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Flats and communal recycling

Most flat blocks and some other properties that share their bins with neighbouring properties use the communal waste collection service. If you use this service you will have different colour bins to residents who use the house collection service.

Your bins

Bin What goes inside
Green bin Plastics, glass, tins, cans, cartons, cardboard
No plastic bags
Blue bin Paper: magazines, newspapers, white printing paper
Brown bin Food waste

All recycling must be placed loose (not bagged) in the recycling bins provided.

If you find the bins are regularly full before collection day, or that they contain incorrect items, please call us on 01462 474000 and choose the waste option.

Contamination sticker

If a contamination sticker is left on a bin, it contains items which are not suitable for recycling. The sticker will indicate which items are incorrect. Residents of the flats will receive a recycling reminder letter and the managing agent will be contacted.

A-Z of recycling

This is an A-Z guide of what can be placed in each communal bin. A guide for each bin can also be downloaded below.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T U V W Y

Item Where it goes

A

 
Aerosols Green Mixed Recycling Bin
Asbestos For advice on asbestos please contact WasteAware

B

 
Baby / Make-up wipes Black Rubbish Bin
Bags (plastic) Black Rubbish Bin
Batteries Household Waste Recycling Centre, local supermarkets or NHDC Council Office in Letchworth
Biodegradable packaging Black Rubbish Bin
Biros Black Rubbish Bin
Black bin bags Black Rubbish Bin
Blister packs (for pills) Black Rubbish Bin
Books (good quality) Charity Shops
Books (beyond reuse) Blue Paper Bin - pages only (remove cover and spine)
Bottles (glass and all kinds of plastic) - please empty and rinse to remove food and drink residue Green Mixed Recycling Bin
Brita water filter cartridges Black Rubbish Bin (or some shops offer recycling for these)
Brown paper Green Mixed Recycling Bin
Bubble wrap Black Rubbish Bin
Buckets, old washing up bowls / tubs Household Waste Recycling Centre or Black Rubbish Bin

C

 
Candles Black Rubbish Bin
Cans - please rinse out and crush where possible to take up less space Green Mixed Recycling Bin
Cardboard (cereal boxes, corrugated boxes, toy boxes, toilet tubes, shiny card so long as it will tear - remove any tape) Green Mixed Recycling Bin
Cardboard packets lined with metal e.g. gravy granules, cocoa powder Green Mixed Recycling Bin
Carpet Household Waste Recycling Centre
Carrier Bags Supermarket bag recycling points or Household Waste Recycling Centre or Black Rubbish Bin
Cartons (e.g. juice / soup, Tetra Paks) - please ensure they are empty and squash where possible, to take up less space Green Mixed Recycling Bin
Cat food pouches (with silver lining) Black Rubbish Bin
Cat litter Black Rubbish Bin
Catalogues Blue Paper Bin
CDs Black Rubbish Bin (for music / DVDs take to local charity shop)
CD Cases Household Waste Recycling Centre or Black Rubbish Bin
Cellophane Black Rubbish Bin
Ceramics Black Rubbish Bin
Cereal boxes Green Mixed Recycling Bin
Cereal packets - inner liners (plastic) Black Rubbish Bin
Chewing gum Black Rubbish Bin
Children's Toys - Plastic Charity shop or Household Waste Recycling Centre or Black Rubbish Bin
Children's Toys - Soft Textiles Charity shop or Black Rubbish Bin
Christmas cards (if heavily decorated with glitter, foil etc.) Black Rubbish Bin
Christmas cards (plain) Green Mixed Recycling Bin
Cigarette ends Black Rubbish Bin
Cling film Black Rubbish Bin
Clothes, textiles and shoes Charity shop or Household Waste Recycling Centre
Coat hangers (plastic or wire) Household Waste Recycling Centre
Coffee grounds Kitchen Caddy using a compostable liner, then liner to be tied and placed in your Brown Bin
Coffee Pods (separate plastic and foil) Green Mixed Recycling Bin
Coloured paper (except brown) Blue Paper Bin
Compostable packaging / bags Black Rubbish Bin
Cooking Oil Household Waste Recycling Centre
Corks (real or plastic) Black Rubbish Bin
Costa Cups Black Rubbish Bin
Costa Lids Green Mixed Recycling Bin
Cotton buds Black Rubbish Bin
Cotton reels Black Rubbish Bin
Cotton wool Black Rubbish Bin
Crisp packet Black Rubbish Bin
Crockery (broken) Black Rubbish Bin

