How Does Your Council Do Recycling?

[ToraToraTora]

https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/2034677/new-recycling-rules-every-home-england-set-introduced?int_source=nba

They're about to make us worse by the sound of it. We have 2 bins, big one for all the recyclable stuff and a small one for everything else. They are talking about at least 5 bins.

[calmck]

We take ours to the nearest collection of containers. 
Blue for paper and card. Green for general household waste. Brown for glass and yellow for plastic and tins. Containers emptied every other day. All containers are comunal 

[ToraToraTora]

it seems like mine has the least complex system.

 

[bednobs]

tbh, its not complex, even my pre-teen has been doing it since she was aboout six

[Buenchico]

We currently have just two bins, collected on alternate weeks.  The green one is for anything recyclable (but not glass).  The black one is for everything else.  (People with garden waste can choose to pay to have a brown bin as well).

As of next April, we'll be switching to this system:
https://www.midsuffolk.gov.uk/documents/d/asset-library-54706/example-waste-collection-schedule-2026

[pastafreak]

As i live in a flat/maisonette...very little. There is a separate covered bin for us to put recycling into...that's everything. No separation. There is a tiny opening so overly large, folded and flattened boxes do not fit. I've almost given up trying to get anything in it...I'm ashamed to say. The council is starting food waste collections...next year. I'm wondering how it will work for flat dwellers. I'm not getting my hopes up.

From what I've seen, house owners have just 2 bins, so I assume no separation of recycling waste for them either.

[DDIL]

Not complext at all we keep a large bag utility room and a couple of times a week we sort the recycling out ready for collection each week.

What little food waste we have goes out when the little caddy in the kitchen is full.

[Jellybean30]

Green bin for general waste, grey for paper/cardboard and blue for plastic/cans.  These are emptied every 4 weeks.  Then there is the grey kerbside recycling caddy for food waste which is emptied weekly plus a smaller grey food caddy I keep in the kitchen before transferring the contents to the kerbside bin.  And finally, a brown bin for garden waste which is emptied every 3 weeks for nine months of the year which you need a permit for at a cost of £50 for 2025/26.

 

We used to have a blue crate for glass and a bag for small electrical items but these was done away with years ago.  I go to my local recycling centre (approx. 5 miles away) with glass, wood, batteries and electrical items.

 

[dave50]

Who has enough food waste to fill a bin? People must waste a lot of perfectly edible food, probably because they slavishly follow use by dates. Our food waste is negligible. 

[davebro3]

The food waste bins are quite small & not issued to flats (here). Probly due to the smell risk.

[New Judge]

"Any council that doesn't already have separate food waste collection is way behind the times.."

My LA provided me with a food waste bin a few years ago. It's just the right size to keep potting compost in my greehbouse - fits under the staging nicely.

I've never put any food waste in it because I've never had any waste food. Why would I buy food that I'm not going to eat?

[barry1010]

NJ, what do you do with meat bones, poultry carcasses, fishy bits?

[New Judge]

"NJ, what do you do with meat bones, poultry carcasses, fishy bits?"

All of that stuff gets crushed up and put in my garden compost, barry. Don't have much in the way of meat bones or carcasses. Might have a lamb shank now and then but rarely buy whole birds.

[barry1010]

We've got a hot composter that deals with most bones, we hammer large bones to help them along

[cashier]

Similar to drmorgans.

[William51]

In West Norfolk we have three bins. Recycling, General Waste and Food waste. It works well, lets hope we are not having more change.

[vulcan42]

At the moment we have a very good system, black bin for non recycle, blue for all recycle and brown for garden and food waste, all free, emptied fortnightly.

Unfortunately they are talking about two extra bins  and we sort the recyclable between three bins.