Waste and Recycling - Frequently Asked Questions
This page answers the most common queries we receive about recycling and waste collection. We have put these questions into categories to make finding the information you require easier.
- About the Alternate Bin Collection (ABC) scheme
- Why Recycle
- How to Recycle
- What Can and Cannot Be Recycled
- Maintaining Your Bins
- Making the Most of Bin and Sack Space
About the Alternate Bin Collection (ABC) scheme
- Why should I separate my recycling from my landfill rubbish?
- What happens to our recyclables?
- Why do I have to pay for a brown bin and the biodegradable garden waste sacks? Isn’t this included in my council tax already?
- Where do I put my blue bin for collection?
- I am on a sack collection. How can I join in the recycling scheme?
- I live in a flat. What kind of refuse and recycling service do I get?
- I am elderly and/or disabled and cannot manage with the recycling containers, can you help?
- How clean do the recycled materials have to be?
What can and cannot be recycled
- What do I put in each bin?
- What will happen if I place non-acceptable materials in my kerbside recycling container?
- Why don't you collect materials such Tetra Pak waxed cartons via the kerbside collection?
- Why don’t you collect glass via the kerbside collection?
- What can I recycle at recycling sites?
- Why don’t you collect food waste for recycling?
- What do I do with pet waste?
- What happens if I lose my bin?
- How can I keep my bin clean?
- The contents of my bin will smell. Is it a health hazard?
- How can I stop maggots getting in my bin?
- What about rats, vermin and foraging animals?
Making the most of bin and sack space
- How do I get a brown or blue bin?
- I don’t have enough room for all the waste I accumulate over a fortnight, and I am already recycling as much as possible?
- I have only got a small landfill bin, which is not sufficient. Can I get a larger bin or two bins?
- How can I minimise my waste?
- What if I have excess waste that won’t fit in my bin? Can I put it out anyway?
About the (Alternate Bin Collection) ABC Scheme
Why did the Council implement the ABC scheme?
The ABC scheme was implemented in October 2006 for environmental and economic reasons. By adopting these measures we are recycling and composting much more and sending less of our household waste for disposal in polluting landfill. The Council is also trying to avoid you having to pay the increased taxes and fines associated with spiralling landfill costs. If we had not made the change, Bracknell Forest residents could have faced paying up to an extra £7.7 million over the next five years.
The Government has set targets for all local authorities to encourage more recycling and the Council has done much to try and change the community’s perception of waste as ‘just rubbish’ to seeing it as a valuable resource. Bracknell Forest Borough residents have achieved a remarkable amount since 1996 when kerbside collections of newspapers were introduced and recycling increased then to 9 per cent. Since then all the recycling targets have been exceeded. The rate of recycling has increased over the first two years of ABC to 42 per cent due to participation by residents in the scheme.
Landfill has become scarce and from April 2006 councils were given a statutory landfill allowance. If this allowance is exceeded it will cost the Council £150 per tonne in fines from government. Landfill tax is £40 per tone from 2009 and will increase by £8 per tonne each year. If the Council had not introduced measures to divert more waste from landfill then this would have cost the Council £1.5 million in tax alone without even considering the cost of transport and the landfill disposal. These taxes and fines could have generated an additional 10 per cent on council tax bills. ABC has helped us to avoid this.
How can I find out which collection zone I live in?
Enter your address into LocalView and click on Search. LocalView gives information about your area including your waste and recycling zone.
Why Recycle
Why should I separate my recycling from my landfill rubbish?
Separating waste involves some effort but the long-term benefits of recycling and reducing landfill are collectively extremely important. If waste is not separated it cannot be recycled economically or sustainably. Experience from councils running ABC schemes shows most residents say they are happy to separate their waste once they get the hang of it and feel that they are making a real contribution to the environment.
What happens to our recyclables?
Kerbside recyclables are sent to a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) in Reading, which is provided as part of the re3 joint waste contract. The different types of material are sorted and sent for recycling often into the same product as before. Plastic bottles can be used to make fleeces, rucksacks, T-shirts, drainpipes and picnic benches while cans can become engine parts. Garden waste is shredded and composted is reused to improve soil in a sustainable way.
Why do I have to pay for a brown bin and the biodegradable garden waste sacks? Isn’t this included in my council tax already?
Not everyone needs this extra service and therefore only those who use these bins pay for them. The Council provides brown bins of a specific size and strength and are matched to the lifting gear on the collection vehicles. Each bin is serial numbered and residents are asked to place their house address on them to enable clear identification and return of lost bins to the owner.
How to recycle
Where do I put my blue bin for collection?
In the same place as your other wheelie bins.
I am on a sack collection. How can I join in the recycling scheme?
If you do not have room for bins or boxes you can have a clear sack for cans, plastic bottles, newspapers and card.
I live in a flat. What kind of refuse and recycling service do I get?
Flats with limited space and large communal bins for waste and recycling still have a weekly refuse collection. The majority of flats with individual or shared bins have fortnightly collections, apart from a few places, with space limitation. Communal and shared refuse bins will be cleansed annually by the Council. The majority of flats in the Borough have recycling bins. Free woven plastic bags are available to residents of flats to help them store recyclables and carry them to their communal recycling containers.
I am elderly and/or disabled and cannot manage with the recycling containers, can you help?
