Please help us to recycle as much as possible into the right bins - contaminated bins cost money.
See our tips for safe storage of waste before collection and help protect our collection crew.
Battery Recycling
Batteries are often found in products like laptops, tablets, mobile phones, radio-controlled toys, Bluetooth devices, shavers, electric toothbrushes, power tools, scooters, kid’s plastic toys, remotes controls, and even e-cigarettes etc.
- The research suggests that at least 25% of the UK population appear to be binning batteries, and nearly a third (29%) of those people who dispose of electrical items have put at least one of them in a household bin or the wrong recycling container in the past year
- Many people are unaware that there are embedded batteries in some electrical waste and the electrical items most commonly disposed of within the last year are electric toothbrushes (39% of respondents), device charger/powerbank (24%) and shavers/trimmers (22%). Other items commonly disposed of included electric toys, power tools, e-cigarettes and Bluetooth earbuds
- Of the people who throw batteries in the bin, most say they don’t know what to do with them, and only 10% of those that bin batteries are aware of the fire risk. Those binning batteries appear more likely to be younger and female, particularly for loose batteries
- People who are aware, or who are made aware, of the fire risk are less likely to bin batteries.
Batteries SHOULD NOT be disposed of in any of the kerbside bins. Find your nearest battery recycling outlet from the Recycle Now Locator (external link).
Blue bin / white sack
| ALLOWED | NOT ALLOWED |
|---|
Office paper
|
Nappies / Incontinence pads |
| Junk mail |
Food |
| Catalogues, brochures and directories |
Plastic bags |
| Newspapers and magazines |
Plastic wrappers |
| Envelopes |
Plastic trays |
| Greeting cards (without glitter) |
Polystyrene |
| Cardboard (including printed or plain) |
Hard back and paper back books |
| Kitchen and toilet roll inner tubes |
Crisp packets |
| |
Wallpaper |
| |
Empty Food and drink cartons - inc Tetra pak |
Brown bin
| ALLOWED | NOT ALLOWED |
|---|
| Cans, tins and aerosols |
Plastic bags, plastic wrapping, plastic film |
| Glass bottles |
Coat hangers |
| Glass jars |
Plant pots |
| Plastic bottles |
Furniture or toys |
| Yoghurt pots |
Food |
| Household plastic pots and tubs |
Nappies / Incontinence pads |
| Aluminium foil |
Foil type food sachets, coffee pods |
| |
Electrical items |
| |
Hosepipes, wire |
| |
Wine and beverage glasses |
| |
Window pane glass |
Green bin / green caddy
| ALLOWED | NOT ALLOWED |
|---|
| Grass |
Cardboard |
| Leaves |
Large branches (more than 15cm diameter) |
| Twigs |
Soil |
| Small branches (less than 15cm diameter) |
Rubble |
| Bread and pastries |
Food packaging |
| Egg shells and dairy (no liquids) |
Liquid oils and fat |
| Meat and bones (raw or cooked), fish (raw or cooked) |
Liquid dairy products such as milk, yoghurt or cream |
| Fruit and vegetables |
Plastic bags |
| Teabags and coffee grounds |
Dog foul |
| Leftover food |
Cat litter |
You can put food waste straight into your green bin (no food waste bag needed).
Please ensure you recycle as much as possible using your Blue, Brown and Green bins.
Black bin
| ALLOWED | NOT ALLOWED |
|---|
| Anything that is not allowed in the above bins |
Soil |
| Nappies / Incontinence pads |
Rubble |
| Dog foul |
Building materials |
| Cat litter |
Liquid waste (including paints and oils) |
| |
Hazardous waste |
| |
Prohibited items |
For advice on how to dispose of these items, visit:
Please make sure that your bin is placed at the collection point no later than 6.30am on your collection day.
Food waste collections
Every household has a small, silver kitchen caddy and a supply of compostable liners to make recycling food waste clean and easy. Watch the video below to find out how you can help be part of the council's drive to reduce waste, recycle more and save money.
Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) recycling
Residents can now recycle their waste electrical items (old kettles, hair-straighteners, toasters, etc.) at the locations listed below:
- Chanters Household Waste Recycling Centre, Arley Way, Atherton, M46 9FF
- Kirkless Household Waste Recycling Centre, Makerfield Way, Higher Ince, WN2 2PR
- Slag Lane Household Waste Recycling Centre, Slag Lane, Lowton, WA3 1BZ
- The Brick Works (external link), 4 Hodson Street, Wigan, WN3 4EN
If the item is still in working order then you can donate them to your nearest charity shop.
Please do not put any electrical items into your brown bin, as we cannot recycle these with your brown waste items.