What can I put in my bin?
Recycling bin - green bin and black box
Your green wheelie bin is for recycling and is collected fortnightly.
If you live in a house that has no room for a wheelie bin, you can have a black box for your recycling.
Please leave your bin/box for collection on the front boundary of your property for 6am on collection day.
Important information
Please make sure all the bottles and containers / tins are empty and place them into your recycling bin loose, without any plastic bags or sacks.
Items that you can and can't put in your recycling bin are listed below. But, if you are unsure please ask us by emailing recycling@maidstone.gov.uk.
| Can | Can't | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Glass bottles & jars | Plastic sacks | ||
| Plastic meat trays | Nappies | ||
| Fruit & vegetable punnets | Food waste | ||
| Plastic bottles | Cling film and plastic films | ||
| Yogurt pots & plastic tubs | Crisp packets / pet food pouches | ||
| Newspaper & magazines | Food & drink cartons | ||
| Leaflets, envelopes & junk mail | Bread bags | ||
| Phone books & yellow pages | Carrier bags | ||
| Cardboard packaging | Polystyrene | ||
| Flattened cardboard | Textiles, shoes or clothes | ||
| Cans & tins | Electrical items | ||
| Sweet & biscuit tins | Batteries AA, AAA etc | ||
| Metal bottle tops & jar lids | |||
| Kitchen foil & foil trays | |||
| Empty aerosol cans | |||
Where can I recycle?
Sites
Please help us to help charities by tying shoes together in pairs and putting everything into the right banks which have been outlined below.
| Where | Glass | Shoes | Textiles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allington: London Road Park & Ride | |||
| Barming: The Bull Inn, Tonbridge Road | |||
| East Farleigh: The Bull Pub, Lower Road | |||
| Grafty Green: Who'd a Thought It Pub, Headcorn Road | |||
| Grove Green: Tesco, Grovewood Drive | |||
| Leeds: Leeds Castle Golf Course | |||
| Mote Park: Willington Street Park & Ride | |||
| Senacre: Senacre Square, Woolley Road | |||
| Shepway: Morrisons, Sutton Road | |||
| Town Centre: Samaritans, 48 Grecian Street |
Where does my recycling go?
Our waste collection vehicles have two separate sections; one for food recycling which is collected every week and the other for either mixed recycling or rubbish which are collected fortnightly on alternating weeks. This means that we have half as many vehicles on the road which helps to reduce traffic levels and carbon emissions.
Mixed Recycling
Including:
- Paper, card and cardboard
- Glass bottles and jars
- Plastic bottles
- Plastic grocery packaging
- Tins and cans
- Kitchen foil and foil trays
- Empty aerosol cans
Mixed recycling is taken to a Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) in Crayford.
Once at Crayford the mixed recycling is sorted into specific categories such as paper, card, glass, plastic, and metals which are baled and ready to then be sent on to suppliers to be made into new products.
Rubbish
The rubbish from your black bin is taken to Kent Enviropower in Allington. Here the waste is burnt to create electricity.
Food Recycling
The food recycling collected from resident’s homes is taken to a composting facility in East Malling. It’s treated at high temperatures to kill any harmful bacteria and then used locally on farms as a soil improver.
Garden Waste
Green waste collected from your garden bin is taken to East Malling for composting, which is used on local farms.
Textiles Recycling
Textiles are recycled by Lawrence M Barry. They can be recycled by placing them in a standard sized carrier bag and presenting them next to your green recycling bin. Please do not put textiles in your recycling bin.
Small Electrical Items
Small electrical items are recycled by MDJ Light Brothers Ltd - Residents are able to recycle small electrical items by placing them in a standard sized carrier bag and presenting them next to their rubbish bin.
Small electrical items are sent on for recycling and the components are separated and used in manufacturing. To take part simply place your small electrical items into a carrier bag and place this next to your black rubbish bin on your next scheduled rubbish collection.
Batteries Recycling
Batteries are recycled by Battery Back PLC or Wastecare - Batteries can be recycled by placing them in a small sandwich bag and leaving them on the closed lid of your black rubbish bin. We will only collect cell type batteries not power tool, car or lead acid type batteries.
Learn more about recycling
Thanks to our residents in 2020/21 we recycled and composted over 50% of our waste and this year the figure is still around that level. All recycling and composting helps to reduce global warming and reduce the environmental impact of waste. Please help us by recycling and composting as much of your waste as you can.
Love Food Hate Waste
A third of the food we buy in the UK gets thrown away. For tips on storing food and recipes for using up leftovers you can visit the Love Food Hate Waste website.