Contact customer services on 01344 352000 or customer.services@bracknell-forest.gov.uk for an assisted doorstep collection. More information about this is also available on our assisted doorstep collection page.
How clean do the recycled materials have to be?
Cans, glass bottles and jars can be rinsed using the water that you have washed your dishes in, but take care with any sharp edges. There is no need for them to be completely cleaned using fresh water, as long as any large amounts of food residues are taken out. However, the cleaner they are the less risk there is of smell or making your bin or box messy.
What can and cannot be recycled
What do I put in each bin?
Please visit our What Goes in Which Bin page.
What will happen if I place non-acceptable materials in my kerbside recycling container?
If you put any non-acceptable materials in your blue bin or green kerbside box it will not be emptied until they have been removed. The reason for this is that the whole load will be rejected by the waste contractor if it is contaminated with materials that cannot be processed at the materials recovery facility in Reading.
Why don't you collect materials such Tetra Pak waxed cartons via the kerbside collection?
There are four recycling sites in the Borough with Tetra Pak banks that take juice, milk and soup cartons or similar products.
Why don’t you collect glass via the kerbside collection?
We have a good network of glass recycling sites for residents across the Borough, they are extremely well used and this is the most cost effective method of collection. Glass can get broken in bins, making it dangerous for recycling collectors and it would need to be collected separately from other recyclables to avoid contamination of paper and card. Please refer to our A-Z for more information about recycling glass.
What can I recycle at recycling sites?
Glass, shoes and textiles, CDs, books, Tetra Paks and foil can be taken to recycling points around the Borough. Please see the list of recycling banks for more details. Plastic carrier bags can be recycled at most major supermarkets but most residents are now using 'bags for life'.
Why don’t you collect food waste for recycling?
Food waste can only be processed using a special composting process and is very expensive. There are no local processing plants available to the Council at present. Green Cones are available. Please see our Food Waste page for more information.
What do I do with pet waste?
Pet waste should be wrapped in a plastic bag and put in the landfill bin – it cannot be put in the brown bin or biodegradable sacks with garden waste. Alternatively, you could consider buying an inexpensive dog loo – see www.petstuffgalore.co.uk. Cage and hutch waste from small animals like hamsters and rabbits can be put in home composters in your garden.
Maintaining your bins
What happens if I lose my bin?
All bins should have the property number or name clearly marked on them. If the bin has been caught up in the mechanics of the refuse or recycling collection vehicle, you will receive a replacement free of charge. If your bin has gone missing and you have been unable to find it, please contact the Council on 01344 352000. You will have to pay a charge for delivery of a replacement.
How can I keep my bin clean?
If you wrap food and don’t place any liquid in your bin it should remain clean. Bins can be cleaned with normal household detergent, warm water and a broom or you can arrange for a local bin cleaning company to do this for you.
The contents of my bin will smell. Is it a health hazard?
There is no evidence from the other 100 schemes that operate across the country and a study in 2006 that there are any health issues with any waste disposal scheme. It depends on residents being responsible and wrapping food waste, keeping the bin lid closed and keeping the bin out of direct sunlight where possible.
How can I stop maggots getting in my bin?
It is important food waste is not left where flies can land on it, so leftovers can be wrapped in used plastic bags – remembering to squeeze out all of the air before sealing the bags.
Nappies and pet litter should also be wrapped up.
What about rats, vermin and foraging animals?
Vermin will not be attracted to bins if the waste is dealt with appropriately.
Making the most of bin and sack space
How do I get a brown or blue bin?
Blue wheelie bins are available free of charge. The brown bins (for garden waste) can be bought for a one-off charge of £30.75 and become your personal property - no additional charge is made for emptying these bins.
To order, contact Customer Services on 01344 352000 or complete a form on the Council’s website at www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/abc.
I don’t have enough room for all the waste I accumulate over a fortnight, and I am already recycling as much as possible?
The majority of residents are managing and as a result over 40% of rubbish is now being recycled. Extra blue bins can be ordered if you need them. You can also arrange for an officer to visit you at home and give individual help and advice on minimising waste.
We recognise that some larger families may need more help; please call 01344 352000 to arrange a home visit.
I have only got a small landfill bin, which is not sufficient. Can I get a larger bin or two bins?
A small bin will be big enough for a family of up to three people, while households of four and over will receive a large bin which can be requested via Customer Services on 01344 352000. For individual assessments, please call to arrange a home visit.
How can I minimise my waste?
It is better to reduce waste than to recycle or landfill rubbish. Buy products with less packaging (like fruit and vegetables) that avoid unnecessary trays and wrapping, or buy the large or economy sizes, where practical, and always avoid plastic containers and plastic bags when you can. Avoiding purchasing more food than you need will ensure that it is not wasted. One third of the food we buy ends up being thrown away! Visit Love Food Hate Waste for more information about food waste. Visit Waste Minimisation for more general information.
What if I have excess waste that won’t fit in my bin? Can I put it out anyway?
The Council expects the vast majority of homes will get their rubbish in the wheelie bins or kerbside boxes. Excess rubbish, either in bags next to the bins or preventing the lid shutting, will not be taken. It is appreciated that everyone occasionally has additional rubbish. This can be taken to the Longshot Lane civic amenity site.
Extra recycling can be put out at the kerbside in a clear plastic bag or, if cardboard, flattened.
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