Separated Recycling

Recycling collections are changing in the Vale of Glamorgan

From Monday 17 April 2023 you will need to sort your recyclable items into separate containers if you don't already do this.

If you live in Penarth, Dinas Powys, Llandough, Sully or the surrounding areas we will deliver your new containers to your home between Monday 6 March and Friday 14 April, and we’ll also give you a leaflet that will show you the type of household items you should put in each of your containers.

These changes do not apply if you live in an apartment or flat with communal recycling and waste bins.

What to put in your recycling containers

Find out what type of household items you should put in each of your containers:

• Grey Caddy - Glass bottles and jars

  

  

   

  Yes please

  • Glass bottles, such as those used for beer, wine and soft drinks
  • Glass jars, such as those used for baby food and sauces
  • Non-food and drink glass bottles and jars, such as those used for perfume, aftershave and face creams

  No thank you

  • Ceramics or china
  • Drinking glasses
  • Flat glass, such as windowpanes
  • Mirrors
  • Light bulbs
  • Glass cookware, such as Pyrex
  • Microwave plates
  • Vases
  • Nail varnish bottles
  • Broken glass
    
    

  Please wrap these items safely in an old newspaper or kitchen roll, or double-bag them, to ensure crews aren’t harmed when collecting them, then put them in your black bags, or take them to your local Household Waste Recycling Centre.

   

   

  Please remember to:

  • empty and rinse glass items

  • remove any metal or plastic caps or lids and put these in your blue bag for mixed metals and plastics

   

• Orange Bag - Cardboard

  

  

   

  Yes please

  • Cardboard boxes, such as those used for cereals, cakes, dishwasher tablets, shoes, tissues, toiletries, and toothpaste
  • Toilet roll tubes
  • Egg cartons
  • Card sleeves used to package foods, including ready-meals and multipacks
  • Greeting cards that don’t have badges, bows, foil, glitter or ribbons
  • Cardboard backing from packs of batteries and toothbrushes
  • Online delivery boxes and cardboard envelopes
  • Brown and grey paper

  No thank you

  • Food, oil, grease or paint contaminated cardboard, such as pizza boxes. Please put these items in your black bags
  • Greeting cards that have badges, bows, foil, glitter or ribbons that can’t be removed. Please put these items in your black bags
  • Wrapping paper. Please put these items in your black bags
  • Polystyrene. Please put these items in your black bags
  • Food and drink cartons, such as Tetra Pak, used for fruit juice, milk and soup. Please put these items in your blue bag for mixed metals and plastics

   

   

  Please remember to:

  • flatten and cut cardboard into small pieces to ensure it fits in your bag

  • keep cardboard dry

   

• Blue Bag - mixed metals, plastics, and food and drink cartons (such as Tetra Pak)

  

  

   

  Yes please

  • Drinks cans, such as those used for beer and soft drinks
  • Food tins, such as those used for beans and soup
  • Metal chocolate and biscuit tins, and their lids
  • Empty aerosols
  • Clean foil sheets and trays
  • Food and drink cartons, such as Tetra Pak, used for fruit juice, milk and soup

  No thank you

  • Crisp packets
  • Foil sweet wrappers
  • Food and drink laminated foil pouches, such as those used for coffee, juice, rice, baby food or pet food
  • E-cigarettes and vape pens and their batteries. Please take these items to your local Household Waste Recycling Centre

   

   

  Please remember to:

  • remove any pumps from toiletry bottles and put these in your black bags

  • remove any plastic film or absorbent pads and put these in your black bags

  • empty and rinse metal and plastic items

  • safely squash metal and plastic items to make them smaller, if possible

  • ensure aerosols are empty

  • ensure foil is clean

   

• White Bag - Paper

  

  

   

  Yes please

  • Letters
  • Envelopes, with and without windows
  • Magazines
  • Newspapers
  • Brochures and catalogues
  • Printer paper
  • Small quantities of shredded paper, such as receipts and household bills

  No thank you

  • Kitchen roll, paper towels, and tissues. Please put these items in your black bags
  • Scratch cards. Please put these items in your black bags
  • Sticky papers such as Post-it notes, sticky labels and paper tape. Please put these items in your black bags
  • Wallpaper. Please put these items in your black bags
  • Wrapping paper. Please put these items in your black bags
  • Food, oil, grease or paint contaminated paper. Please put these items in your black bags
  • Wet paper of any kind. Please put these items in your black bags
  • Brown or grey paper. Please put these items in your orange bag for cardboard

   

   

  Please remember to:

  • keep paper dry

   

• Small white bag - household batteries
  

  

   

  Yes please

  • Household batteries, such as AAA, AA, B, C, D, DD and 9V batteries

  No thank you

  • Lithium-ion ‘button’ batteries, such as those used in calculators, hearing aids and watches
  • E-cigarettes and vape pens and their batteries
  • Chargeable batteries from laptops, mobile phones, power tools and vacuum cleaners
  • Car batteries
  • Battery chargers
    
    

  Please take these items to your local Household Waste Recycling Centre.