D

 
Disposable cutlery Black Rubbish Bin
Disposable cardboard 'paper' or plastic plates (without heavy food residue) Green Mixed Recycling Bin
Disposable drinking cups (plastic) Green Mixed Recycling Bin
Disposable drinking cups (cardboard or polystyrene) Black Rubbish Bin
Disposable razor blades Black Rubbish Bin
Dog Waste Black Rubbish Bin
DVD cases Black Rubbish Bin

E

 
Egg boxes (cardboard only) Green Mixed Recycling Bin
Egg boxes (plastic) Green Mixed Recycling Bin
Egg boxes (polystyrene) Black Rubbish Bin
Egg shells Kitchen Caddy using a compostable liner, then liner to be tied and placed in your Brown Bin
Electrical items Household Waste Recycling Centre
Engine Oil Household Waste Recycling Centre
Envelopes - Brown Green Mixed Recycling Bin
Envelopes - White or coloured Blue Paper Bin

F

 
Financial Times Blue Paper Bin
Flower pots - plastic (small only) Green Mixed Recycling Bin (large pots are more rigid plastic and should be taken to a Household Waste Recycling Centre)
Flowers Brown Bin
Foam food trays and food packaging Black Rubbish Bin (rinse clean)
Foil, including takeaway trays (please rinse to remove food residue) Green Mixed Recycling Bin (rinse clean)
Foil / Plastic wrapping e.g. crisp packets Black Rubbish Bin
Food Waste Kitchen Caddy using a compostable liner, then liner to be tied and placed in your Brown Bin
Frying pans Black Rubbish Bin

G

 
Glass bottles and jars Green Mixed Recycling Bin (rinse clean)
Glass - window panes / sheet Black Rubbish Bin or Household Waste Recycling Centre
Glasses - drinking Black Rubbish Bin
Greaseproof paper Black Rubbish Bin
Greetings cards (no glitter or foil trimmings) Green Mixed Recycling Bin

H

 
Hair Brown Bin
Hard Covers (from catalogues and books) Green Mixed Recycling Bin
Hard plastic (children's toys, storage boxes, recycling boxes) Household Waste Recycling Centre (if larger in size) or Black Rubbish Bin
Holiday brochures Blue Paper Bin
Hoover bags and dust Black Rubbish Bin

I

 
Ice cream tubs Green Mixed Recycling Bin (rinse clean)
Incontinence pads Black Rubbish Bin (wrapped)

J

 
J Cloths Black Rubbish Bin
Jiffy bag envelopes Black Rubbish Bin
Junk mail Blue Paper Bin

K

 
Kitchen towels Black Rubbish Bin

L

 
Latex gloves Black Rubbish Bin
Lids (from bottles and jars) Black Rubbish Bin
Light bulbs (energy saving) Household Waste Recycling Centre
Light bulbs (fluorescent tubes) Household Waste Recycling Centre
Light bulbs (halogen) Household Waste Recycling Centre
Light bulbs (LED) Household Waste Recycling Centre
Light bulbs (old style) Black Rubbish Bin

M

 
Magazines Blue Paper Bin
MDF Household Waste Recycling Centre
Metal biscuit tins Green Mixed Recycling Bin
Mirrors Household Waste Recycling Centre

N

 
Napkins / serviettes Black Rubbish Bin
Nappies Black Rubbish Bin
Netting (plastic) e.g. orange nets Black Rubbish Bin
Newspaper Blue Paper Bin

