Recycling

Houses and flats at street level

We usually give you a blue wheelie bin for your recycling if you live in a house or flat at street level.

You can put all your recyclable materials in your bin mixed together. 

You must make sure your bin is:

• collected from the front of the property
• is easy for collection crews to access

Flats in houses not at street level

You need to use our weekly recycling doorstep collection service if you live in a flat that's not at street level. 

Although we will provide them to you regularly, you can also order more recycling bags when you run out.

Make sure your items are stored correctly and that all recycling is within the bag. Tie your recycling bag securely so the materials don't get wet or blow away and litter the area.

Flats above shops

We'll give residents who live in flats above shops recycling bags and a designated collection day.

Leave your bag beside a public litter bin by the shop by 6am on your collection day. 

Although we will provide them to you regularly, you can also order more recycling bags when you run out.

Flats and apartments in estates

We provide communal recycling bins for use by all residents who live in flats in an apartment or on an estate.

You can put any of the following in your blue bin or recycling bags:

Mixed paper, card and cardboard

Including paper, envelopes, newspapers, magazines, leaflets, catalogues, phone directories, greeting cards, cardboard boxes, kitchen and toilet roll tubes

Mixed glass bottles and jars

Including glass bottles and jars of any colour

Household plastic packaging

Including drink bottles, toiletry bottles, household cleaning product bottles, plastic food trays, yoghurt pots, tubs, lids and tops

Metals

Including drink cans, food tins, sweet and biscuit tins, aerosols, foil, beer and wine bottle caps and food jar metal lids

Food and drink cartons

Including fruit juice, fresh soup and long-life milk cartons like Tetra Paks.

We collect all items labelled as 'widely recycled' and 'check local recycling'. Find out what the different recycling symbols mean (opens in new tab). 

You should never put the following in your recycling bin or bag:

• metallic wrapping paper, plastic-coated paper or photographs
• Pyrex, drinking glasses, windows or mirrors
• polystyrene, coat hangers and toys
• carrier bags, plastic film, sweet and crisp wrappers
• tissues, nappies and sanitary items

These are all general household waste and go in your green bin or black bags.

Do not put any of the following in your blue bin or box either:

Broken glass or sharp objects

Wrap these securely in cardboard or another rigid material, then dispose of them in a black bag with your household waste

Clothing, textiles and shoes

Recycle these by taking them to:

• a local textile recycling bank
• the Southwark Reuse and Recycling Centre or other recycling centre
• a charity shop

Electrical items

Find out how to safely and legally get rid of hazardous, clinical or electrical waste.

Food and drink

Find out how to get rid of food waste.

Garden waste

Find out how to get rid of garden waste.

Paint tins 

You can donate leftover paint by taking it to the Southwark Reuse and Recycling Centre.

Most household waste can be recycled. This reduces waste in your rubbish bin that ends up in landfill. Recycling is better for the planet and cheaper to process.

If you put the wrong items in your recycling container you will ruin (contaminate) everything else in the container. This means it will end up in landfill after all.

This wastes your recycling efforts and those of other people in Southwark. 

That’s why we’re asking you to empty, rinse, recycle, repeat. It helps us recycle even more.

Find out how to recycle the right way

Putting the wrong item in your rubbish or recycling bins can contaminate them. 

Contaminated bins will not be collected because it can contaminate everything in the bin truck.

The crew will log a report and tag the bin. You'll need to empty the contents so that your bin can be collected next time.

You can take rubbish or recycling to the the tip. 

Or you can remove the contaminated items and report a missed bin collection.

Our poster shows what you should and should not recycle (PDF, 258KB). 

Why not print it and keep it on a wall close to your bins or in your kitchen as a reminder?

Find out:

• where to recycle a specific item
• what to put in your recycling at home
• your nearest recycling locations

Visit Recycle Now 

If you live in Southwark, have a passion for the environment and want to make a difference, why not become a recycling champion?

Recycling champions are volunteers who help us get Southwark residents recycling more.

No experience is required. You just need to be over 18 years old and willing to encourage others to recycle. 

There's no minimum time commitment. You can put in as much or as little time as you like. 

You'll get full support and training.

Here are some things a recycling champion can do:

• deliver promotional recycling-focused events in the community
• talk to local groups about recycling
• distribute leaflets to promote recycling
• display posters on local noticeboards
• set up an estate swap shop or green group
• help signpost services to others
• put recycling information on a community website and/or community newsletter

For more about the scheme run by Veolia, email environmentalcustom@southwark.gov.uk.

Become a recycling champion