A guide to your
improved recycling
and waste service
recycle for Stirling stirling.gov.uk/waste
Introducing your improved
recycling and waste service
Thank you, in 2015 you helped Stirling achieve a
household recycling and composting rate of 54.5%.
This makes us one of the best performing areas in
Scotland.
However, there is still more to do. The Scottish Government has
set long term recycling targets which stipulate by 2025 we will
have to recycle, compost or reuse 70% of all household waste.
What’s changing?
• We are introducing two new wheeled recycling bins to give
you greater capacity for recyclable materials.
• The frequency of your recycling collection will change to
reflect the capacity of your bins.
• You will now be able to recycle a greater range of materials
including, plastic pots, tubs and trays, which previously went
to landfill.
• Food and garden waste will be collected together, all year
round.
• We are acquiring a new fleet of waste collection vehicles
to improve the resilience and reliability of our collection
method.
1
Why are we changing?
• Sending household waste to landfill cost Stirling Council
over £2million in 2015, equating to roughly £5,721
per day. We can reduce this figure by recycling more of our
waste.
• Waste Scotland Regulations 2012 require us to collect all
mixed plastics which were previously sent to landfill. The
improved collection system will enable this to happen.
• Our current collection vehicles are now at the end of their
operational life and require to be replaced with a fewer number
of higher capacity vehicles which will enable us to deliver an
efficient service to local people at a lower overall cost.
• Recycling is more efficient – it uses less energy and reduces
carbon (CO2 which contributes to climate change) compared
to using raw materials.
• The materials we throw away are valuable and recycling
helps the economy by creating jobs locally as well as in the
Scottish recycling industry.
2
The way you use your
bins and boxes is changing.
As part of the changes to your service we will be introducing new
containers, changing the use of current containers and discontinuing
others. Please see below for details:
Your grey wheeled bin will continue to be your
non-recyclables bin. It must be used for any items
that cannot be recycled.
Your non-recyclables bin will be collected every two
weeks.
Your blue wheeled bin will be your plastics, cans
and cartons recycling bin. It must be used for
recycling plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays, metal
cans, tins and food and drinks cartons.
Your plastics, cans and cartons recycling bin will be
collected every two weeks.
Your green wheeled bin will be your paper and
cardboard recycling bin. It must be used for
recycling cardboard and paper only.
Your paper and cardboard bin will be collected
every four weeks.
Your brown wheeled bin will become your garden
& food waste bin. It must be used for recycling
your garden and food waste only.
Your garden and food waste bin will be collected
every two weeks throughout the year.
3
Your blue recycling box will become your
glass recycling box. It must be used for recycling
rinsed glass bottles and jars only.
Your glass recycling box will be collected every
two weeks.
STOPPING
Your brown recycling box will no longer be
collected. You can reuse your brown box as a
storage container or take it to a Household Waste
Recycling Centre, where it will be recycled.
You can also use your brown box as an extra
glass recycling box.
STOPPING
Your outdoor food caddy will no longer be
collected. You can use your small caddy and
bio-bags to store your food waste before putting it
into your brown bin.
You can reuse your outdoor food caddy as a
storage container or take it to a Household Waste
Recycling Centre.
STOPPING
Your blue recycling bag will no longer be
collected. You can keep it if you want for
internal recycling storage or take it to a Household
Waste Recycling Centre where it will be recycled.
If you are unable to take your unwanted boxes
and caddies to your HWRC we will arrange a
collection once the improved service is in place.
4
What you need to do…
When you receive this guide…
Read your guide carefully and check the enclosed collection
calendar for your collection days.
You should have stickers for your existing
‘Non-Recyclables Bin’, ‘Garden and Food Waste
Bin’ and ‘Glass Box’ and a collection calendar
enclosed in this pack, if you do not please
contact us immediately.
When you receive your new bins…
Check that you have received one green and
one blue bin, if not, contact us immediately.
(Please note some flats will be allocated shared
bins). You should continue to use your existing
containers as normal.
