Recycling and rubbish FAQs
What day is my waste collected?
To see a calendar showing household rubbish, garden waste and recycling collection dates for your specific property, take a look at our bin day page.
What can I put in my bins and recycling containers?
Take a look at our collection service page for a full list of what can and can't be collected.
I produce lots of rubbish, can I have a bigger bin?
We provide a standard 240 litre wheeled bin for general household rubbish. We make an exception for families who have six or more permanent residents in the house by allowing a larger (360 litre) wheeled bin. You can apply for this online.
Can I have a smaller bin?
Yes. We're happy to exchange your refuse or garden waste bin for a smaller (140 litre) version. Contact customer.service@shropshire.gov.uk to order.
I have a large garden - can I have an extra waste bin?
Please check our Garden waste collections page. If you produce lots of garden waste the best thing to do is compost it at home.
You can also take extra garden waste to our household recycling centres.
Where can I recycle batteries?
Household batteries can be recycled at most supermarkets and at our household recycling centres (NB - car batteries should be recycled separately).
Alternatively, you can now put them out with your normal household recycling. Simply seal them in a clear plastic bag and put the bag out with your recycling boxes, making sure it's somewhere the collection crew will be able to see it.
What recycling issues must I consider if I'm building new homes?
It's essential that you make provision for waste and recycling collections, in particular providing sufficient space to store waste and enabling access for large collection vehicles. Find out more from our guidance.
Do I have to remove the plastic window when recycling envelopes?
No you don't. This is a common myth about envelope recycling, but it's really not necessary as our paper mill can cope with small amounts of non-critical contamination like these.
Can I put Tetra Pak in my blue bag?
Tetra Pak cartons are made of a composite material and aren't currently collected kerbside in Shropshire, but there are recycling facilities at all five household recycling centres for Tetra Pak. These are then collected by another organisation which transports them to a paper mill in Yorkshire for further processing.
An organisation called Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) works with governments, businesses and local authorities to reduce waste, and actively encourages packaging companies to redesign their products to reduce non-recyclable materials, and thereby achieve better recycling rates.
Can I dispose of car tyres?
A full set of car tyres, including the spare, can be taken to any of our five household recycling centres in any one month.
Where does the recycling go?
The recycling from your boxes is taken to our materials recovery facility in Wolverhampton, where it's sorted and sent to reprocessors to make new things. In fact, it takes just 12 weeks for a tin can to be back on the shelf at your local supermarket.
The paper and cardboard from your blue bag is bundled and sent to a reprocessor to be made into paper and cardboard again.
Find out more from our 'What happens to my recycling?' page.
Why do I have to keep the paper and cardboard separate to the mixed recycling in the boxes when you're throwing it all in the same truck?
The recycling trucks have two compartments, one for the paper and card mix and one for the mixed recycling (cans, plastic and glass). The two sets of recycling get sent on to different facilities.
What happens if I have more paper and card than will fit into the blue bag?
If you have lots of cardboard, please cut or tear into small manageable pieces (the size of your blue bag) and secure together. Leave the extra cardboard by the side of your blue bag, secured so that it doesn’t become wind blown. Please ensure that it doesn't contain any polystyrene, staples, tape or plastic, as this can’t be recycled.
You can request an additional blue bag using our online form.
What happens if my recycling containers are broken?
If your containers are broken, please request new ones using our online form. Alternatively you can ring our customer service centre on 0345 678 9007 during normal working hours.
Can I place my additional cardboard/paper out in carrier bags?
No. If you have lots of cardboard, please cut or tear into small manageable pieces (the size of your blue bag) and secure together. Leave the extra cardboard by the side of your blue bag, secured so that it doesn’t become wind blown.
Please ensure that it doesn't contain any polystyrene, staples, tape or plastic, as this can’t be recycled. Excess paper can be left for collection in a paper bag. We can't recycle cardboard and paper in plastic bags.
Can I put animal bedding and cat litter in my garden waste bin?
Cat litter and animal bedding (even if it is marked as biodegradable) must always go in your refuse bin, and must be bagged. Don't put it in your garden waste bin as it contains animal by products and can be hazardous during processing.
In 2020-21 only 4% of rubbish was sent to landfill, with the remaining 96% sent to the energy recovery facility in Battlefield, Shrewsbury. Your rubbish was then used to generate electricity to power 10,000 homes. Veolia monitors and publishes details of the emissions from the plant. Our short video explains how the plant operates to turn rubbish into a resource: