We will aim to empty your bin on the next working day where practical (except Friday when there are no collections) but it may take us up to two working days.

Householders that repeatedly fail to put out their bin for collection on time, in any area, will be allowed up to 3 missed bins per rolling 6 month period. If residents fail to put out their bin for collection in excess of this allowance, then they shall be advised that the bin will not be picked up until their next normal collection day and that they can either take any excess waste to the nearest Household Waste Recovery Centre (HWRC) or pay for a special bulk collection.

Please remember

You can take your glass and paper based liquid food and drink cartons (Tetra Paks) to our household waste recovery centres and recycling sites.

These materials keep ending up in the rubbish bin rather than the recycling bin so we want to raise awareness of their recycling value! One lucky resident per month who recycles these items will be rewarded with a prize worth £250 which they can choose to donate to a local community group or school.

How to enter

• Simply register on the recycle-more website and then follow the instructions you receive on your welcome pack.
• You will be given stickers to put on the bottles and aerosols and if yours is picked out at the recycling centre, you will be awarded the prize.
• Those residents who took part in this scheme previously (from Dec 2011 to May 2012) will automatically be sent another batch of stickers so do not need to re-register.
• Register for a welcome pack now.
  

Winners!

• The winners so far have chosen a variety of prizes including laptops, camera, blu ray players and DVD players. They were Mrs Cooper from Seaton Delaval, Mrs Fraser from Morpeth, Mrs Hodgson from Berwick, Ms Taylor - Cramlington and Mrs Holman from Wooler area, Mr Barczak, Ms Hall and Ms Scarisbrick all from Cramlington areas.

Who is funding this competition and why are we rewarding residents?

• The competition is being funded by Waste Aware North East (WANE) who have won a pot of money from DEFRA to encourage residents to recycle more in their bins. It is supported by Northumberland County Council and four other local authorities in the North East.

Collections may be disrupted during periods of severe weather. We will provide updates on our homepage. You can also check our alerts Facebook , Twitter and Google+ accounts for latest information during these periods.

We will rearrange missed collections as soon as we can.

If a household has contaminated their bin, they will receive either a sticker or a letter through their door.

If only a small amount of the wrong items are put in the recycling bin, such as yoghurt pots, carrier bags and drinks cartons, then the householder will be reminded of the items that are acceptable for recycling and the reasons for this, but normally will still get their recycling bin emptied.

The sorting plant where the recycling bin contents are taken can remove a small amount of contamination from the recyclable waste without the whole load having to be rejected and disposed of.

However, if a household is putting a large amount of non-recyclable items in the recycling bin, or using it to dispose of materials that cause problems at the sorting plant, such as food waste, nappies or glass, then the bin will not be emptied.

If a household continues to deliberately contaminate their recycling bin, then the Council may remove the recycling bin or refuse to empty it. The householder will only have their recycling bin returned or emptied again if they agree not to cause further contamination and pay the standard charge for the re-provision of the recycling bin if applicable.

If the Council has determined that your household is unable to accept a wheeled bin due to a lack of storage space, then you can use bin sacks which you can leave out for collection. We will provide recycling sacks free of charge.

To request recycling sacks, please:

If your bin is lost, stolen or damaged, then you are expected to pay for a replacement. A replacement standard 240litre bin is £32 and we aim to deliver a replacement bin within 5 working days of payment being received.

The council will only provide a free replacement bin if it was damaged by the Council’s collection vehicle or staff when it was emptied; or if the council has agreed that your bins should be left permanently at the roadside.

If you have moved into a home and there are no bins provided, then you will be required to pay for the provision of your recycling and general waste bins.

Request a smaller bin

You can ask to exchange your standard (240litre) bins for small (140litre) ones free of charge. (Providing you are not downsizing your recycling bin only as this does not encourage recycling)

Request a bigger bin

Residential properties with a small (140litre) bin can purchase a standard (240litre) wheeled bin for £25 (providing the smaller bin is returned to the council)

It is possible to purchase a large (340 litre) bin for general waste for £61 (reduced to £45 if you have a standard or small bin to exchange). If your household has less than 6 permanent occupants, you must be able to demonstrate that you are making full use of your recycling bin and taking measures to minimise your waste.

To request a bigger bin, please call us on 0845 600 6400 or visit one of our Customer Information Centres

The charges for a new bin are as follows:

• £27 for a small (140 litre) recycling or general waste wheeled bin
• £32 for a standard (240 litre) recycling or general waste wheeled bin
• £61 for a large (340 litre) recycling or general waste wheeled bin
• £378 for an extra-large (1100 litre) recycling or general waste wheeled bin

If available, you can request a second hand bin that will still be in a serviceable condition and fit for purpose. The price for a second hand bin is dependent upon its general condition and age and these are made available on a ‘first come – first served’ basis

To order a new or replacement bin, please:

• call 0845 600 6400 or

Please note: It is possible to buy a bin from another supplier provided they meet the Council’s specifications. Please contact us for more information.

Please do:

• put your bin out by 7am on collection day
• make sure you can close the lid on your bin (don’t overfill)
• take any excess waste you have to your local Household Waste Recovery Centre
• take your bin back onto your property within 24 hours of it being emptied

Please don’t

• leave excess waste left alongside your bin - it will not be collected.
• Put clinical / healthcare waste in your bin but ask your doctor / nurse / pharmacist to recommend what you should do to dispose of this waste.

There are many different types of hazardous waste. The type and quantity of household hazardous waste determines how it can be recycled or disposed of. As much as 5% of household waste can be classified as hazardous due to its potential to harm human health or to pollute the environment.

The most common types of hazardous waste found in the home are:

• Household batteries
• Car batteries
• Garden pesticides
• Medicines
• Asbestos
• Televisions and computer monitors
• Gas cylinders
• Fridges and freezers
• Used engine oil
• Flammable solvents

Please click here for more information

There are three ways to dispose of hazardous household waste depending on the type and amount.

1. Household Waste Recovery Centres (HWRCs) accept certain types of hazardous waste. Check what is accepted here.
2. Return to the retailer. Unwanted household medicines and pharmaceutical products should be returned to the chemist for safe disposal.
3. Hazardous Waste Collection Service.

Household Waste Recovery Centres cannot accept asbestos, certain types of garden pesticides or flammable solvents. A free collection service operates every month to ensure asbestos and hazardous chemicals from households are disposed of safely.

Apply for a collection and find out more here

Household Asbestos

Any building built before 2000 could contain asbestos. We provide a collection service for household asbestos although we can’t remove it

More advice and information is available here

Households who generate health care wastes should in the first instance seek the advice of their medical practitioners (i.e. district nurse, doctor) regarding the appropriate collection and disposal arrangements for their health care waste. Where arrangements with the NHS cannot be made then please contact us to discuss your requirements.