What can I recycle?

Recycle A-Z Button 

The following page should give you a handy guide to what you can and can't leave in your recycling bin. If you are still unsure whether we collect a material or not, please contact us on 03000 610610 or email admin.southoxford@biffa.co.uk

You can also use the Recycling A-Z which is a comprehensive guide on what you can recycle and where in the county you can take it.

We do collect:

Any paper and cardboard, including:

  • Books - only if not suitable for taking to a charity shop
  • Catalogues
  • Cereal boxes
  • Corrugated cardboard
  • Envelopes (including envelopes with windows)
  • Greeting cards
  • Junk mail  
  • Magazines
  • Newspapers
  • Phone directories (including the Yellow Pages)
  • Shredded paper - can still go into your green wheeled bin as long as you ideally put it in a paper envelope or paper/plastic bag or paper bag.
  • Tissue boxes
  • Toilet roll tubes
  • Window envelopes
  • Writing paper

Glass

  • Mixed glass bottles and jars - any colour (and bottle tops)
    (Although we don't take window panes, glass cookware/pyrex, glasses, broken glasses, light bulbs etc)

All plastic packaging (with the exception of cling film), including:

  • Carrier bags
  • 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
  • General plastic packaging (e.g. salad bags)
  • Ice cream tubs
  • Margarine tubs
  • Plastic plant pots 
  • Plastic milk cartons and bottles
  • Shampoo bottles
  • Yoghurt pots

We can accept plastic wrapping from newspapers and magazines, but please remove this from the magazine before placing it in the recycling bin.

Metal

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

All these can go in your bin together and should be loose (no bagged materials). We prefer all materials to be clean and the labels removed.

If you fill your green bin you can put extra recycling out for collection next to your bin in either clear or opaque sacks, carrier bags or cardboard boxes.

See the food waste page for information on what you can put in your food bin.

We don't collect the following items for recycling:

All of the above go into your grey rubbish bin.

Why can't we recycle other items?

There are a number of reasons why not all items can be recycled. These can include:

  • The availability of end markets as there may not be anywhere suitable to send the material to be reprocessed.
  • Some items may be made up of lots of different materials, for example crips packets or cat food pouches which are a type of metalised plastic and cannot currently be separated for recycling.
  • The Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) where we send our recycling may not be able to accept certain items if it doesn't have the technology to separate and sort them from the rest of recycling.
  • It may not be cost effective to collect a material, sort it for recycling then send away for recycling, especially if the end product has no real market value.

What other ways can I recycle?

You can also recycle glass, drinks cartons, textiles and footwear at recycling banks throughout the district. 

Why can't I put things like crisp packets and cat food pouches in the green?

These items are made of a combination of foil and plastic and as the components cannot be separated they cannot be recycled and should go in the grey bin.

Why is cling film not accepted in the green bin?

Cling film can cause serious problems in the sorting facility. They wrap around the moving parts of the machinery and cause breakdowns so please do not put them in your green bin.

Why don't you collect textiles?

Textiles can become entangled in the sorting machinery at the recycling plant. There are, however, recycling banks for textiles and shoes around the district. Alternatively, wearable clothing and shoes could be taken to a charity shop.

Batteries

Retailers who sell more than one pack of batteries a day have to provide collection bins for battery recycling.  This means there will be lots of places where you can take your old batteries for recycling, such as your local supermarket and DIY stores.  You'll also find collection points in many high street shops, as well as some town halls, libraries and schools.

You can recycle all household batteries such as AAA cells, mobile phone batteries and button cells (used in hearing aids and watches). Any type of household batteries can be accepted at battery recycling points – typically from 1.5 to 9 volts, including all types of sealed batteries from AAAs through to laptop types. Other products that use portable batteries include cameras, laptops, cordless power tools, toys and household appliances such as electric toothbrushes, razors and hand-held vacuum cleaners.

Recycling batteries at the council offices

If you are paying a visit to the council offices, we have a battery collection box in reception where you can drop off your used batteries for recycling.  We also have recycling banks in the car park that take mixed recycling (same as your household collection) and for old textiles, shoes, books.

Last reviewed: 21 - 02 - 2012

Was this page helpful?YesNo