What you can and can't recycle
You can put a lot of recycling items in your green top black bins which are collected fortnightly.
- What you can and can't recycle (pdf 728 kb)
If you have additional items you would like to recycle, that we do not currently collect, the recycling locator will help you find your nearest drop-off point.
Paper
Yes please - plain wrapping paper (not laminated), newspapers, magazines, junk mail, computer paper, envelopes (including windowed envelopes), catalogues and directories, paper bags.
No thanks - shredded paper, gift wrap, plastic-coated (laminated) paper, paper towels, tissues and napkins, wallpaper.
Cardboard
Yes please - plain Christmas cards (not laminated), cereal packets, food boxes, greetings cards, kitchen and toilet roll holders, corrugated card.
No thanks - any plastic or foam packaging left inside cardboard boxes (please dispose of this in your black bin), pizza boxes (due to food debris).
Plastic bottles
Yes please - food and drink bottles (e.g. milk, cooking oil, squash and fizzy drinks), detergent bottles (e.g. washing up liquid, cleaning fluids, bleach and fabric softener), toiletries (e.g. shampoo, shower gel and liquid soap), spray bottles with the spray gun left on, plastic bottle tops.
No thanks - bottles containing liquid, pump dispensers on top of plastic bottles.
Tins and cans
Yes please - food tins including pet food tins, drinks cans, sweet and biscuit tins.
No thanks - paint tins, partially full food/pet food tins or dirty tins, other metals or metal packaging.
Aerosols
Yes please - food e.g. cream and oil, deodorant, hairspray.
No thanks - lids, full or partially full aerosols.
Don't forget your recycling needs to be clean, dry and loose to be of use! This means that the materials is less likely to be contaminated and can be easily sorted.
It is important that the right materials are placed in the container to avoid contamination/spoiling the quality of the other good recyclable material.
Your local recycling centre can also receive:
- unwanted clothes and shoes
Glass
Although you can not put glass into your recycling bin at home, you can take it to one of the borough's glass recycling banks. You can find your nearest site by clicking here.
Why can't I recycle plastic packaging?
Plastic pots, tubs and trays are made up of a wider variety of polymers.
This range of polymers cannot be successfully sorted in our Material Recovery Facilities without investing significantly in new equipment, which at this stage would be prohibitively expensive.
Where does my recycling go?
All of the recyclable materials from Hampshire's kerbside collections (cans, plastic bottles, paper, card, tins and empty aerosols) are sent to one of two Material Recovery Facilities in the county, in Portsmouth and Alton. Find out more about where your recycling goes on the Hampshire County Council website.