Kerbside Collections

Containers

Green Box - recycling

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

Black Bin - rubbish that cannot be recycled or composted

What can I recycle and compost?

How do I get a new container?

Please call South Cambridgeshire District Council on 08450 450 500.

When are my collections and how often?

South Cambridgeshire operates an alternate weekly collection. For example, your green bin and green box will be collected one-week and your black bin the following week.

Find out about collections on your street.

Green Box

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

  • All empty plastic bottles without lids (including cleaning products and toiletry bottles)
  • Newspapers
  • Magazines
  • Junk mail
  • Paper (not shredded)
  • Envelopes (with or without plastic window)
  • Glass bottles and jars
  • Metal jam jar lids/metal screw caps from wine bottles
  • Clean/rinsed food and drink cans
  • Aerosol cans
  • Biscuit / sweet tins
  • Tin foil and foil trays
  • Telephone directories (inc. yellow pages)
  • Catalogues

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

  • Cardboard
  • Shredded paper - place in green bin for composting
  • Egg Boxes - please compost
  • Carrier bags
  • Crisp packets
  • Plastic/foil pouches (e.g. from pet foods)
  • Pyrex dishes (they are designed to not melt and therefore cannot be recycled!)
  • Broken glass
  • Earthenware, crockery or ceramics - if not broken please take to charity shop
  • Light bulbs or tubes - take these to your nearest Household Recycling Centre (see link below)
  • Batteries - these are classed as hazardous waste. They should be taken to your nearest Household Waste Recycling Centre (see link below)
  • Plastics (other than plastic bottles e.g. yoghurt pots, food trays)
  • Large panes of glass
  • Paint tins
  • Copper / lead pipes
  • Sheets of metal
  • Carpets and rugs
  • Pillows and duvets

Green Bin

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

CARDBOARD/OTHER

  • Cardboard (not waxy cartons (e.g. milk) or food/drinks cartons (foil lined)
  • Shredded paper
  • Low quality/fibrous paper such as craft/sugar paper
  • Soiled newspaper

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

  • Unfortunately, biodegradable bags are not accepted in your green bin/brown sacks as they do not break down sufficiently in the composting system used by local authorities to compost household waste collected in Cambridgeshire
  • Food and drink cartons (these can now be taken to some recycling centres around South Cambridgeshire, see links to recycling banks below)
  • Plastic bags or sacks of any kind
  • Plant pots and seed trays
  • Soil and turf
  • Ash - please home compost where possible
  • Rubble, stones and bricks (take this to your nearest Household Recycling Centre (see link below)
  • Cat or dog litter
  • Nappies of any kind
  • Glass, cans or textiles
  • Painted or treated wood
  • Pernicious weeds (e.g. Japanese knotweed, bindweed)
  • Polystyrene
  • Oil of any type
  • Carpets and rugs

Black Bin

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

  • Non-recyclable waste
  • Fruit juice cartons (with foiled lining)
  • Plastics
  • Polystyrene
  • Cat litter
  • Light bulbs
  • Pyrex

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

  • Any items for the green bin, green box or local recycling sites including batteries*

* These items can be taken to one of the household waste recycling centres at Milton or Thriplow.

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.

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 all recycling banks and Household Recycling Centres in your area and what you can recycle at each site.

The District Council provides over 90 recycling bank sites that collect:

  • plastic bottles
  • Glass bottles and jars
  • Paper
  • Food and drink cans
  • Aerosols
  • Mixed textiles and clothes
  • Books
  • Food and drink cartons (e.g. milk/fruit juice cartons)

Tips for using recycling banks

  • Please put you recycling into the right containers
  • Do not leave rubbish at the site
  • If you see dumped rubbish or people fly tipping please call the Environmental Services Helpline 08450 450 063
  • Please note that the plastic recycling banks are only for the deposit of plastic bottles without their lids. No other plastic items are accepted

Cambridgeshire County Council provides Household Recycling Centres across the county for recycling other household items.

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