• Green Caddy - Food waste

  

  

   

  Yes please

  • Used teabags and coffee grounds
  • Eggshells
  • Fruit and vegetable peelings
  • Raw and cooked meat and fish, including bones and shells
  • Plate scrapings
  • Leftovers that can’t be safely stored to eat later
  • Food that’s no longer safe to eat
  • Animal food

  No thank you

  • Packaging of any kind
  • Liquids such as milk. You may pour small amounts of liquid food or drinks down the sink, ideally alongside a small amount of water to ensure the waste runs away easily, without causing blockages
  • Liquid oils or fats. Please take these items to your local Household Waste Recycling Centre in a suitable container
  • Any material that’s not food waste
    
    

  If you need to get rid of any fats that are solid or only part-liquid, please put these in your black bags.

   

   

  Please remember to:

  • when you’re about to run out of food waste liners for your kitchen caddy, just tie one around your outdoor caddy handle on your collection day, and our crews will place a new roll of bags alongside it. You can also collect caddy liners from your local library

   

• Green Bag - Garden Waste

  

  

   

  Yes please

  • Grass, leaves and most weeds
  • Plants and flowers
  • Shrub cuttings and hedge clippings
  • Pet bedding used by non-meat-eating animals, such as hay, straw or wood shavings

  No thank you

  • Soil, stones or logs. Please take these items to your localHousehold Waste Recycling Centre
  • Invasive weeds such as Japanese knotweed. Please arrange for a specialist contractor to collect this and dispose of it safely
  • Any garden furniture, whether plastic or wooden. Please take these items to your localHousehold Waste Recycling Centre
  • Animal or human faeces. Please put these items in yourblack bags
  • Pet bedding used by meat-eating animals. Please put these items in yourblack bags

   

   

  Please remember to:

  • we collect garden waste between March and November

  • to ‘ring and request’ a collection between December and February, if you need one

   

Recycling A to Z

To find out what household waste you can and can’t recycle at home, use our handy A to Z guide. You can search for an item and we'll tell you how to recycle or dispose of it correctly.

Information sessions on changes to recycling collections

We are running several information sessions to answer your questions on the upcoming changes to recycling collections in the Vale of Glamorgan. Find your nearest session below:

Frequently asked questions on changes to recycling collections

• What’s changing?

  From Monday 17 April 2023:

   

  You’ll need to sort your recyclable items into separate containers. We’ve given to you:

  o   a new grey caddy for your glass bottles and jars,

  o   a new orange bag for your cardboard, and

  o   a new white bag for your paper

   

  Please use your existing blue bag for your mixed metals, plastics, and food and drink cartons (such as Tetra Pak). If you don’t currently have a blue bag, you may collect one from your local library, or you may contact us.

   

  We’re introducing a free new recycling collection for your batteries. We’ve given to you a new small white bag for your household batteries.

   

  We’re introducing a free new recycling collection for your small electrical items. If you need to get rid of any small electrical items, place them loosely on top of one of your recycling bags or caddies. Do not put them in any type of container, including any single-use plastic bags. 

• When are the changes happening?

  The changes have been phased in across the local authority.

   

  The changes happened in Rural Vale areas in 2019 and in Barry in 2020.

   

  This third and final rollout affects residents living in Penarth, Dinas Powys, Llandough, Sully and surrounding areas, and takes effect from Monday 17 April 2023.

   

  If you live in an apartment or flat with communal recycling and non-recyclable waste bins, these changes don’t affect you at this time.

• Why are you making these changes?

  By collecting your recycling in separate containers, it improves the quality of the recycling we collect from you. This means more of it will remain within the UK to be recycled, which is better for the environment.

   

  By introducing new collections for your batteries and small electrical items, it’ll make it even easier for you to recycle even more of your waste from home. 

   

  It’s in line with the advised approach for all recycling and non-recyclable waste collections across Wales set by Welsh Government, which will help us meet its target of recycling 70% of all our waste by 2025. 