O

 
Office paper Blue Paper Bin

P

 
Paint pots Household Waste Recycling Centre
Paint including varnishes, gloss (over half full) Ecowaste offer a paint recycling scheme
Paper (office, mail, newspaper, magazines, white envelopes) Blue Paper Bin
Paper (coloured except brown) Blue Paper Bin
Pencils Black Rubbish Bin
Pet bedding Black Rubbish Bin
Pet litter Black Rubbish Bin
Pet faeces Black Rubbish Bin (bagged)
Pet food pouches Black Rubbish Bin
Phone directories Blue Paper Bin
Photo negatives Black Rubbish Bin
Photographic paper Black Rubbish Bin
Pill (blister) packets Black Rubbish Bin
Plant pots (plastic) Household Waste Recycling Centre
Plants (please remove all excess soil) Household Waste Recycling Centre
Plastic Bags Supermarket bag recycling points or Black Rubbish Bin
Plastic bottles and loose lids (all drink, detergent, shampoo bottles) - empty and squashed where possible Green Mixed Recycling Bin (rinse clean)
Plastic films (from ready meals) Black Rubbish Bin
Plastic food tubs, pots and trays (rinse clean) Green Mixed Recycling Bin
Plastic sweet wrappers Black Rubbish Bin
Plastic wrapping (including food wrappers) Black Rubbish Bin
Plate glass Household Waste Recycling Centre
Polystyrene packaging Black Rubbish Bin
Polystyrene food trays, cups, plates Black Rubbish Bin
Post-it notes Blue Paper Bin
Potato sacks (thick brown paper) Green Mixed Recycling Bin
Printer cartridges Some supermarkets and schools and charities offer recycling collections (check with your local store) or they can be recycled at a Household Waste Recycling Centre or placed in your Black Rubbish Bin.
Pyrex (or similar) Black Rubbish Bin

R

 
Razor blades Black Rubbish Bin
Resealable plastic packets (e.g. containing cheese, sandwich bags) Black Rubbish Bin
Ring binders Black Rubbish Bin
Rubber gloves Black Rubbish Bin

S

 
Sanitary products (wrapped) Black Rubbish Bin
Sanitary towels (wrapped) Black Rubbish Bin
Saucepans Black Rubbish Bin
Seed trays - no larger than 30cm Green Mixed Recycling Bin (larger seed trays are rigid plastic and should be taken to a Household Waste Recycling Centre
Sellotape Black Rubbish Bin
Shellfish Kitchen Caddy using a compostable liner, then liner to be tied and placed in your Brown Bin
Shiny cardboard (if it tears and has no plastic coating) Green Mixed Recycling Bin
Shiny cardboard (that has plastic coating) Black Rubbish Bin
Shoes, in pairs, any condition Household Waste Recycling Centre
Shower curtain Black Rubbish Bin
Shredded paper Blue Paper Bin (please do not put this in your box loose as it may blow away)
Shrink wrap Black Rubbish Bin
Sponges and loofahs Black Rubbish Bin
Sticky labels and backing paper Black Rubbish Bin
Syringes (sharps) Clinical Waste

T

 
Tablet packets (plastic and foil) Black Rubbish Bin
Tea bags Kitchen Caddy using a compostable liner, then liner to be tied and placed in your Brown Bin
Tins (small or large including biscuit and sweet tins) Green Mixed Recycling Bin
Tins (paint) Household Waste Recycling Centre
Tissues Black Rubbish Bin
Toner cartridges Supermarket and school recycling points, Black Rubbish Bin or Household Waste Recycling Centre
Toothpaste tubes Black Rubbish Bin
Toys (plastic) Household Waste Recycling Centre or Black Rubbish Bin (if small)
Trays (plastic food trays, ready meals) - empty and rinse out Green Mixed Recycling Bin (rinse clean)
Tubs for food, e.g. butter tubs and ice cream tubs - empty and rinse out Green Mixed Recycling Bin (rinse clean)
Tupperware Black Rubbish Bin

U

 
Uncooked food Kitchen Caddy using a compostable liner, then liner to be tied and placed in your Brown Bin

V

 
Vegware Home composting or Black Bin
Video cassettes Charity shop or Black Rubbish Bin


W

 
Wallpaper Black Rubbish Bin
Water filter cartridges (e.g. Brita) Black Rubbish Bin (some supermarkets take these for recycling)
Wax crayons Black Rubbish Bin
Wood Household Waste Recycling Centre
Wood shavings Household Waste Recycling Centre
Woodchip wallpaper Black Rubbish Bin
Wrappers (e.g. from sweets, biscuits) Black Rubbish Bin
Wrapping (plastic) e.g. from around magazines Black Rubbish Bin
Wrapping paper Black Rubbish Bin

Y

 
Yellow Pages Blue Paper Bin
Yoghurt pots - empty and rinse out Green Mixed Recycling Bin (rinse clean)
Yoghurt pot lids Black Rubbish Bin

Bin guides

Further information