We've put together some handy FAQs on a range of questions about waste and recycling.
What happens to the waste I put in my bins?
We've put together a handy guide on what happens to your waste and recycling - find out more.
What do I do with my food waste?
Please put your food waste in your black bin, either loose or in a carrier bag.
Please do not put it in your garden bin or your blue bin. Please also ensure food waste is cleaned from all items you put in your blue bin (for example food containers).
If you are signed up to our garden waste service, please do not put food waste in your brown bin
Food waste (including vegetable peelings), plastic bags or biodegradable liners, cardboard, paper, plant pots, pet waste, soil or turf, or large pieces of wood or branches as these are not easily compostable.
This is because our garden waste is processed at an open-windrow composting facility, where materials are composted in the open air. Unlike in-vessel composting, this method doesn't reach the high temperatures needed to safely break down food waste, which can contain harmful bacteria. Including food waste can also attract pests and contaminate the compost produced.
Putting food waste in the garden bin can lead to contamination. If crews find unsuitable items, they may not empty your bin until the next scheduled collection, and you'll need to remove the incorrect items before it can be emptied again.
We are also preparing to roll out separate food waste collections in April 2026, as part of the government's simpler recycling initiative. This will allow residents to dispose of food waste in dedicated bins, reducing contamination and improving recycling efforts
By keeping food waste out of your brown garden bin, you're helping to ensure that the compost produced is safe and high-quality. Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our recycling efforts effective and sustainable.
Can I put out excess card with my blue bag?
We know people need to throw away extra cardboard from time to time - and they may have more than they can fit into their blue bag - for example when online shopping or at Christmas.
If you need to throw away excess cardboard, please be aware of the following:
- It is not safe for our crews to manually throw cardboard into the back of the trucks - they could get caught or injured by truck machinery, which in other authortity areas has even led to fatalities.
- Because of this, if you watch our crews, you will see they empty blue bags into what we call a 'service bin' and then put the 'service bin' onto the bin lift, so the cardboard/paper can be safely lifted into our trucks.
- Unfortunately our crews do not have time to fold people's cardboard down to fit into the 'service bin' - if we did this for every (or even a few households) on each street we visit, we wouldn't finish our rounds on time and we'd miss lots of people's bins.
- This is why we ask that if you need to put out additional cardboard, that you break it down/fold it into blue bag size bundles for the crew, and leave it to the side of the bag/bin - this way our crew can easily pop it into the 'service bin' to safely dispose of it.
- If it's wet weather, please put the excess card out on the morning of your collection to prevent it from getting soggy.
- Please do not put extra cardboard in a plastic bag, as the crew can't throw the plastic bag into the bin wagon (as they can only dispose of paper and card in the bin wagon, or it contaminates the load so it will be rejected) and have nowhere to put a plastic bag.
- If you regularly have extra card, please order an additional blue bag
What about things like Tetrapaks, blister packs, reusable electrical items and more?
There are a whole range of recycling points and organisations dedicated to preventing usable waste from going to landfill - view our A-Z of local recycling points.
Can I recycle aerosols?
You can recycle aerosols in your blue bin. Please do not squash or pierce them.
What should I do with old clothes and textiles?
We do not offer a textile recycling service. Please either donate them to charity, take them to a local collection point (such as Tesco car park) or take them to your local household recycling site.
View our A-Z of local recycling points.
What should I do with old furniture?
If your old furniture is broken and unusable, we can take it away for you.
We offer a bulky waste collection for furniture, and a scrap metal collection for old appliances such as fridges and freezers.
You'll need your credit or debit card handy. Please remember to take a note of your collection day when you have booked it, as payment is non-refundable, so you need to remember to put your items out on time.
Alternatively, if your furniture/items are still usable, why not donate them to charity or let someone else locally benefit from them. Many local charities offer a collection service including St Giles, Lichfield Furniture Transfer Scheme (Michael Lowe's and Associated Charities), or why not find out about Lichfield Freecycle?
View our A-Z of local recycling points.
What should I do with paint scraps?
You can either take your paint scraps to your nearest household recycling centre (or tip) or find out about Community Repaint - a scheme that collects leftover paint and redistribute it to benefit individuals, families, communities and charities in need at an affordable cost.
View our A-Z of local recycling points.
Can I recycle my Christmas tree?
If you are subscribed to our garden waste service you can recycle your Christmas tree in your brown bin. Make sure you chop it up and can close the lid.
Additionally, St Giles run an annual programme called Treecycle where you can book a collection in return for a donation. More information can be found here.
All you need to do is follow these simple rules:
- Make sure you remove all decorations from the tree before putting it in the bin.
- Chop the tree up and make sure no branches are sticking out.
Your tree will then be taken to a composting site where it will be turned into soil improver, which may even be used to grow more Christmas trees!
If you are not signed up to our garden waste scheme, you can also take your tree to your local household recycling centre and deposit it in a green waste container.
