Bin tags and stickers
It's important to put the right kinds of waste and recycling in each of your household bins.
For example, if you put the wrong type of waste in your blue bin it can contaminate a whole lorry load of recycling. Contaminated loads cannot be recycled and are much more expensive to dispose of.
If we find a bin contains the wrong type of waste or is too heavy to move safely we will not empty the bin. We will attach a tag to the bin so you know why the bin hasn't been emptied.
If you see a tag on any of your bins, you should look inside and take out anything that shouldn't be there. We will come back to empty your bins on your next scheduled collection day.
You can check what types of waste can go in each bin at:
- what goes in your bins – a short summary for each bin
- A to Z of waste and recyclable items – a detailed list
If you leave out side waste that's not permitted, we will put a sticker on it.
Different types of tags and stickers are listed below.
Tags on blue wheeled bins
Tags used on blue wheeled bins are green in colour and say the following.
"Ooops... wrong stuff, wrong bin. We couldn't empty your recycling bin today because it contains non-recyclable items. We cannot collect your bin until all non-recyclable items have been removed."
"Could it have been one of these?" Examples are: clothes, clothes hangers, crisp packets, crockery, kettle, food cartons, light bulbs, nappies, paint tins, plastic bags.
A tag – front and back – for blue wheeled bins is shown below.
Tags on brown wheeled bins
Tags used on brown wheeled bins are yellow in colour and say the following.
"Ooops... wrong stuff, wrong bin. We couldn't collect your brown bin today because it contained either food waste or non-compostable items. We cannot empty your bin until all non-compostable items have been removed."
"Could it have been one of these?" Examples are: apple cores, clothes, crisp packets, fish bones, food cartons, light bulbs, nappies, plastic bags.
A tag – front and back – for brown wheeled bins is shown below.
Tags on green/grey wheeled bins
Tags used on green/grey wheeled bins are orange in colour and say the following.
"Ooops... wrong stuff, wrong bin. We couldn't collect your refuse today because it contains bulky or dangerous items. We cannot empty your bin until all bulky or dangerous items have been removed."
"Could it have been one of these?" Examples are: batteries, blades, bricks, broken furniture, fire extinguisher, kettle, nitrous oxide, paint tins, syringes.
A tag – front and back – for green/grey wheeled bins is shown below.
Tags on wheeled bins that are too heavy
Tags on wheeled bins that cannot be moved safely are red in colour and say the following.
"Ooops... too heavy. We couldn't empty your bin today because it exceeded a safe weight. Keep our crews safe and well."
"Your bin is too heavy for our crews to safely move. Please remove some items so that we can empty your bin."
A 'too heavy' bin tag – front and back – is shown below.
Tags on food bins
Tags on food bins are green in colour and say the following on the front side.
"Sorry. We are unable to collect your food waste because it contains material which cannot be treated in the food waste process. Please see overleaf for materials we can and cannot take and remove the incorrect materials. We will collect your food waste as normal next week."
On the back they items that can and can't be put in food bins, as follows.
Yes please:
- meat and fish – raw and cooked, including bones
- all dairy products – such as eggs and cheese
- vegetables and fruit – raw and cooked
- bread, cakes and pastries
- rice, pasta and cereals
- leftover food from your plates and dishes
- teabags and coffee grounds
- used kitchen paper towels
- bones and egg shells
- mouldy or out of date food – including ready meals removed from their packaging
No thanks:
- glass and cans
- paper
- plastic bags
- liquids
- packaging marked 'compostable' or 'degradable'
A food bin tag – front and back – is shown below.
Stickers on side waste
Stickers on side waste are red in colour and say: "This side waste has not been collected as it's not permitted."
A sticker shown below.
