blue bags specifically for recycling your cardboard.
To request a green box or blue bag, please contact Council Connect on 01225 39 40 41, or via email at councilconnect@bathnes.gov.uk
- How do I report a missed collection?
Please make sure you have put your recycling box and blue bag out at the right time and location and check whether the rest of your road has been collected. Also please check for information left in your box before calling to report it missed.
Although the time of collection is broadly the same each week, we cannot guarantee this. It is important to make sure your recycling is put out by 7am on the correct collection day.
If you need to report a missed collection, you must let us know by the end of the following working day in order for us to go back and collect it.
Any missed collections reported after this time will not be collected until your next scheduled collection.
If you need to report a missed collection or have any other problems or questions regarding your recycling service, please contact Council Connect on 01225 39 40 41 or email councilconnect@bathnes.gov.uk
- How do I request an assisted collection?
If you are not capable of moving your recycling to the edge of your property and there is no-one else living with you who can help, we can arrange an assisted collection.
You will need to complete and return an assisted collection application form in order to receive help with your recycling collections.
- What happens to the recycling collections during Bank Holidays?
Recycling collections are not affected by Bank Holidays and will continue as normal. The only exceptions are Christmas Day and Boxing Day where we publish the revised collection arrangements. For more information please go to Bank Holiday Collections.
- What can I recycle in my green box and my blue bag?
We collect twelve different items in the green box including paper, Yellow Pages, glass bottles and jars, food and drinks cans, aerosols, plastic packaging, foil, clothes and shoes, batteries, car batteries, engine oil, mobile phones, ink and toner cartridges and spectacles. We will also collect cardboard, food and drinks cartons (Tetra Paks) and brown paper in your blue bag.
You do not need to remove labels as they will be removed in the recycling process. Simply remove the lids and rinse out your cans and bottles.
Please make sure that your recycling is clean and please try to flatten the cardboard and plastic first. Please try and keep the materials separate in the recycling box. This makes the service much more efficient as the crews sort the items as they are collected. Carrier bags can be used for this, or materials can be stacked at each end of the box.
Please make sure that you don't put cardboard in your green box - use your blue bag for cardboard - please make sure that it is flattened to no more than 45cm.
For more information, please go to Recycling Collections.
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Electricaland Electronic Equipment
- How can I recycle electrical and electronic equipment?
The Council’s Recycling Centres have separate containers for recycling of this waste from households within Bath and North East Somerset.
Please ensure you separate items on site into the appropriate containers available for the following: -
- Televisions and computer monitors
- Fridges and Freezers
- Fluorescent tubes
- Mixed items – large and small household electrical appliances, electrical tools, electrical toys, leisure and consumer equipment.
The Sofa Project operates a Revamp not-for-profit WEEE collection and reuse service in the Bristol area for electrical items. Other charities may also take these goods. Look in the Yellow Pages.
These can be put in your green recycling box where they are collected by Action Aid for recycling. Alternatively many charities collect mobile phones for recycling.
These can be put in your green recycling box where they are collected by Action Aid for recycling. Please note that we cannot take used printer and toner cartridges from businesses.
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Furniture and Larger Items
If you have good quality items of furniture and household appliances that you want collecting, The SOFA Project or Genesis Furniture Trust may be able to collect them free of charge at their discretion for reuse. See Who Should I Contact? below.
Other large items can be collected by the Council who will separate them out for recycling and reuse where this is possible. There is a charge for this special bulky waste collection service.
You can also bring furniture and household appliances to the Recycling Centres, where they will be assessed and separated for possible reuse and recycling.
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Other Materials
- Why do you not recycle panes of glass?
Different types of glass are made from different ingredients and recipes that cannot be mixed. We can recycle all glass bottles and jars as they are made to the same recipe. However, we cannot take other types of glass as there are not adequate facilities for recycling them.
Yes, there are recycling bins in a range of high street stores including Robert Dyas, Argos, Cargo, Comet, Sainsbury's, Homebase, Asda, and Makro. Other major retailer collection points will be following soon.
The BRITA branded bins will be located next to the existing water filter category in store. Customers can recycle any BRITA consumer product filter cartridge, including those for the new BRITA water filter taps.
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Nappies
Each year we throw away up to 500,000 tonnes of disposable nappies, accounting for 2-3% of all domestic waste. This costs Councils up to £40 million every year to dispose of and is the equivalent in weight to 70,000 double decker buses.
By choosing to use reusable nappies, you can help to reduce the impact made by disposable nappies and can potentially make significant cost savings. There are many different types of reusable nappies to choose from and there are nappy laundry services available for those who would prefer not to wash them at home.
For further information please go to our page on Real Nappies
You can also get more detailed information about re-usable nappies including details of local suppliers by visiting the Real Nappy Campaign website.
Please note that we do not operate an incentive scheme for real nappies.
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Hazardous Waste
- What can I do with hazardous items of waste?
Hazardous materials like household or garden chemicals can be taken to the Recycling Centres where they will be disposed of safely. Some common items are now classed as hazardous such as televisions and computer monitors, fridges & freezers and fluorescent tubes and there are facilities for recycling these at the Recycling Centres. If in doubt, please see a site attendant for guidance, or contact Council Connect ahead of your visit.
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School Recycling
- How can schools get involved in recycling?
The Council offers recycling collections to all schools in Bath & North East Somerset and can also provide free compost bins.
The Waste Services team can also provide a range of activities and assemblies to help promote recycling in schools. For more information, go to School Recycling.
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Trade Waste
- As a business, how can I recycle my waste?
The Council can only collect from private households. Waste and recycling collections are not covered by business rates so businesses have to make their own arrangements for dealing with their waste. However, the Council does offer a chargeable collection service for businesses and can provide advice on other options. For further information see Commercial Waste.
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Miscellaneous
All the rubbish that you throw in your rubbish bin is dumped in landfill sites. None of this is recycled. Only the material that you separate for recycling in your green box , blue bag, garden waste wheeled bin or paper sack, or at the Recycling Centres can be recycled.
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Who Should I Contact?
For leaflets and all general enquiries, please contact Council Connect (Tel: 01225 39 40 41) (SMS: 07797 806544) councilconnect@bathnes.gov.uk
For good quality items of furniture and household appliances suitable for reuse, please contact The SOFA Project (Tel: 0117 954 3567). (info@sofaproject.org.uk) (http://www.sofaproject.org.uk/site/1.asp).
- The Genesis Furniture Project
For good quality items of furniture and household appliances suitable for reuse, please contact The Genesis Furniture Project (Tel: 01225 421111)(furniture@genesistrust.org.uk) (www.genesistrust.org.uk)
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