Non les Bin
Recyclab
Yes Please
&
Crockery
broken glass
Plastic bags
and film
Polystyrene
Nappies
s
No Thank
Recyclables
Garden
waste
Large
Electrical
items
Food Waste
day:
Collection
Property
number:
Stirling
recycle for
5
v.uk/waste
stirling.go
Please attach the stickers enclosed to your
grey bin, brown bin and blue box. Check the
enclosed collection calendar for your new
collection days and write these on your stickers.
The new bins will come with stickers already on
them.
Remember:
You don’t need to do
anything differently until
you receive your new
bins.
When you receive your new bins you should
start using them straight away.
You will no longer need your brown boxes or
outdoor food caddy.
Unwanted containers will be collected by waste
services however, you can keep and reuse your
old containers for storage or bring them to your
local Household Waste Recycling Centre for
recycling.
Two weeks after you receive your bins…
Check your collection calendar and present the
appropriate containers at the kerbside by 7am
on your collection days.
Bins should be presented with back handles
facing the road at your current collection point.
6
Your brown bin
Garden and food waste
COLLECTED
EVERY 2
WEEKS
Yes
✔ Garden waste
✔ Cooked or uncooked
food waste
✔ Flowers and plants
✔ Dairy and eggshells
✔ Garden pruning’s
✔ Fish, meat and bones
✔ Garden weeds
✔ Fruit, vegetables and peelings
✔ Grass cuttings
✔ Tea bags and coffee grounds
✔ Hedge trimmings
✔ Rice, pasta and pizza
✔ Leaves
✔ Bread and cakes
✔ Wood shavings
✔ Pet foods
✔ Real Christmas trees
✔ Out of date food (unpackaged)
✔ Twigs and small branches
✔ Leftovers
7
No
✘ liquids
✘ Plastic bags and
packaging
✘ Soil and rubble
✘ Plant pots
✘ Building wood
✘ Cardboard
Remember:
Your brown bin will now
be collected all year round.
You can collect compost for
free from your local
Household Waste
Recycling Centre.
What you’ll need to do…
1 Put one of the
compostable
liners into your
indoor caddy.
2 Transfer any
cooked or
uncooked food
waste to the
caddy
4 Place the full
liner into your
brown bin along
with any garden
waste.
5 Place your
brown bin at
the kerbside
by 7am on you
collection day.
3 When the liner
is almost full, tie
it and remove it.
Replace with a
new liner.
8
Your green bin
Paper and cardboard
COLLECTED
EVERY 4
WEEKS
Yes
✔ Cardboard (Flattened)
✔ Cereal boxes
✔ Large brown cardboard
boxes
✔ Corrugated cardboard
✔ Toilet and kitchen roll
tubes
✔ Cardboard packaging
✔ Paper (clean and dry)
✔ Envelopes (with and
without windows)
✔ Magazines
✔ Newspapers
✔ Office paper
✔ Yellow pages and
telephone directories
✔ Brochures and catalogues
✔ Paperback books
No
✘ Plastic carrier bags
✘ Padded envelopes
✘ Plastic wrapping or bubble wrap
✘ Polystyrene
✘ Packaging with food waste
✘ Tissues or soiled kitchen roll
✘ Wrapping Paper
✘ Hardback books/
catalogues
Remember:
Shredded paper
should be placed in
loose, do not use
plastic bags.
9
Your blue bin
Plastics, cans & cartons
COLLECTED
EVERY 2
WEEKS
Yes
Plastics
(rinsed and squashed)
✔ Plastic bottles
✔ Drinks bottles with lids
✔ Cleaning product bottles
✔ Plastic containers
✔ Yoghurt pots
✔ Butter tubs
✔ Plastic food trays
✔ Fruit punnets
✔ Clean plastic takeaway containers
Tins/cans
(empty and rinsed)
✔ Food tins
✔ Pet food tins
✔ Biscuit or sweet tins
✔ Aerosols and tin foil
No
✘
✘
✘
✘
✘
✘
✘
Plastic carrier bags
Sweet and crisp packets
Cling film
Glass
Food and drinks pouches
Hard plastics e.g. toys
Non recyclables
Remember:
Wash and squash
plastics and cans when
possible – this will save
space and improve the
quality of recycling.
