What goes where?
Please help us to help the environment by placing the right items in the right containers. If the wrong thing is put in the wrong box, bag or bin, the contents may get contaminated which means we may not be able to recycle them.
You can print out the What goes where guide (pdf 821 kB)
Green wheelie bin
The following items can go in the green wheelie bin:
- all food waste - see Kitchen and kerbside caddies for further information.
- bark
- hedge clippings
- grass cuttings
- weeds
- cut flowers
- plants (no soil)
- windfalls
- untreated sawdust
- wood shavings
- clean straw
You can no longer put cardboard in your green bin.
Kitchen and kerbside caddies
Every home should have been given a small kitchen caddy. This is to help you collect your food waste before transferring it to your green wheelie bin. If you aren't served by a wheelie bin service, you should have also been given a larger kerbside caddy, which can be put out for collection.
The following items can go in the caddies:
- all cooked food
- all raw food
- bones and carcasses
- left-overs from plates
- tea bags and coffee grounds
- fruit and vegetables, including peelings
Please do not wrap your food waste in plastic bags. Instead a small amount of kitchen roll or a sheet of newspaper can be used. Alternatively, you can buy corn starch bags to line your kitchen caddy.
Brown bag
The following flattened items can go in the brown bag:- corrugated cardboard
- cereal boxes and other cardboard food packaging
- toothpaste boxes
- toilet roll and kitchen roll cores
- cardboard egg boxes
- card sleeves (from food trays)
Green bag
The following items can go in the green bag:
- newspapers
- white envelopes (windowed or non-windowed)
- magazines
- catalogues
- telephone books
- clean old clothes
- shoes (in pairs)
- handbags
- belts
- sheets
- curtains
- pillow cases
- duvet covers
- junk mail (no plastics)
Green recycling box
The following items can go in the green recycling box:
- glass bottles and jars
- plastic bottles (milk, shampoo, juice and so on)
- food tins
- drink cans
- aluminium foil
- aerosol cans
Please ensure all bottles, tins and cans are rinsed well, as these are sorted by hand. To help save space on our vehicles, please also squash your plastic bottles and tin cans where possible. Lids can only be taken if they are screwed back onto a squashed bottle.
Black wheelie bin
Other remaining items can go in the black wheelie bin, including:
- vacuum cleaner contents
- cardboard milk or juice cartons
- disposable nappies
- plastic envelopes
- polystyrene
- plastic food wrappers - cling film, crisp packets and so on
Food waste can go into your black bin, although we would prefer it if it went into your green bin or kerbside caddy.
Contact information
Works and Recycling Service
North Devon Council
Brynsworthy Environment Centre
Roundswell
Barnstaple
Devon
EX31 3NP
Telephone: 01271 374776
For Typetalk: precede with 18001
Email: greensweepdirect@northdevon.gov.uk
Web form: apply for a recycling box or bag
Web form: missed bin collection
Our office hours are 8.30 am to 5.00 pm Monday to Friday.
Trade waste contact
Telephone: 01271 340393 or 01271 340394
Fax: 01271 329911
Email: greensweepdirect@northdevon.gov.uk
Our office hours are 8.30 am to 5.00 pm Monday to Friday.
Feedback
We hope the services you receive from us are the quality you expect, or better.
We do understand there are times when you feel unhappy with our services or you may want to make a compliment or a suggestion about how we can improve.
You can give us your feedback in different ways.