Our top tip for reducing food waste - check the cupboards and fridge before you go shopping, make a list and only buy what you actually need to eat. The average family could save up to £750 per year by reducing food waste.
Educational visits
If you are a school, community group or run a Cub or Brownie pack, we can give talks and presentations. Topics include recycling, composting and littering.
If your group would like to organise a litter pick, we can give advice, equipment and even help collect the rubbish.
If you'd like to organise a litter pick or are interested in our educational visits email waste@maidstone.gov.uk.
Eco Schools
Eco Schools is a programme for schools which aims to raise awareness of sustainable development issues, to find out more you can take a look on the Keep Britain Tidy website.
Food recycling - black and orange food bin
Where to purchase a kitchen caddy
Residents can buy a kitchen caddy from most homeware stores or online. Alternatively you can reuse a container, such as an ice cream tub.
Do I need to line my kitchen caddy?
You don’t have to line your kitchen caddy, but if you do please use compostable bags, kitchen roll or newspaper. Liners are made out of potato starch, corn starch or paper and are certified EN 13432.
Please don't use plastic bags as they can’t be composted.
If you choose to line your caddy, residents are able to purchase liners at a discounted rate from Bio Bag. Click here to purchase.
What can I put in my kitchen caddy or food bin?
You can put any raw or cooked food in your caddy and can even scrape uneaten food straight into it.
| Can | Can't | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| All dairy products | Liquids | ||
| Bread, cakes & pastries | Oil or liquid fat | ||
| Eggs | Packaging of any sort | ||
| Fruit & vegetables - raw & cooked | Plastic bags | ||
| Meat & fish - raw & cooked including bones | Compostable cups & plates | ||
| Rice, pasta & beans | |||
| Tea bags & coffee grounds | |||
| Takeaway left overs | |||
| Uneaten food from your plates & dishes | |||
Garden waste - brown bin
Items you can and can't put in your garden bin:
| Can | Can't | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Flowers & Plants | Kitchen scraps | ||
| Grass cuttings | Rubble | ||
| Hedge trimmings and prunings | Stones | ||
| Leaves & small branches | Turf | ||
| Weeds and a small amount of leaves | Soil or compost | ||
We may not collect your garden bin if it is contaminated with incorrect materials. If you are unsure please ask recycling@maidstone.gov.uk.
It’s important that the quality of material collected for composting is high with no contamination with animal or food waste if it is to be of an acceptable standard for composting. This includes fruit or vegetable matter that may have come into contact with animal matter when being prepared in the kitchen.
If you have food waste, this will be collected separately for treatment when presented in the 23L orange/brown caddy. Fruit and other suitable food waste can be composted at home and all householders with gardens, are encouraged to use this sustainable disposal method.
We will not be able to take your bin if it's too heavy for the crew to move safely, or if the collection vehicle can't pick it up.
Other collection services
Textiles collections
Textiles are collected on your recycling collection day. By textiles we mean clothes, unfortunately this means we can't accept towels, sheets, pillows or duvets or any items in black sacks or charity bags. Recycle Now may be able to direct you to places that you can recycle other textiles.
These should fit into a carrier bag and put next to your green recycling bin.
Electrical collections
Small electrical items will be collected on your rubbish collection day.
The items should fit into a carrier bag and put next to your black rubbish bin. We can't accept televisions, computer monitors or any items that won't fit into a standard sized carrier bag.
Batteries
Batteries will be collected on your rubbish collection day.
They should be placed in a sandwich bag on the closed lid of your bin. Unfortunately, we cannot accept car batteries or other lead acid batteries.
Important information
Please do not place textiles, small electrical items or batteries in your main recycling bin - these types of materials must be collected separately.
If they are in the recycling bin these materials are considered to be contamination, which may cause the whole recycling load to be rejected - so please keep them separate, thank you.
Non-recyclable waste - black bins and sacks
Your black wheelie bin is for rubbish that can’t be recycled and is collected fortnightly. You’ll need to make sure the rubbish is inside the bin with the lid shut. Please don't put rubbish on top or by the side of the bin, crews are instructed not to remove excess side waste.
If you live in a house that has no room for a wheelie bin, you’ll need to use black sacks. These can be readily purchased in all supermarkets and local convenience stores.
Please leave your bin or sacks for collection on the front boundary of your property for 6am on collection day.
Items that you cannot put in your black bin:
| Cannot | |
|---|---|
| Builders rubbish such as rubble, tiles or wood | |
| Bulky heavy items | |
| DIY stuff such as paint tins | |
| Electrical items | |
| Flammable liquids | |
| Gas bottles including fire extinguishers | |
| Grass or other garden waste | |
| Needles | |
| Tyres or car batteries | |
| Mirrors/Glass | |