Kerbside Collections

Containers

Green Bin - rubbish that cannot be recycled or composted

Blue Bin or Clear Sacks - recycling

Brown Bin or Sacks - garden, kitchen and cardboard waste for composting

What can I recycle and compost?

How do I get a new container and kitchen caddy?

Additional containers can be provided by Fenland District Council for dry recycling, where there is a need, but Fenland has a policy of not issuing extra containers for garden and residual waste in order to encourage waste reduction. If you need a replacement container please call Fenland District Council on 01354 654321.

To make recycling food waste easier, a starter kit, including a 7 litre kitchen caddy and 50 paper sack liners, are available from 'Fenland @ Your Service' shops priced £2.50. There are shops based in each of the Market Towns in Fenland. The handy sized kitchen caddy with lockable lid is lined with a paper sack. All cooked and uncooked foodwaste can simply be placed into the lined caddy. When full simply transfer the paper sack and contents into the brown bin for composting. Replacement paper sack liners are priced £1 for 50.

When are my collections and how often?

Fenland District Council operates an alternate weekly collection. This means that your green bin is collected one week and your brown bin the following week. Your blue bin is collected fortnightly either with the green bin or brown bin depending on where you live. To received a collection calendar please call 01354 654321.

Find out more information on collection days in Fenland.

Blue Bin (Clear Sack)

Important information - Please place all items in your container LOOSE not bagged

Yes please - if it is not listed it is not accepted in this container

  • Newspapers and magazines
  • Junk mail and leaflets
  • Paper (not shredded paper, this goes in your brown bin/sack)
  • Clean cardboard packaging and boxes (soiled cardboard can go in your brown bin/sack)
  • Rinsed/clean food and drink cans
  • Metal jam jar lids/metal screw caps from wine bottles
  • Biscuit/sweet tins
  • Empty aerosol cans
  • Clean foil and clean foil containers (e.g. from pies or takeaways)
  • Telephone directories/yellow pages
  • Catalogues
  • All empty plastic bottles without lids (including cleaning products and toiletry bottles)
  • Paper-based food and drink cartons (e.g. milk cartons/fruit juice)

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

  • Glass (please take to a recycling bank, see link below)
  • Any plastic other than plastic bottles
  • Plastic bags
  • Plastic film
  • Bottle tops
  • Polystyrene
  • Bubble wrap
  • Textiles
  • Shredded paper - please home compost or add to brown bin/sack
  • Light bulbs or tubes (take these to your nearest Household Waste Recycling Centre, see below)
  • Batteries - these are classed as hazardous waste. Please make sure they go to your Household Waste Recycling Centre (see link below)

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.

Brown Bin/Sack

Yes please - if it is not listed it is not accepted in this container

FOOD WASTE

  • All cooked and uncooked food waste (including meat (raw/cooked) and bones)
  • Coffee filters and tea bags

TIP! - Wrapping food waste in newspaper will help to keep your bin clean.

GARDEN WASTE

  • Grass and hedge cuttings
  • Flowers and weeds
  • Twigs, bark and small branches
  • Windfall fruit
  • Straw and sawdust from rabbits and guinea pigs

OTHER

  • Soiled cardboard and paper (unless contaminated with chemicals, oil/fuels)
  • Shredded paper

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

  • Unfortunately, biodegradable bags are not accepted. They do not break down sufficiently in the composting system used by local authorities to compost household waste collected at kerbside in Cambridgeshire
  • Soil
  • Coal ash
  • Plant pots and seed trays
  • Plastic bags or sacks of any kind
  • Nappies of any kind
  • Cat or dog litter
  • Food and drink cartons (e.g. milk cartons)
  • Rubble, stones and bricks (take this to your nearest Household Recycling Centre, see link below)
  • Textiles
  • Painted or treated wood

Green Bin

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

Don't bin in, bring it

Please do not place batteries in any of your bins, boxes or sacks at home. They contain hazardous materials.

You can recycle batteries 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 banks and Household Waste Recycling Centres in your area and what you can recycle at each site.

The District Council provides around 60 recycling bank sites that collect:

  • Newspapers and magazines
  • Junk mail
  • Other clean paper (except shredded paper)
  • Glass jars and bottles
  • Cans
  • Aerosols
  • Foil
  • Textiles

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 01354 654321

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

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