Kerbside Collections

Containers

Black Bin - rubbish that cannot be recycled or composted

Black Box - recycling

Blue Box - plastic bottles recycling only

Green wheeled bins or brown sacks - garden, food and cardboard waste for composting.

How do I get a new container?

Your need to speak to Cambridge City Council on: 01223 458282

When are my collections and how often?

Cambridge city operates an alternate weekly collection.

Example: your green bin (or brown sack) and your blue box will be collected one-week and your black bin and black box the following week.

Find out about collections on your street.

What can I recycle?

Black Box

Yes please

  • Glass jars and bottles - no lids please and preferably rinsed
  • All newspapers
  • Magazines and catalogues
  • Junk Mail and leaflets including envelopes - please remove any plastic windows and covering
  • White paper such as letters
  • Food and drink cans - rinsed
  • Empty aerosol cans - please do not squash
  • Clean foil

No thanks

  • Plastic windows and covering on magazines and junk mail
  • Envelopes with windows
  • Shredded paper - please compost
  • Egg Boxes
  • Cardboard
  • Carrier bags
  • Telephone directories or yellow pages (see green bin and brown sack)
  • Pyrex dishes (they are made not to melt and therefore cannot be recycled!)
  • Earthenware, crockery or ceramics - if not broken take to charity shop
  • Light bulbs or tubes - take these to your nearest HWRC

Blue Box

Yes please

  • All empty plastic bottles. Please remove lids and squash. This includes drinks, cleaning products and toiletry bottles

No thanks
If it isn't a plastic bottle, don't include it!

  • Bottle tops
  • Yoghurt pots
  • Margarine tubs
  • Plastic egg boxes
  • Plastic or polystyrene food trays and punnets
  • Plastic bags (reuse when you shop and recycled at your local supermarkets)
  • Plastic film
  • Toys (if not broken take to charity shop)
  • Brooms, buckets, bins, washing lines or other plastic household domestic items
  • Polystyrene packaging or bubble wrap

Why can't I recycle the above items?
These items of made form a different type of plastic and there isn't the technology or markets available to recycle them.

Green bin or Brown Sack

Yes please

  • All cooked and uncooked food waste - wrap in newspaper (Including stale bread, vegetable peelings, meat, fish, bones, cheese and dairy produce, tea bags and coffee)
  • Grass and hedge cuttings
  • Flowers and weeds
  • Bark and untreated wood
  • Envelopes - remove plastic windows
  • All types of cardboard including cardboard food packaging (no waxy cartons or tetrapaks)
  • Phone books and yellow pages
  • Straw and sawdust from rabbits and guinea pigs

No thanks

  • Plastic bags or sacks of any kind - wrap food waste in paper
  • Plant pots and seed trays
  • Oil
  • Nappies of any kind
  • Cat or dog litter
  • Coal ash
  • Waxy drink cartons or Tetrapaks
  • Rubble, stones and bricks (take to HWRC)
  • Soil
  • Glass, cans or textiles
  • Painted or treated wood (take to HWRC)
  • Furniture (take to HWRC, charity or community group)

Black wheeled bin

This should be used for everything that cannot be recycled.

  • Dog and cat waste
  • Plastic packaging (except bottles)
  • Sanitary items, such as nappies
  • Empty paint cans
  • Tetrapaks- waxy juice/ food cartons

Recycling banks and Household Waste Recycling Centres

Find a list of banks or HWRCs (tips!) in your area and what you can recycle at each site.

The City Council provides over 30 'Bring' recycling bank sites that collect:

  • plastic bottles
  • paper
  • glass containers
  • cans
  • aerosols
  • foil
  • textiles
  • books

Tips for using recycling banks:

  • Please put recycling into the right containers
  • Do not leave rubbish at the site
  • If you see dumped rubbish or people flytipping please call 01223 458 282

Cambridgeshire County Council provides Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRC's) where you can also recycle other household goods.

Got a question? Please use our question facility and we will try and help.