Recycling - Frequently asked questions

Here are some frequently asked questions about the recycling bins and scheme in the city, if your question is not answered here please see our Household waste - frequently asked questions.

Questions relating to the green recycling bin.
Questions relating to the brown recycling bin.
General questions ( ordering more bins; broken / stolen bins)

Green recycling bin questions

What materials can I put in my recycling bins?

For information on the items we accept in the recycling bins, please visit our domestic bins page.

Can I have another green recycling bin - I have too much recycling?

We are only able to provide further green recycling bins to households where there are more than 5 permanent residents. This decision was made by council members in the implementation stage of the alternate weekly collection project. The decision was made to limit the number of recycling bins to one per household, unless they were classed as a large family. This was agreed in an attempt to encourage people to minimise the waste they are producing, as an authority we have a duty to reduce waste sent to landfill under European legislation. Unfortunately we are unable to provide residents with as many bins as they want, as this is turn would result in a higher amount of waste in the city and also a higher cost for providing the bins, collection of the waste and disposal fees. It is fantastic that people are recycling so much - however it is more important that we try to reduce the waste we are producing. For information and tips on how to reduce the waste you are producing, please see our reducing your waste page.

If recycling is so important and I am recycling more than I can fit in my green bin - why do you not collect extra bags of recycling with my bin?

We do not collect extra bags of recycling waste which is placed out with your recycling bin. This was agreed in an attempt to encourage people to minimise the waste they are producing, as an authority we have a duty to reduce waste sent to landfill under European legislation. Unfortunately we are unable to collect as much waste either refuse or recycling which residents put out, as this is turn would result in a higher amount of waste in the city and also a higher cost for collection of the waste and disposal fees. It is fantastic that people are recycling so much - however it is more important that we try to reduce the waste we are producing. For information and tips on how to reduce the waste you are producing, please see our reducing your waste page.

Extra recycling waste that residents do have can be taken to the Householders Recycling Centre or one of the recycling sites across the city.

Bags left beside the bins are often ripped open by cats, fox's and other vermin and the contents spill out across the pavement.
It is very unsightly to have bagged waste left around the area and has the effect of bringing the areas down
It is a Health & Safety issue for manual lifting of these sacks by the crews

Why don't you accept more materials in the green bin for recycling?

Although many materials are recyclable we are only able to collect certain materials for recycling due to the technology and markets that are available to us. We plan to accept more materials in the green bin as the required technology becomes available.

If it has got the recycling symbol on it why don't you take it in the green recycling bin?

Many materials do have the above recycling symbol on them and are recyclable. However we are limited in the materials we are able to collect in the green recycling bin due to the technology and markets that are available to us. We plan to accept more materials in the green bin as the required technology becomes available.

Why do you only accept plastic bottles in the green recycling bin?

With regards to recycling plastics, other than plastic bottles, there are hundreds of different types and this currently makes it incredibly hard to sort. However, the council is currently looking into the possibilities of recycling more plastics and hopes in 2007 to accept a greater amount of plastics such as food trays, plastic films and plastic bags. We currently only ask for plastic bottles as we know that plastic bottles are made from the three main types of plastic that we are able to accept; PET, HDPE and PVC.

Please remember that we are unable to accept the tops of plastic bottles in the green recycling bin as these are a different type of plastic. Please place these in your black landfill bin.

Why do we have to put the recycling material in the green and brown bins loose with no bags?

We ask for the material to be placed loose in the green or brown recycling bins and not to be placed in bags, as we are currently unable to recycle plastic bags. We are unable to recycle bags due to their lightweight and malleable nature and they often get caught in the sorting machinery. Also if recycling waste is tied up in bags the collection crews are unable to see which materials are in the bags. They may not empty your bin incase the materials within the bags are incorrect.

I shred my paper waste, if I can't bag it up and put it in the recycling bin it will create a mess when my bin is emptied.

We advise residents to shred any paper waste which may include their personal details in order to prevent identity fraud. If residents are worried that because they are unable to bag the waste in the green recycling bin that the shredded paper will create and mess when the bin is emptied, then may we suggest that the shredded paper waste is placed in the middle of the bin with other material placed in top of it, or if you have products such as cereal boxes also in the green recycling bin, the shredded paper could be contained within the cereal box.

Why do you not accept textiles in the green recycling bin anymore?

We no longer accept clothes and textiles in the green recycling bin. We used to accept these materials in the green bin and it was found that the quality of the materials was damaged by passing them through the sorting equipment at the recycling facility. We therefore ask that residents take any unwanted clothes and textiles to either charity shops in the city if the materials are in very good condition and would be wanted by someone else or to clothing banks at recycling sites across the city ( please see recycling site locations).

Egg boxes and toilet rolls tubes are cardboard - why can we not put them in the green recycling bin?

We do not accept egg boxes / toilet roll or kitchen roll tubes in the green recycling bins as these are too low a quality cardboard and can not be recycled anymore. Paper and cardboard can only be recycled 4-6 times as the fibres get shorter and weaker each time and you get a lower quality paper or card. These materials are great to add to your compost bin for structure if you home compost or alternatively if you are a keen gardener you can use egg boxes to grow seedlings in.