   

  Most of these changes have already been rolled out elsewhere in the Vale of Glamorgan, and we’ve seen an increase in both the amount and quality of recycling collected in those areas.

• Will my collection day change? 
  Your collection day will not change.

• Will I receive new containers?

  Between Monday 6 March and Friday 14 April 2023, we’ll deliver new containers to your home. These include: 

   

  • a new grey caddy for your glass bottles and jars, 
  • a new orange bag for your cardboard, 
  • a new white bag for your paper, and
  • a new small white bag for your household batteries

   

  Please use your existing blue bag for your mixed metals, plastics, and food and drink cartons (such as Tetra Pak). If you don’t currently have a blue bag, you may collect one from your local library, or you may contact us. 

   

  If you need to get rid of any small electrical items, place them loosely on top of one of your recycling bags or caddies. Do not put them in any type of container, including any single-use plastic bags.

   

  Please continue to use your existing green caddy for your food waste and your existing green bag for your garden waste.

• My neighbours have received their new containers; why haven’t I? 

  Houses across the road or further down the street may be on different delivery routes, which means you might receive your new containers at different times or on different days.

   

  We will deliver your new recycling containers to your home between Monday 6 March and Friday 14 April 2023.

• What should I do if I don’t receive my new recycling containers by Friday 14 April 2023?

  You should receive your new recycling containers and information leaflet by Friday 14 April, but if you don’t, please contact us. 

• How should I present my recycling and non-recyclable waste? 

  • Put the correct items in the correct containers
  • Tie your food waste caddy liners and black bags securely
  • Close the flaps and lids on your bags and caddies
  • Use only the Council-provided bags, caddies and food waste liners for your recycling Do not use any other type of container, including any single-use plastic bags
  • Place your containers at your collection point before 7am on your collection day
  • Collect your bags and caddies from your collection point once we’ve emptied them

• What should I do with plastic bags and wrapping? 

   If you need to get rid of any plastic bags or wrapping, some of these items are accepted at out of home recycling points at locations such as supermarkets. Visit www.walesrecycles.org.uk to find your nearest facility.

   

  The types of items accepted may vary between different locations, therefore please follow the guidance provided by the organisation managing the recycling point. 

   

  If you’re unable to take these items to one of these facilities and you need to dispose of these at home, please put them in your black bags for non-recyclable waste.

   

  Plastic bags and wrapping include:

  • Carrier bags and Bags for Life
  • Ready-packed fruit, salad and vegetable bags
  • Thin plastic bags for loose fruit, salad and vegetable items
  • Film, such as cling film, ready meal lids or yoghurt pot lids
  • Freezer bags
  • Frozen food bags
  • Pasta and rice bags
  • Bread bags
  • Magazine and newspaper wrapping
  • Multipack wrapping and rings from bottle and can multipacks
  • Cereal box liners
  • Wrapping from toilet and kitchen roll packs
  • Dry cleaning bags and bags covering new clothing
  • Parcel bags and bubble wrap
  • Packaging and sticky tape
  • Crisp packets and biscuit wrappers 
  • Food and drink laminated foil pouches, such as those used for coffee, juice, rice, baby food or pet food

   

  Do not put plastic bags and wrapping in your blue bag for mixed metals and plastics.

• What happens to my recycling once you collect it?  

  To find out what happens to your recycling once we collect it, and where it goes, visit www.myrecyclingwales.org.uk. 

   

  To find out what your recycling becomes, visit www.walesrecycles.org.uk.   

• What may I do with my old recycling containers? 

  You may continue to use your existing blue bag to recycle extra:

  • metal cans, tins, aerosols and foil,
  • plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays, and
  • food and drink cartons (such as Tetra Pak).

   

  You may also continue to use your existing green box to recycle any extra glass bottles and jars. 

• Can I get extra recycling containers? 

  Yes. If you would like extra containers, you may collect these from your local library, or you may contact us.

• How may I order replacement recycling containers if mine are damaged or broken?

  To order replacement recycling containers, contact us. 

• Where can I collect more food waste caddy liners?

   When you’re about to run out of food waste liners for your kitchen caddy, just tie one around your outdoor caddy handle on your collection day, and our crews will place a new roll of liners alongside it. 

  
  You may also collect caddy liners from your local library.

• If I move home, should I take my recycling containers with me?

  No. If you move to another home in the Vale of Glamorgan, the previous residents should have left their recycling containers at the property. But if you arrive at your new home, or you move to a new housing development, and are unable to locate the recycling containers for the property, please contact us.

