What size is the blue lidded recycling wheeled bin?

We will be providing residents with a 240-litre blue lidded wheeled bin for their recycling. The dimensions are as follows.

240litre recycling bin - 1100mm (height) x 590mm (width) x 740mm (depth)

The recycling bin should provide sufficient capacity for all your recycling. It’s the equivalent size of approximately 4 and a half red boxes/bags. We will provide all households with one blue lidded wheeled bin free of charge prior to the start of the new service. If you find you are consistently running out of room, you will be able to request a second recycling bin (charges will apply).

What will I be able to recycle in my new blue-lidded bin?

• paper
• card and cardboard
• glass bottles and jars
• metal tins and cans
• Aerosols
• clean foil
• plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays
• food and drink cartons (TetraPak)

As part of the new service, you will also be able to put bagged household batteries, small electrical items and textiles beside your recycling bin for collection.

A full list of what you can put in your blue-lidded recycling bin along with instructions on how to use it will be provided when we deliver it in Summer 2022.

Can I put shredded paper in the recycling bin?

No. Shredded paper has little recycling value and can easily contaminate the other items in your bin as it's all mixed together.

You can put a small amount of shredded paper (about a carrier bag full in terms of size, but not the carrier bag itself) in your green bin if you opt-in to this service, or it can be placed in your grey bin which is sent to energy from waste.

Will I have to buy the new recycling bin being introduced?

No, as part of the new system, households will be provided with the new blue-lidded recycling bin free of charge. It will be automatically delivered prior to the new service starting on 1st August 2022.

When will I receive the bin?

Deliveries started in June 2022 and were completed in November 2022.

I don’t want another wheeled bin. Can I opt out?

We would strongly encourage you to have a wheeled bin for your recycling. The bin will make it easy for you to recycle and put out at the kerbside for collection. The bin will also help ensure you have enough space in your grey bin. Recycling helps reduce waste, is the right thing to do and will help us tackle climate change.

If space is a real issue, we may be able to provide smaller bins for both recycling and refuse.

What will happen with the boxes and bags we currently use for recycling?

We’re encouraging residents to reuse them in the first instance. They are suitable for use at home for all types of storage including in sheds, gardens and garages, and the boxes can be repurposed for growing food and plants in the garden. You could also consider seeking out a local charity or community organisation that could make use of them.

We're encouraging reuse over recycling as reuse is better for the environment than recycling. The boxes and bags are sturdy, so can be repurposed at home for many years.

Alternatively, you will be able to take them to your local recycling centre.

What are the laws that affect recycling?

The main law is the Environmental Protection Act 1990, which requires Stratford-on-Avon District and Warwick District Councils to provide a waste collection service. The Act also requires us to separately collect at least two types of recycling.

We can also be required under the Localism Act 2011 to share in any fine the UK Government has to pay if it fails to meet the 50% recycling target.

How can I stop someone else from using my bin?

Unfortunately, it is not possible to monitor the use of waste and recycling bins by other people. If the bin is stored privately and presented either the night before or on the morning of collection, this provides the smallest opportunity for someone else to put their waste into the bin.

We recommend you put your house number on your bin, so people know who it belongs to. It also helps the collection crews when returning bins at the kerbside.

Can I put extra recycling next to my recycling wheeled bin?

Yes you can, we just ask that it is presented loose in a cardboard box, rigid container or your current red recycling box next to your blue lidded bin. If you have large cardboard boxes that won't fit in your bin, please flatten them and leave beside your recycling bin.

Can I get a second recycling bin?

Yes you can, charges will apply for additional recycling bins, and we will add these costs to our webpage soon.