Glass bottles and jars
All bottles and jars can be recycled at our bottle banks. Please remember the bottle bank code:
- Rinse bottles and jars and remove all lids.
- Do not leave litter at the site.
- Do not put any stone, ceramic, sheet glass, pyrex, visionware saucepans or broken drinks glasses in the banks.
Can banks
For all steel and aluminium food, drink and pet food cans and tins. Please wash and squash cans.
Paper banks
For all newspapers and magazines only.
Tetrapak banks
For all paper-based liquid food and drinks cartons ie milk and juice cartons. Please wash and squash cartons.
Textile banks
For clothes, sheets, blankets, towels, curtains and rags, and shoes in pairs. Please place your materials in bags before putting them in the bank, and tie pairs of shoes together.
Books, CDs and video banks
For books, CDs and videos of a good enough quality, and suitable subject matter, to be sold through Oxfam charity shops.
Oil
For used engine oil for recycling. It is illegal to dispose of oil down the drain or sink, pour it onto the ground, or to burn it. Just four litres of oil poured into water can spread to an area the size of a football pitch. Instead, please put your used engine oil in a sealed container and take it to one of the banks at the Sort It!* centres (civic amenity sites).
Plastics
Please squash your plastic bottles and take the tops off before putting them into the bank. Sorry – we cannot recycle plastic pots or tubs. Please do not put glass bottles into plastics recycling banks.
What happens next?
- Glass is sent to British Glass Recycling, where it is made into new bottles and jars
- Cans are sent to Corus or Alcan. Most are made into new cans and some steels cans are used to make other products
- Textiles – around 80% can be re-used and are sent to developing countries. The remainder are recycled into industrial cleaning cloths
- Paper is made into newsprint
- Plastic is baled in Nottingham and sold on the commodity market. It is made into various products ranging from drainage pipes to fleece jackets