Make the most of recycling

You should have four coloured bins to help you separate and recycle your rubbish:

  • Green bin for garden waste (we collect garden waste between March and the end of November only).
  • Blue bin for cardboard and paper.
  • Brown bin for cans, tins, glass bottles/jars, plastic bottles and pots, tubs and trays.
  • Grey bin for general waste that can't be recycled.

By making some simple changes, we can all recycle more to help our environment.

Check your collection days and download a recycling information and collection calendar.

You may also see us knocking on doors in areas where people don’t recycle much. We do this to let everyone know what can be recycled and to make sure they have the right bins.

Make the change

  • Compost at home – you can buy a compost bin from most DIY stores. 
  • Buy concentrated goods such as laundry detergent and re-fillable containers for things like coffee.
  • Buy products loose - you pay extra for the packing.
  • Buy rechargeable batteries.
  • Take a re-usable shopping bag to the shops.
  • Don’t throw away unwanted gifts or clothes – take them to your local charity shop. Even if they're not in good condition, they can sell them for industrial rags. You can also take unwanted clothing to a clothing recycling bank.
  • Ask friends if they want your old magazines or take them to your nearest doctors/dentist surgery.
  • Take your engine oil to your nearest recycling centre.
  • Join our real nappy incentive scheme and claim for a grant towards the cost of a ‘birth to potty pack’.

Find out how you can reduce, reuse and recycle your waste below.

Reduce

We can all play a part in making Barnsley more sustainable. Reducing the amount of waste we produce should be the first thing we try to do in order to help our planet.

Reducing food waste

Every year in the UK, 6.6 million tonnes of household food is thrown away. This creates nearly 25 million tonnes of CO2 emissions. This is equivalent to 5.4 per cent of the UK’s emissions.

A lot of this is food which could have been eaten. This food is worth about £60 per month to the average family with two children.

Reuse

Thinking about what we buy and how we use, and re-use, is really simple and easy to do.

Ways to reuse:

  • Donate items that are still in a good, usable condition to charities or charity shops.
  • Repurpose glass, plastic and cardboard containers to give them another life.
  • Carry a re-usable shopping bag.
  • Re-use wrapping paper or gift bags.
  • Convert old clothing, towels or sheets into cleaning rags/cloths.
  • Reuse left over food waste to make new recipes.

Recycle 

Recycling is an easy way you can help the planet without having to leave home. When we recycle, our waste can be transformed into materials used to make new things.

Home composting

Composting at home is a great way to turn your food and garden waste into useful plant food for your garden.

Composting saves money and resources and can help to improve your soil. It can also reduce your impact on the environment.

What can I compost?

There's lots of items that can go into your compost bin, including vegetable peelings and autumn leaves. Some items might surprise you. Eggshells, hair and even the contents of your vacuum cleaner can all be emptied into the bin.