Kerbside Collections

Containers

Blue Bin - recycling (recycling boxes of any colour if you do not have a blue bin)

Black Bin - rubbish that cannot be recycled or composted

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

New blue recycling bins

In autumn 2009 most households in the city will be given a blue recycling bin for all their dry recyclables.

Find out more about the new recycling scheme in Cambridge City.

What can I recycle and compost?

How do I get a new container and FREE kitchen caddy?

To obtain a new container (blue/black box/bin) you will need to speak to Cambridge City Council on 01223 457000. Find out more about a new container in your area.

Paper bags that fit inside the caddies to wrap food waste can be bought at cost price. A pack of 50 costs £2 if you collect them, or £4.80 if you would like them posted to you.

Email our Customer Services Centre or telephone 01223 457000 to arrange delivery.

Cambridge City Green Kitchen Caddy

Cambridgeshire City Council can also provide you with a FREE kitchen waste caddy to make recycling of all your food waste (cooked and uncooked) a little easier. Again, just phone through on the number above.

Caddies and bags are available from City Homes North (171 Arbury Road - near the library), City Homes South (89 Cherry Hinton Road - close to Hills Rd end) and the Council depot on Mill Road (near the bridge). They are also available from the reception at Mandela House, Regent Street, Cambridge.

When are my collections and how often?

Rubbish and recycling are collected on alternate weeks: your blue bin (or box) for recycling and green bin for compostable waste is collected one week, and your black bin for non-recyclable waste the next. Collections start early, so please put your containers out by the road by 7am on the morning of collection, but no earlier than 6pm the day before.

Find out more about collections on your street.

Blue Bin

This information also applies to recycling boxes of any colour if you do not have a blue bin.

Yes please

  • all paper and card (except when shredded - put this in the green bin)
  • envelopes, including window envelopes
  • clean cardboard
  • phone books and catalogues
  • food tins and drink cans
  • sweet or biscuit tins
  • aerosol cans
  • clean foil and foil trays
  • metal lids from jars (please remove from jars)
  • glass bottles and jars
  • plastic bottles, including drinks, shampoo and detergent bottles - no lids please
  • drink or soup cartons (eg Tetra Pak)

No thanks - the following items are therefore not accepted in this container

  • any plastic items that are not bottles, eg tubs, pots, trays, bags and wrappers
  • envelopes containing bubble wrap, eg Jiffy bags
  • shredded paper
  • wood, plasterboard, sand and other building materials
  • food or garden waste
  • lids from plastic bottles
  • Pyrex, plate glass, glass dishes or light bulbs
  • saucepans and other metal items not listed under 'Yes please'
  • foil-lined plastic pouches, eg pet food sachets
  • crisp packets
  • clothes and textiles
  • motor-oil and pesticide containers
  • sanitary items and nappies
  • sacks of mixed rubbish

Why can't I recycle other plastics?

These items are made from different types of plastic, which means they need to be treated differently. At present the technology and markets in this country are not developed enough to enable local authorities to recycle them effectively.

Green Bin or Brown Sack

This information also applies to brown sacks if you do not have a green bin.

Yes please

  • all food waste - cooked, raw, dairy, meat and bones (please wrap in paper)
  • grass and plant material
  • untreated wood and sawdust
  • cardboard soiled with food (eg pizza box)
  • shredded paper

No thanks

  • non-compostable items
  • plastic bags
  • corn starch or biodegradable plastic bags
  • sanitary items and nappies
  • soil or stones
  • painted or treated wood
  • cat or dog waste
  • drink, milk and soup cartons eg Tetra Pak

Black Bin or White Sack

This should be used for everything that cannot be recycled or composted.

No thanks

  • Rubble
  • Bricks
  • Soil
  • Heavy items e.g. televisions

Don't bin in, bring it

If possible, please do not place batteries in any of your bins at home. They contain hazardous materials.

You can recycle batteries at Mandela House (4 Regent Street), in store at Budgens in Arbury Court and Waitrose in Trumpington, or at your local recycling centre.

Electrical recycling

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment

you can recycle your old electrical and electronic waste at your local recycling centre. However, if it can be reused, consider donating it to a charity shop or selling it.

Recycling banks and Household Waste Recycling Centres

Find a list of all recycling banks in your area and what you can recycle at each of these sites.

The City Council provides around 30 recycling bank sites that collect:

  • Paper (newspapers and magazines, white paper and white envelopes (with our without windows)
  • Plastic bottles
  • Glass bottles and jars
  • Food and drink cans, aerosols and clean foil
  • Textiles
  • Books
  • Food and drink cartons (e.g. milk and fruit juice cartons)

Cambridgeshire County Council also provide further Household Waste Recycling Centres across the county where you can recycle other household goods.

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 458282

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