Blue bin (plastic, cans, glass)

The blue bin is for your plastics, cans and glass recycling. 

View information on how to order a replacement bin.

Things that should go in your blue bin:

Plastic bottles (clear and coloured) from around the home, including:

• drinks bottles - e.g. juice, squash, milk
• day-to-day cleaning product bottles - e.g. bathroom cleaners, washing up liquid, bleach
• cosmetics bottles - e.g. shampoo, shower gel
• ready to use plant food and pesticide bottles (check the label)

Plastic pots, tubs and trays:

• pots - e.g. yogurt, soup, etc
• tubs - e.g. margarine, ice cream, etc
• trays / punnets - e.g. raw/cooked meat trays; take-away trays; fruit/veg trays - remove any film lids and absorbent pads, and put these in your general rubbish.
• chocolate and biscuit tubs and trays
• plant pots

Glass and Cans:

• glass bottles and containers - including drinks bottles, condiment bottles, jars (including lids)
• steel and aluminium tins and cans 
• clean aluminium foil and foil trays
• empty aerosol cans.

If you are unsure about your plastic items, it is easy to see whether something is recyclable by checking the number stamped onto it. Anything with a number 1, 2 or 5 within the recycling triangle should go into your blue bin.

Please remember: Don't put your recycling in a black sack or carrier bag. It may be mistaken for rubbish, resulting in none of it being recycled and entire vehicle loads (tonnes) of recycling to be sent to landfill.

Things you cannot put in your blue bin:

• paper and card - these should go in your brown bin 
• plastic carrier bags - but check for recycling at grocery stores
• plastic film, wrappings, bubble wrap - but check for recycling at grocery stores
• polystyrene e.g. packaging inserts
• food
• nappies, wet wipes, tissues   
• crockery, pans, cutlery
• glass panes, pyrex glass, drinking glass
• waxed food and drink cartons.
• crisp and sweet packets/wrappers
• film lids from the pots or trays
• laminated pouches - e.g. cat food/coffee pouches that spring back when you try and scrunch them
• plastic toys
• medicine packs
• toothpaste tubes

'Flexible' plastics:

Clean, used plastic bags and wrapping (like crisp packets, bread bags and salad bags) can be recycled at participating supermarkets.

Remember to:

• Keep them clean to help to avoid contamination
• Add a reminder to take them back on your shopping list 
• Store them with your re-usable shopping bags so they're ready to take back next time you shop