Please use your Blue Wheelie Bin to recycle the following items/materials

All the below items/materials can be put into your blue recycling bin. We can only accept materials that the recycling facility is capable of sorting so please use this list to guide you.

IMPORTANT: All the recyclables in the blue bins should be put in loose not in bags. Any blue bins found to contain bagged waste will be rejected and not emptied. The rejected bin will be emptied on its next collection date if the recycling is loose and not in bags.

What can I recycle? 

Any paper and cardboard, for example: 

• Catalogues 
•  Cereal boxes 
•  Corrugated cardboard  
•  Envelopes 
•  Greeting cards 
•  Junk mail 
•  Magazines 
•  Newspapers 
•  Phone directories (including the Yellow Pages)  
• Shredded paper - can still go into your blue wheeled bin as long as you ideally put it in a paper envelope or paper/paper bag. 
•  Tissue boxes 
•  Toilet roll tubes 
•  Writing paper 

Glass 

• Mixed glass bottles  and jars - any colour (we can't take window panes, glass cookware/Pyrex, glasses, broken glasses, light bulbs etc) 

Metal 

•  Aerosols 
•  Foil 
•  Food tins Steel and aluminium food and drink cans (please wash and squash them) 

Plastics and packaging, for example: 

• Detergent bottles 
• Drinks bottles (and tops, although if possible remove the tops and squash down the bottle) 
• Food and drink cartons (Tetra Paks)  
•  Food trays 
•  Ice cream tubs 
•  Margarine tubs 
•  Plastic milk bottles 
•  Shampoo bottles 
•  Yoghurt pots

Please ensure that all recyclables are clean and free from food contamination and are put in the Blue Wheelie Bin LOOSE and NOT IN BAGS.

For information on how your recycling is sorted visit: What happens to my recycling after collection

If you wish to know what the numbers and symbols mean on the bottom of the recyclable plastics you can download the document below:

Guidelines for the collection of Blue Wheelie Bins (recyclables)

1. Blue Wheelie Bin collections are to be put out, at the rear of the footpath, by 7.00am on collection day.

2. Additional recycling placed by the side of the blue wheelie bin WILL NOT be collected. If you feel you need additional recycling capacity (larger Blue Wheelie Bin) please contact waste/recycling services on: 01543 462621 or email: customerservices@cannockchasedc.gov.uk

3. Recyclables should not be put into bags as this will not be collected. Recyclables should be put loose in the blue wheelie.

4. Bins that are contaminated with items/materials not listed above will be tagged and left until the offending materials are removed. For help and advice if this happens please contact the waste/recycling services on: 01543 462621 email customerservices@cannockchasedc.gov.uk

5. Missed collections should be reported with 24 hours (by the end of the next working day)

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   To report a missed bin collection, lost or damaged bin you can report it online 24/7, telephone 01543 462621 or email: customerservices@cannockchasedc.gov.uk

Green Wheelie Bins (Household)

Every household in the district is provided with a green wheelie bin for the collection of household waste.

Examples of that can go into your green wheelie bin are:

• Polystyrene
• Waxed paper (ie off loaves of bread)
• Cold ashes from a coal fire or wood burner
• Pet litter
• Pet faeces (should be wrapped in newspaper or bag to prevent smells)
• generally any items not currently allowed in the blue/brown bins
• sanitary products (incontinence products may need double bagging in hot weather to prevent smells)
• general or household waste
• crisp packets and other plastic/foil packets
• nappies and hygiene products
• shredded paper
• food
• plastic toys
• batteries
• plastic buckets
• thermos flasks
• glass cookware(pyrex), glazing (windows) and from picture frames
• chinaware

Guidelines for collection of green bins (landfill waste)

