What to Put Out - Blue Week

A guide to what you can and cannot put out for recycling on Blue Week.

IN THIS ARTICLE

  • Food waste you can put in your caddy
  • Glass & cans you can and can't recycle
  • Household rubbish you can and can't recycle
  • Clothing, shoes and textile collections

Quick Links

Food waste

Where does it go?

In a large food waste caddy

Quick reference

Items that can be collected include: Items that cannot be collected include:
  • Fruit and vegetables (raw or cooked)
  • Meat, fish and shellfish (raw or cooked including bones)
  • Dairy products
  • Bread, cakes or pastries
  • Rice, pasta or beans
  • Uneaten food from plates or dishes
  • Teabags or coffee grounds
  • Eggshells
  • Kitchen roll used to wipe up food and drink spills
  • Any sort of packaging or plastic
  • Liquids
  • Oils and fats
  • Pet food, litter or waste
  • Coffee filter paper
  • Biodegradable face wipes
  • Lolly sticks
  • Wooden cutlery
  • Any other recycling and rubbish

Order a new caddy

Purchasing food caddy liners

 

We are working in partnership with venues across the borough to provide food caddy liners at a discounted rate - from just 99p per roll. 

We advise using liners for your food caddy to reduce mess and smell, however, you do not have to use liners if you do not wish to purchase them. Your food waste can be put directly into the caddy, we suggest lining the bottom first with some newspaper or kitchen roll.

If you are going to purchase liners from a stockist who is not on the list below, look out for the 'seedling' logo Seedling logo which means that the liners are biodegradable.

Do not line your bags with plastic bags as they are not biodegradable and cannot decompose naturally. 

Find your local stockist of food caddy liners

 

Glass

Where does it go?

Cleaned and put in a green recycling box or any similar hard plastic container

From 1 June 2021, glass recycling must be separated from cans, tins and metal recycling. Our crews will not be able to collect mixed recycling.

Quick reference

Items that can be collected include: Items that cannot be collected include:
  • Glass bottles and jars
  • Broken glass
  • Sheet glass including window panes
  • Drinking glasses
  • Ovenproof cookware (for example, Pyrex, glass plates etc.)

Order new boxes

 

Cans, tins and more

Where does it go?

Cleaned and put in a green recycling box or any similar hard plastic container

From 1 June 2021, glass recycling must be separated from cans, tins and metal recycling. Our crews will not be able to collect mixed recycling.

Quick reference

Items that can be collected include: Items that cannot be collected include:
  • Metal cans and tins (tinned food and drink)
  • Metal lids
  • Foil
  • Aerosol cans
  • Biscuit Tins
  • Baby Milk Tins
  • Knives
  • Badly soiled metal items
  • General non-recyclable household waste
  • Garden furniture

Order new boxes

 

Household rubbish

Where does it go?

Black bags

Quick reference

Items that can be collected include: Items that cannot be collected include:
  • Nappies, incontinence pads, catheter/stomach bags and sanitary waste
  • Plastic film and polystyrene
  • Pet litter and waste
  • Knives, broken glass or sharp objects (wrapped in newspaper or cardboard with warning label on)
  • Biodegradable face wipes
  • Clinical and hazardous waste including infectious medical items, needles, granular or powder pesticides, liquid pesticides or asbestos
  • Recycling materials
  • Garden waste
  • Commercial waste
  • Hot ashes
  • Electrical and electronic items
  • Batteries
  • Beverage cartons
  • Liquid waste including oil and paint
  • Large bulky household items including fridges, freezers, beds, televisions and cabinets

 

Information about black bags

Clothes and shoes

Where does it go?

Blue bags

Quick reference

Items that can be collected in blue bags include: Items that cannot be collected include:
  • Clothes
  • Shoes
  • Handbags
  • Belts
  • Hats
  • Bedding
  • Towels
  • Clean rags 
  • Fabric offcuts
  • Carpets
  • Duvets
  • Pillows
  • Quilts
  • Soiled, wet & unusable items

All items from the list that can be collected must be clean and uncontaminated. The items will be sorted by Essex Textiles to identify what can be re-used and what will be recycled into new textile products.

Order new bags from Essex Textiles