• I currently receive an ‘assisted collection’. Will this continue? 

  Yes. If you currently receive an ‘assisted collection’, we will continue to provide this service for you. You don’t need to register again for this service.

• I’m unable to put my recycling and non-recyclable waste out for you to collect. Can you please help me with this?

  If you’re temporarily or permanently unable to put your recycling and non-recyclable waste out for us to collect due to you having limited mobility, and there is no one else to help you, you may contact us to apply for an ‘assisted collection’ and we will assess your situation.

   

  An ‘assisted collection’ is when our crews collect your recycling and non-recyclable waste from an agreed collection point that’s convenient and easy for you to access.

• I only produce a small amount of recycling. Must I use all the new containers? 

  If you produce only a small amount of recycling, you may benefit from switching your new containers for a single ‘quad bag’. This is a single re-useable bag with four sections:

  • one for your glass bottles and jars,
  • one for your mixed metals, plastics, and food and drink cartons (such as Tetra Pak),
  • one for your cardboard, and
  • one for your paper

   

  Please contact us to discuss your needs.

   

  If we deliver this new ‘quad bag’ to your home, we’ll collect your existing blue bag, and your new grey caddy, orange bag and white bag.”

   

  You will keep your new small white bag for your household batteries.

• What else can I recycle at home? 

  To find out what other household waste you can and can’t recycle at home, use our handy A to Z guide. It allows you to search for an item and we'll tell you how to recycle or dispose of it correctly. 

• What else can I recycle in the Vale of Glamorgan?
  You may recycle a wide range of materials at your local Household Waste Recycling Centre. 

• I need help sorting and recycling my waste. Can you please help me? 

  We have a team of Recycling Officers that can:

  • give you advice and guidance about all our recycling and non-recyclable waste services,
  • support you to maximise your recycling and minimise your non-recyclable waste, and
  • consider whether you might need an ‘allowance’ to put out an extra black bag of non-recyclable waste, if you’re sorting your waste correctly and recycling all you can.

   

  To arrange for one of our Recycling Officers to visit you in your home, please contact us.

• I live in an apartment/flat. Do these changes affect me?

  If you live in an apartment or flat where you currently place your recycling and non-recyclable out to be collected at the kerbside, you are affected by these changes.

   

  We will deliver your new containers to your home between Monday 6 March and Friday 14 April, and we’ll also give to you a leaflet that will show you the type of household items you should put in each of your containers.

   

  If you live in an apartment or flat with communal recycling and non-recyclable waste bins, these changes don’t affect you at this time.

   

  When the changes are rolled out in your building, the property management company will contact you directly.

   

  These changes are likely to be rolled out in spring/summer 2023.

• What will happen if I accidently put something in the wrong container?

  It’s important you put the correct items in the correct containers, and that your recycling containers don’t contain materials that can’t be recycled. However, we recognise that anyone can make a mistake. 

  
  If you put out a container that’s too full or too heavy, or it includes items that shouldn’t be there, our crews will place a sticker on it asking you to correctly sort its contents in time for your next collection.

  
  If you're unsure of where to put certain items, take a look at the information leaflet we’ll give to you with your new containers, or use our handy A to Z guide. It allows you to search for an item and we'll tell you how to recycle or dispose of it correctly.

  
  If you realise you’ve put something into the wrong container after your recycling has been collected, please don’t worry – just try to remember to get it right next time.

• How may I report a missed collection?

  We may collect your recycling and black bags at any time up until 9pm on your collection day.

  
  If we’ve not collected your recycling or black bags by 10am the day after your collection day, please report a ‘missed collection’.

  
  However, if you see a sticker on one or more of your recycling containers that hasn’t been emptied by 9pm on your collection day, it’s likely we haven’t missed the collection, but instead we’ve not emptied the container because there’s an item in it that shouldn’t be there. 

  
  If you see a sticker on your container, please take your container back inside your home, sort its contents, then put it out again the following week for us to collect. 

  
  If you’re unsure what the incorrectly placed item is, take a look at the information leaflet we’ll give to you with your new containers, or use our handy A to Z guide. It allows you to search for an item and we'll tell you how to recycle or dispose of it correctly.

• What will your collection crews do with my recycling containers once they’ve emptied them?

  We’ve provided training to our collection crews that includes how to correctly return your recycling containers after we’ve collected their contents.

   

  Crews will fold your empty bags and put them inside your grey caddy (for glass bottles and jars), then return your containers to the kerb outside your home.

Key documents

For more information on the reasons for these changes please see the background documents below: