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Twin Stream Recycling

Recycling in Medway

Kerbside recycling is really easy and by keeping paper and cardboard separate. It means the council can now collect household plastic packing, including margarine tubs and yoghurt pots, but please keep them apart.Paper and cardboard

Paper and card that is correctly separated from other materials before collection can help reduce processing costs and help save around £1million each year.

Your paper and cardboard should be placed inside the blue box or reusable recycling bags on its own with no plastic bags.

Help keep it clean, by doing your bit for Medway, the environment, which also helps us keep costs low and continue offering a high quality service.

Select from the bookmarks below for more on recycling in Medway:

Blue resuable1

Blue reusable recycling bag (No plastic please)

  • Newspapers/magazines
  • Telephone directories
  • Envelopes, junk mail and paper 
  • Flattened cardboard
  • Cereal and egg boxes

 

White reusable

White reusable recycling bag

  • Glass bottles and jars
  • Metal food and drinks cans
  • Clean metal foil
  • Empty aerosols
  • Household plastic packaging, including:
    Bottles, pots, tubs and trays.

Find out your recycling collection day

Each household will also receive a pack of 13 clear plastic bags every 13 weeks to provide additional capacity for your mixed recycling. Please do not use the clear plastic bags for paper and card. If you still have a blue box, please use this for excess paper and card.

Please put your recycling bags out by 7am on your recycling collection day and no earlier than the night before. The bags are weighted to stop them blowing away and are reusable so they will be returned to where you left them by the recycling crew for you to use again and again.

What should I do with shredded paper?

  • You can cut down the amount you have by only shredding paper that carries data such as Bank and National insurance details. Names and addresses can be found in phone books and on envelopes, so is not generally regarded as sensitive information.
  • You could always tear off the part with bank details etc, and only shred that part, then place it in an envelope or two for recycling.
  • If you have a brown wheelie bin for garden waste, you can place it loose in there with the garden/food waste. 
  • You can compost it in a discounted home compost bin (www.medway.getcomposting.com/)    
  • You can also help cut down the amount of information you get with your name and address on it by registering with the Mail Preference Service.

What should I do with my old blue plastic recycling bags?

 You can use any blue sacks, left over from previous deliveries, for recycling mixed containers.New split body recycling vehicle

Does all the recycling go into the back of the same vehicle?

Yes, however, the collection vehicles are designed with a "split body", to keep the materials separate.

I live in a block of flats, can I recycle more too?

Yes.  Using containers delivered to each blocks of flats.  If your flats doesn't have large recycling containers in your bin store area, contact the council using the contact details below for further information on how you can recycle.

I recycle a lot, can I get extra reusable bags or clear plastic sacks?

If you need more blue or white reusable bags or clear plastic bags, these are available at council contact points and libraries.

Can I use carrier bags or boxes for additional materials?

Yes, but only for "mixed containers", that is metal food and drink cans, glass and plastic bottles and household plastic packaging.

What happens to non-recyclable plastics in Medway?

Globally, the plastics market is still developing. Working with our waste contractor Veolia and other locally-based industries, new outlets for a wider range of plastics are developing but some plastics will go for energy recovery until these markets are developed.

I have had my bag or box lost or stolen, what should I do?

Use the contact details below to ask for a replacement bag. You can mark your house number on your reusable bags to help identify which ones are yours.

Avoiding problems from high winds

Occasionally, waste collection problems can be caused by high winds.

This can lead to some recycling material being blown from collection containers and some containers being blown over.

Therefore, we ask that care is taken when putting materials out for collection on very windy days. Loose materials can be contained using the Velcro strap on the reusable recycling bags and, if possible, containers put in a sheltered spot where they can still be easily seen at the edge of your property.

Collection crews pick up materials they drop or spill, may be able to pick up items blown close to containers, but cannot pick up those blown down the street.

Please do all you can to avoid wind-blown material and report any serious litter problems to our Customer First team using the contact information below.

Can I recycle batteries?

Not in your blue or white reusable bags. However, Medway Council now provides recycling facilities for batteries at Medway's libraries and three household waste recycling sites and you should be able recycle them at all larger supermarkets or outlets that sell batteries.

Can I recycle Tetra-paks and cartons?

Not in your blue or white reusable bags, although there are five recycling points across Medway that allow you to recycle them.

Can I recycle polystyrene?

No, the market for this material is not strong enough, so we are unable to collect it.

How do I recycle old printer cartridges?

Go to the IMPACT Inkjet and Toner Recycler website and download a FREE-post label or send your old printer cartridges to:

Free Post RRAE-YJCY-RRBX
Impact Toners
17 Kingsnorth Industrial Estate
Hoo
Rochester ME3 9ND

Your contribution will help the Kent Air Ambulance Trust.

How can I reduce waste and recycle more?

While recycling is obviously very important, reducing the amount of waste produced in the first place is just as important. By making informed choices about what we buy and use, we can all make decisions that help reduce the amount thrown away.

Missed recycling collections

Please note that if your waste and/or recycling are missed from a collection round, you must notify the council within 24 hours on 01634 333333.Logo for recycle for Medway

Download the latest issue of recycling in Medway (pdf 1,535KB).

To use this file you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you do not have this on your computer please use our advice page.

Video guide to recycling (from the Recycle Now website)

Cans

Paper

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Glass bottles

Plastic bottles

For more information contact Customer First by telephone: 01634 333333 or by email: customer.first@medway.gov.uk

Write to: Customer First, Medway Council, Gun Wharf, Dock Road, Chatham, Kent ME4 4TR

Electricals

Garden waste

Food Waste

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