Recycling rules for Southend-on-Sea

Mixed recycling items that can be put in your pink lid bin (or sack) include:

• ✓Food and drink cans · Pink lid bin (or sack)
• ✓Foil ready meal trays · Pink lid bin (or sack)
• ✓Foil pie trays · Pink lid bin (or sack)
• ✓Foil takeaway containers · Pink lid bin (or sack)
• ✓Clean cooking foil · Pink lid bin (or sack)
• ✓Metal jar lids · Pink lid bin (or sack)
• ✓Sweet, biscuit and cake tins · Pink lid bin (or sack)
• ✓Empty aerosol cans · Pink lid bin (or sack)
• ✓Bottles and lid s (including empty bleach, detergent and cleaning products)
• ✓Tubs
• ✓Trays
• ✓Fruit containers
• ✓Glass jars
• ✓Glass bottles (all different colours)
• ✓Food and drink cartons

Paper and card items you can put in your blue lid bin (or box) include:

• ✓Newspapers · Blue lid bin (or box)
• ✓Magazines and catalogues · Blue lid bin (or box)
• ✓Leaflets and brochures · Blue lid bin (or box)
• ✓Junk mail · Blue lid bin (or box)
• ✓Envelopes
• ✓White office paper · Blue lid bin (or box)
• ✓Paper bags and packaging · Blue lid bin (or box)
• ✓Wrapping paper (except foil lined or metallic)
• ✓Soft backed books · Blue lid bin (or box)
• ✓Cereal boxes · Blue lid bin (or box)
• ✓Ready meal sleeves · Blue lid bin (or box)
• ✓Kitchen and toilet roll tubes · Blue lid bin (or box)
• ✓Cardboard boxes (please flatten and place large boxes next to the blue box)
• ✓Corrugated cardboard · Blue lid bin (or box)
• ✓Greetings cards (with glitter, metal and other non-paper decorations removed if applicable)
• ✓Egg boxes · Blue lid bin (or box)

We are unable to collect your pink lid bin if they contain the following:

• ✗Food wasteInstead: Blue food caddy
• ✗Paper and cardboard in pink lid binInstead: Blue lid bin
• ✗PolystyreneInstead: Black lid bin
• ✗NappiesInstead: Black lid bin
• ✗Sanitary productsInstead: Black lid bin
• ✗Tissues, kitchen roll and wipesInstead: Black lid bin
• ✗Textiles and clothingInstead: Textile sack via booked monthly collection
• ✗Dirty items containing, or covered in food waste | Please ensure items are clean before putting in pink lid binInstead: Clean items before putting in pink lid bin
• ✗Large metal itemsInstead: Household Waste Recycling Centre
• ✗Pots and pansInstead: Household Waste Recycling Centre
• ✗Large electrical appliancesInstead: Household Waste Recycling Centre
• ✗Small electrical appliancesInstead: Carrier bag via booked monthly collection
• ✗WoodInstead: Household Waste Recycling Centre
• ✗Hard plastics (toys, plant pots, CD cases)Instead: Household Waste Recycling Centre

The following paper and card items cannot go in your blue lid bin:

• ✗Kitchen roll
• ✗Tissues and wipes
• ✗Heavily food-stained paper and card

You can put any cooked or uncooked food in your blue bin. Examples include:

• ✓Leftovers and plate scrapings
• ✓Noodles, rice and pasta
• ✓Eggs and egg shells
• ✓Out of date food (please remove packaging)
• ✓Bread
• ✓Biscuits
• ✓Pastries
• ✓Tea bags
• ✓Tea leaves
• ✓Coffee grounds
• ✓Raw fish
• ✓Cooked fish
• ✓Fish bones
• ✓Raw meat
• ✓Cooked meat
• ✓Bones
• ✓Cheese
• ✓Butter
• ✓Peelings
• ✓Fruit
• ✓Raw vegetables
• ✓Cooked vegetables

What garden waste can be collected for composting?

• ✓Grass cuttings
• ✓Leaves
• ✓Tree, shrub and rose pruning
• ✓Branches (up to 12 inches long and 1 inch diameter - for example broom handle width)
• ✓Cut flowers
• ✓Weeds
• ✓Windfalls (such as fruit)

What garden waste cannot be collected for composting?

• ✗Stones and soil
• ✗Plastic bags of any kind
• ✗Pre-treated wood
• ✗Concrete and bricks
• ✗Metal and glass
• ✗Animal waste
• ✗Garden ornaments
• ✗Food waste except windfall fruit