Food and drinks
cartons
(empty and rinsed)
✔ Milk cartons
✔ Juice cartons
✔ Soup cartons
10
Your blue box
Glass bottles and jars
Yes
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
Glass (rinsed)
Glass drinks bottles
Glass sauce bottles
Glass jars
Clear and coloured glass
No
✘ Light bulbs
✘ Broken glass
✘ Glass dishes, ceramics and Pyrex
✘ Window panes
✘ Mirrors
✘ Plastic bags
11
COLLECTED
EVERY 2
WEEKS
Do not put
broken glass
in your box!
Your grey bin
Non-recyclable waste
Yes
COLLECTED
EVERY 2
WEEKS
✔ Non-recyclable waste
✔ Plastic bags & polythene
✔ Nappies
✔ Glass dishes, ceramics
and crockery
✔ Polystyrene
✔ Broken glass
✔ Crisp & sweet wrappers
✔ Soiled tissues / paper towels
✔ Cling film
No
✘ Recyclables
✘ Food waste
✘ Garden waste or soil
✘ Electricals
Remember:
Make sure the lid is
closed and there is no side
waste.You may be able to
recycle some items at your
local Household Waste
Recycling Centre.
12
What happens to the materials
I recycle?
• Paper and cardboard is sold on to paper mills and
made into newspapers, magazines and other paper and
cardboard products.
• Garden and Food waste is treated at an in-vessel composting
plant to produce compost. Some of this compost will be
returned to your Household Waste Recycling Centre’s where
it can be collected free of charge by householders.
• Cans are sorted into aluminium and steel and melted down
and reused.
• Plastics can be recycled into new plastic items such as plastic
bottles, wheeled bins, compost bins, clothing etc.
• Glass in the blue box is taken to a sorting plant where it is
made into other glass bottles and products.
Don’t let a good thing go to waste
For more information about the recycling journey of the
materials we collect please see our website:
www.stirling.gov.uk/waste
13
Household Waste
Recycling Centres
Stirling Council operates three Household Waste Recycling
Centres where you can recycle a wide range of materials:
• Lower Polmaise (off A905 by Fallin, FK7 7FG)
• Balfron (Dunkeld Court, G63 0TE)
• Callander (Lagrannoch Depot, Geisher Road, FK17 8LD)
Materials accepted:
• Household and car batteries
• Chipboard and wood
• Motor oil
• Electrical equipment
•Plasterboard
• Fire extinguishers and gas
cylinders
•Rubble
• Fluorescent bulbs
• Scrap metal
• Garden waste and soil
• Bulky items e.g. furniture
• White goods e.g. fridges
and freezers
Remember:
You can co
llect free
compost fro
m your
local House
hold Waste
Recycling C
entres.
For the full list of materials accepted at these sites and opening
hours see the HWRC pages of our website or call 01786
404040.
14
Frequently asked questions
When will my first collection
take place?
I am on a pull out service, will
this continue?
Your first collection will be
two weeks after your bins are
delivered. Check the enclosed
collection calendar for your
collection day.
If you currently use our
assisted collection service you
will continue to receive this
when the new service starts.
Please see your new collection
calendar to find out if your
collection day has changed.
Will the bio-degradable bags
still be provided?
Yes, to request a new supply
tie a liner to the handle of
your bin.
What do I do if I have extra
waste that won’t fit in my bins?
If you have extra waste or
recycling you can take it, free
of charge, to one of Stirling’s
three Household Waste
Recycling Centre’s at Lower
Polmaise, Callander and
Balfron. You can also recycle
a greater range of materials at
these centres including large
electrical items, wood and
furniture.
recycle for Stirling
Will you monitor the improved
service?
Yes, we will monitor and
evaluate the improved service
and collection routes in the
coming months to ensure
maximum efficiency.
A full list of frequently asked
questions can be found on our
website at: www.stirling.gov.
uk/waste.
If you can’t find the answer you
are looking for or require further
information, please call us on
01786 404040.