What goes in each household bin

What can go in your recycling bin or bag

Recycling bins or bags

Recycling bins have a blue lid and are collected every 2 weeks from all households.

What can go in your recycling bin or bag

The items you can recycle in your recycling bin or bags are:

  • Aerosol cans
  • Aluminium foil and foil trays (clean and food free)
  • Cardboard boxes (please flatten and put in your bin or place larger boxes at the side of your bin)
  • Cardboard packaging – cereal boxes, kitchen and toilet roll tubes, ready meal sleeves etc
  • Food and drinks cans
  • Food and drinks cartons – fresh juice cartons, milk cartons
  • Paper – catalogues, brochures, magazines, newspapers, envelopes, leaflets, scrap paper
  • Plastic bottles (all types) – drinks bottles, shampoo bottles,  hand wash bottles (wash and put lid back on)
  • Plastic tubs – margarine tubs, yogurt pots, fruit tubs
  • Plastic bags & wrappers – carrier bags (no black bags), fruit and veg wrappers, bread bags, cling film, bubble wrap

What can't go in your recycling bin or bag

The following items can't be recycled in your kerbside bin or bags:

  • Glass bottles and jars – these can be recycled at your nearest recycling point
  • Clothing and shoes – these can be recycled at your nearest textile bank
  • Polystyrene – this cannot be recycled at the present time and should go in your general waste bin.
  • Garden waste – this can be recycled at your nearest Community Recycling Centre  or composted at home.

Top tips for recycling

Recycle more effectively by:

  • Washing and squashing items and replacing lids
  • Ensuring items are empty and rinsed with no food reside left on the packaging
  • Flattening cardboard boxes, placing large boxes beside your bin
  • Placing materials loose in your recycling bin as you don't need to bag them
  • Presenting extra recycling in bags (not black bags) beside your bin

Find out why getting it right is important to reduce the contamination (wrong stuff) in our bins. 

You can help us to make collections as quick, easy and safe as possible for our collection crews by following our bin presentation guidance.  

Find out why we need to recycle and what happens to your waste after collection.
 

Waste and recycling

Address: Council Headquarters
Newtown St. Boswells
Melrose
TD6 0SA

Telephone: 0300 100 1800