Are you recycling right?

The more we recycle, the more we can reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill and incinerators, which is an essential way to protect our environment and prevent pollution.

We appreciate all your efforts in recycling your household waste, however we’re still seeing the wrong items regularly dropped into recycling bins which can cause problems at the recycling plant.

Different areas of the UK have different recycling capabilities, so although an item may be labelled “recyclable”, it might not be recyclable in Southampton.

These are the six items you should place into your blue lidded recycling bin:

• Plastic bottles
• Aluminium cans
• Metal tins
• Paper
• Cardboard
• And empty aerosols

Always make sure the recyclable items in your recycle bin are clean, dry and loose (and not in a plastic bag).

Please don’t put glass bottles and jars in the recycling bin. These should be rinsed out and placed in your glass collection bin/box, or your nearest glass pod.

If you live in a block of flats with a bin store, please keep these areas clean and tidy by putting rubbish inside the bins and not left on the floor. Large bulky items of furniture can’t be left next to the bins. If you have old bikes, buggies or furniture to get rid of try donating them to charity or advertising them on sites like freecycle. You can also dispose of large items by booking a bulky waste collection or taking them to the city’s Household Waste Recycling Centre in First Avenue.

Electrical and battery powered items should never go in any household bin. If you can’t reuse or donate these items, please ensure you dispose of them responsibly. Hundreds of retailers now take dead batteries and often old electrical items too. You can also take old batteries and electric devices to the city’s Household Waste Recycling Centre in First Avenue where staff will be happy to assist you.

For more information on what can and can’t be recycled, and how to recycle household waste that can’t recycled at home, please visit our Recycling Guide.