1. Bins are to be placed out, at the rear of the footpath, by 7.00am on the collection day. Bins put out late will not be collected until the next collection.  Wheelie bins will be returned to the rear of the footpath.
2. Please ensure bin lids are closed or they will not be emptied.
3. Do not leave any refuse in bags at the side of the bin as this will not be collected and may be classed as flytipping
4. Overweight bins will not be emptied. The bin lifts have a maximum lifting weight of 96kg.
5. Red tags will be left on bins explaining why refuse has not been taken
6. Households having 6 or more people in residence or those with medical issues may be entitled to a larger wheelie bin in replacement of their normal wheelie bin. This will only occur if residents are using the wheelie bin recycling service correctly.
7. Missed collections should be reported with 24 hours (by the end of the next working day)

To report a missed bin collection, lost or damaged bin you can report it online 24/7, telephone 01543 462621 or email: wasteservices@cannockchasedc.gov.uk

Below are some common asked questions in regards to the waste and recycling collection service.

Why are we stopping residents from disposing of food waste with their garden waste?

There are a number of reasons, in brief they are:

• Expensive considering the amounts of food waste being disposed of.
• Not widely used by all residents
• Only one local disposal point
• General waste is now used to create energy (see below)
• Not uncommon across Staffordshire
• Increasing financial pressure on Councils
• Saving will help to protect and develop other services

Yes, Lichfield, Tamworth, South Staffordshire and Stafford Borough Councils all collect their residents food waste with their general waste and do not compost it.

We are not; since Oct 2013 general waste from across Staffordshire, including our Councils, has been disposed of by incineration at a plant in Staffordshire and used to create energy

We try to reuse, recycle or recover as much as we can from the waste our residents create.

Cannock Chase Council along with most other Councils across Staffordshire is in the top 25% of Councils across England for its recycling performance.

It doesn’t, the last large scale improvement of the waste service came in 2010 with the introduction of wheeled bins for dry recycling.

On average the Council disposes of around 9,000 Tonnes per year.

The Council estimates that only between 10-12% of its total garden and food collection is made up of food waste.

It costs over double the amount to dispose of mixed garden and food waste than garden waste alone per tonne.

Because of animal by-products mixed garden and food waste has to be disposed of in a much more controlled environment at controlled temperatures and cannot be initially allowed to rot away naturally as garden waste alone can.

Food waste could be disposed of by using the general (green) bin or garden and food (brown) bin in the past. But now due to the cost and the low amounts of food waste being disposed of the Council cannot justify the expense of disposing of mixed garden and food waste.

Maggots and flies can be kept to a minimum by wrapping food waste in waste /news paper or small waste bags such as pedal bin liners.

Yes you can, the Council’s website has some hints and tips on home composting and the Council may even provide you with a free composter.

Bins that are contaminated cannot be recycled. If they are added to a recycling load the whole load of between 8-10 Tonnes of good recycling may be rejected at the disposal point. It may also have to be sent to landfill as at that point it is no longer classed as domestic but commercial waste.

If a resident gets it wrong their bin will be tagged and will be left un-emptied. They will be required to remove the contamination before the bin will be emptied on the next collection day.

While the provision of a general waste collection is a statutory requirement, the provision of dry recycling and garden waste collections are not and therefore can be removed by the Council if it considers a resident is not using them correctly.

Yes, Under Section 46 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 the Council has the power to decide the type of service provision it provides and specify how it should be used by residents.

The Council uses a number of methods to help its residents identify what items go into what bin including:

• Council Website
• ‘Which Bin’ website widget
• Annual waste and recycling calendars
• Leaflets

In no particular order they are:

1. Nappies
2. Animal Bedding
3. Textiles
4. DIY Materials (including paint tins and paint)
5. Waste electrical goods in the bin.

Unfortunately, the Councils materials recycling facility can not take clothing, textiles or shoes. They require a different process to be sorted and can become contaminated by other recycling if mixed; making them un-reusable. Clothing, textiles and shoes can however all be recycled (along with other products such as small waste electrical and electronic goods) at your Local Recycling Centres at many supermarkets and carparks across the district or at the Household Waste and Recycling Centres (HWRC’s) in Cannock or Rugeley.