Join Us - Recycle in Preston

Plastic bottle with words 93% of Preston residents already recycling

Do you know what goes in your recycling bins?

Yellow lid - plastic cans and glass

The following sorts of items go in your yellow lid bin:

Yoghurt tubs
Plastic trays
Clean foil
Plastic pots and tubs
Plastic bottles
Empty aerosols
Glass bottles and jars
Sweet/biscuit tins
Food and drink cans
Plastic plant pots

Items must be clean, dry and loose. No food residue.

Yellow lidded bin with items you can place inside which mirrors the accompanying text

Red lid - paper and card

The following sorts of items go in your red lid bin:

Cards
Paper
Cereal boxes
Cardboard boxes
Envelopes
Cardboard packaging
Empty pizza boxes
Toilet/kitchen roll tubes

Flatten any large cardboard boxes and place loose into the bin.

Red lidded bin with items you can place inside which mirrors the accompanying text

Grey bin - general waste

Place any items not accepted in your recycling bins in your grey bin, such as:

Glass and crockery
Pots and pans
Hard plastic
Nappies
Tissues/wipes
Plastic film
Crisp and sweet wrappers
Wallpaper
Cartons
Polystyrene
Pouches
Plastic bags
Bubble wrap
Leftover food
Takeaway cups

Never place electricals, batteries or vapes in your grey bin.

Grey bin with items you can place inside which mirrors the accompanying text

Other ways to recycle

Large supermarkets

You can drop off the following items at participating large supermarkets:

Pouches
Plastic film
Plastic bags
Crisp and sweet wrappers

To find your nearest participating supermarket visit Recycle Now.

Pouches Plastic film Plastic bags Crisp and sweet wrappers

Household Waste and Recycling Centre

You can take the following items to your local Household Waste and Recycling Centre:

Clothes and shoes
Batteries
Cartons
Electricals
Vapes
Scrap metal
Hard plastic

For your nearest recycling centre see household waste and recycling centres.

Clothes and shoes Batteries Cartons Electricals Scrap metal Hard plastic vapes

Remember, if in doubt, leave it out.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Q: What is the point in recycling, I thought it was all sent to landfill anyway?

The recycling we collect is sent to Material Recovery Facilities in the UK where it is sorted and recycled. If incorrect items such as food and nappies are placed in your recycling bins, the load could be rejected and sent to landfill. This is why it is important to recycle right.

Q: What happens to the recycling?

Recycling is collected and delivered to a Material Recovery Facility in Farington, Leyland.

All materials are separated and sorted.

Metal is melted, glass is crushed and plastic washed and pelletised. Paper and card is mixed with water to form a pulp.

Melted metal, crushed glass, washed and pelletised plastic, paper and card pulp

The raw materials are sent to manufacturers to be used in the production of new products.

The products are back on the shelf as a new bottle or tin can in as little as six weeks.

Fill your red and yellow lidded bins with the correct recyclable items.

Q: Why do I need to put my items in loose?

Putting recycling in plastic bags can damage machinery and affect the quality of the recycled materials. It is also harder to separate and sort items correctly.

Q: What happens to my general waste?

Waste in your grey bin is primarily sent to landfill. This costs a lot more for the Council to dispose of, so it's important to recycle as much as we can.