What happens to the recycling material I put in my bins?

Please visit our what happens to your recycling page for information.

Why should I wash tins / cans / bottles out and waste water?

We ask residents to wash out bottles / cartons and food and drinks cans for recycling as the quality of the material is increased by washing the materials, as this means the food / drink products in them will not contaminate other materials in your bin such as paper. When we ask residents to wash these materials out we do not expect them to run water especially to wash them, as this would be a waste. We suggest that residents use their left over dishwater after they have washed the dishes and wash the materials for recycling in this. If the materials are washed this also prevents any smells occurring in your green recycling bins.

If I put my recycling waste my green bin loose and not bagged up will it smell?

Even though we ask that material which is placed in the green recycling bin is put in there loose and not bagged, if you ensure that the materials are washed out then your green bin will not smell. Smells will only be created in a bin if food waste or reminance is left on the materials.

Brown organic recycling bins

Why do some people have brown organic recycling bins and some do not?

At present the majority of residents in the City have received a brown bin and now receive an alternate weekly collection of refuse and recycling. However a small section of central ward have not received a brown bin and therefore their collections have remained unchanged (i.e. weekly refuse collections and fortnightly collections for their green recycling bins). Issuing the standard 3 bin system would not have been suitable for this area, and would have caused more problems than it addressed. Likewise flats in certain circumstances also do not currently receive the same collections as the rest of the city.

Council officers are currently investigating a number of options for these excluded properties, which due to problems such as space, access issues, housing type and social aspects have to date been excluded from the new 3 bin scheme. A recent application for funding to help investigate the options available was unsuccessful and the Council are now looking into other sources of funding. Together the council will work with key members of theses communities to jointly address these problems and in order to rollout a suitable scheme.

Why do we have to put the recycling material in the green and brown bins loose with no bags?

Why can we not put food waste in the brown bin?

There are strict guidelines that forbid the co-disposal and composting of kitchen and garden waste in open air. Such legislation is called the Animal By Products Regulations, and was introduced to prevent future outbreaks of diseases such as Foot and Mouth Disease. As the Council currently composts its waste outdoors through a process known as open windrow composting, this means we cannot accept the food waste in the brown bin. However, we are currently looking into getting a more advanced technology for composting waste and it is hoped that such technology would enable us to safely compost food waste at high temperatures and take it in the brown organic bins.

Can I have another brown organic recycling bin - I have a large garden?

We are not able to issue more than one brown organic waste bin per household, irregardless of garden size. This decision was made by council members in the implementation stage of the alternate weekly collection project. Unfortunately we are unable to provide residents with as many bins as they want, as this is turn would result in a higher amount of waste in the city and also a higher cost for providing the bins, collection of the waste and disposal fees. This was done in an attempt to encourage people to deal with their garden waste by other methods such as home composting. Composting garden waste at home is more sustainable and better for the environment than the council collecting and transporting garden waste from households. For more information please visit our home composting pages.

General questions

My bin is broken or has been stolen what do I need to do?

Please visit our page on domestic bins which will explain what you need to do if your bin is broken or has been stolen.

I have moved into a house with no bins - what do I need to do?

If you have moved into a house which has no bins or has one of the bins missing then please contact the Environmental Management helpdesk via 01733 747474 and we can order you some bins.

What to do if you are a large family to get a larger black bin or second green bin?

If you have more than 5 permanent residents in your household you are classed as a large family and may therefore be eligible for a second green recycling bin or a larger black landfill bin. If you would like to apply for extra bins please contact the Environmental Management helpdesk on 01733 747474 and they will send you out an application form. On the application form you will be asked to detail all the permanent residents in the household and answer a few questions about how you use your bins at the moment. This information will then be checked and assessed to see if you are eligible for extra bins.

Will we be getting anymore bins?

There are no plans as yet for any further bins. We just plan to accept more materials in the green and brown bin as the required technology becomes available. The Council in partnership with Cambridgeshire County Council has just consulted with residents on the future direction of waste and recycling facilities here in the county. Both Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council are committed in the future to putting rubbish to a beneficial use and seeking out new ways and new technologies to enable this.

Bin identification chips

In 2002, when Peterborough City Council secured funding from DEFRA to provide residents with green recycling bins across the city, some Councils were using bin chips to monitor recycling data through collections. As it is cheaper to have the chips fitted at the point of manufacture than to fit at a later date, the decision was made to include a chip at that stage in the event that PCC would also monitor recycling using this tool. PCC does not have collection vehicles fitted with micro-chip reading systems and therefore the bins chips are not being used.

Where Peterborough City Council stand on 'pay as you throw' charging for refuse.

The 'pay as you throw' discussion is currently still ongoing and although the Local Government Association (LGA) wants central government to give councils extra powers to be able to choose if they want a 'pay as you throw' system. The council would actively have a full consultation with members of the public prior to introducing or operating such a scheme. Peterborough City Council does not have plans to charge households for waste outside of Council tax payments.

If you require further information about any of the above questions or answers please contact the Environmental Management helpdesk via Peterborough Direct on 01733 747474.