Recycling

Information about your green recycling bin

Recycling is collected every 2 weeks. Find out your next recycling collection day.

What can go in my green recycling bin?

Only place the following in your recycling bin/box. Everything must be:

Clean (no food stains, grease, dirt on…)
Dry (no wet item or items with liquids in)
Loose (don’t bag them, and don’t put items inside each other)

Paper

Yes

all clean paper
magazines
newspapers
window envelopes
catalogues
writing paper

No

dirty paper
greasy paper
mouldy paper
laminated or waxed paper
paper with glitter, glue or ribbons
tissues
shredded paper

Cardboard

Yes

all clean cardboard
cardboard boxes
cereal boxes
ready meal card sleeves
loo roll inserts
cardboard egg boxes
cardboard packaging
plain greetings cards

No

cardboard stained with food, grease, liquids or paint
wet cardboard
mouldy cardboard
cardboard with glitter, glue or ribbons
Tetra Pak cartons

Plastic bottles (with lids on)

Yes

all empty bottle-shaped plastics
drinks bottles
cleaner/detergent bottles
toiletries/shampoo bottles
vitamin bottles

There’s no need to check the plastic type. Squash the bottle and put the lid back on (loose lids are too small for processing).

No

non-bottle shaped plastics (regardless of their plastic type)
bottles with liquids in

Tins and cans

Yes

all food tins and drinks cans
biscuit and sweet tins

No

cans of paints (even empty)
aluminium foil

Aerosols

Yes

empty aerosols such as air fresheners
spray deodorants
hair spray cans

No

aerosols that aren’t empty

What else can I recycle from home and around Portsmouth?

Visit the following pages to find out how you can recycle more from your doorstep and around the city.

From home

Around Portsmouth

Local Recycling Points (including glass, mixed plastics, cartons, textiles, books, CDs/DVDs)
Portsmouth Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC)

What if I can't put my recycling out?

If you have a medical condition that prevents you from putting your recycling out please contact us to request an assisted collection.

Complete the online form to request an assisted collection
Email recyclingandrubbish@portsmouthcc.gov.uk
Telephone 023 9284 1105

Where it goes and what happens to it

The recycling lorry takes the waste to the Materials Recycling Facility (MRF). Inside the MRF, the waste is emptied and sorted into the different types of material. These sorted materials are then sent to factories to turn the old waste into new items:

For answers to frequently asked questions about recycling in Portsmouth, check out our mythbuster page.

How to put your bin out

For details on how to put your recycling bin out for collection, please read our guidelines online.

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