Green BAGS should be used ONLY for garden waste, including cut flowers, grass cuttings, leaves, twigs and also small branches, provided they are no larger than 7.5cm (3") in diameter.  (NOT for cardboard, which should go into the blue plastic box/blue wheelie). 

What about vegetable/fruit peelings?   These should NOT be put into the green bag. 

Do you have a garden (even very small)? If so, do you have a compost bin?  You can make your own compost to enrich your soil from vegetable/fruit peelings, tea leaves/tea bags/coffee grounds & filter paper, grass cuttings, hedge clippings, dry leaves, shredded paper (a good use for this, as Milton Keynes Recycling Facility doesn't really welcome shredded paper - see blue section below) and a lot more.

The City Council will not agree to people buying alternatives to its official green bag.  They say that it is only fair that people with large gardens, who produce large amounts of garden waste, should pay for additional bags, thereby contributing to the cost of collecting and composting.  However, if your green bag is lost after collection (some blow away), or if you suspect that it has been stolen, please contact the Council on 252 900 or e-mail recycling@oxford.gov.uk 

If you haven't got a convenient fence post for the Team to hang your green bag on after it has been emptied, you could ram something like a broom pole into the ground near your house entrance for them to use and prevent it being blown away.

 

 

 

Blue recycling box / BLUE wheelie

 

Please do NOT put TetraPaks (drinks / milk cartons)  into your blue box / blue wheelie


Click here for info on where to recycle TetraPaks and an explanation of why they can't be included with other kerbside recyclables at present.

 

If you have far too much in the way of plastic, cans and cardboard to fit into your blue box, you can get a blue wheelie, click here

 

Blue recycling boxes are for:

 

* cans - drinks & food cans, biscuit tins but NOT metal lids from jars, or TetraPaks (drinks / milk cartons. 
         

* aluminium foil trays (but NO food-soiled items, please)

 

* cardboard (very large pieces of cardboard can be put beside the box)

 * 'low grade' paper

¦ coloured office paper (this is sometimes used for flyers put through doors)
¦ catalogues with cardboard-like covers
¦ wrapping paper
¦ envelopes (including those with windows)
¦ art paper that has only ink or pencil on it
¦ directories (including Yellow Pages)
¦ shredded paper (any kind) could be put into your blue box, but please stuff it into something like an  empty breakfast cereal box to prevent it flying over the road when boxes are emptied.

Although Milton Keynes Recycling Facility will accept shredded paper in the 'co-mingled' (blue box) waste, they do not welcome it.   If you saw their machinery, you would understand why.  The shredded paper flies all over the place while going through the plant and also drops out after being baled ready to leave the plant with other paper.
 

Shredded paper is excellent for mixing in with your compost and, if you keep a bag of it under your sink, a handful of shredded paper can be used instead of kitchen paper to wipe greasy tins (then disposed of with household waste). 

 

Please do NOT include kitchen paper (even if clean), tissues (even if clean), Jiffy bags, art paper that has paint on it or glued collages.


 * plastics: plastic BOTTLES of all colours used for milk / drinks / shampoo / cleaning products

Can I leave the tops on plastic bottles / plastic milk containers?

It's better if you take them off, because they cause a few problems with the processing (click here for details kindly supplied by Holly Mills, Waste Education Officer, Milton Keynes Council). However, leaving them on does not cause serious difficulties.  You shouldn't include plastic lids of any kind from jars.

 Absolutely NO other plastics besides bottles in blue boxes / wheelies.

 

 

 

Green recycling BOXES are for:

* 'high grade' paper:

¦ newspapers and magazines (including those like Oxford City Council's Your Oxford news magazine)

¦ white 'office' paper (eg clean, white, A4)

¦ advertising leaflets printed on good quality, glossy, paper

¦ brochures printed on glossy paper

But anything that has a cardboard-like cover should go into the BLUE box.

 

* glass - all colours but NOT ovenproof glass, broken, or sheet glass.

 

         Fluorescent tubes and low energy light bulbs should be taken to Redbridge

 

 

The same week that green boxes are emptied, the recycling team also collect red bags.   These special plastic bags are
 available free from the Council for recycling clothes and other textiles, shoes that are still wearable/usable