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Refuse Disposal/Recycling Collection  | What Can I Do?  |  Kerbside Collection Checklist
 Why Wait Till Winter? ç Information provided by Vale Council è Scoop the Poop Campaign

The Vale of Glamorgan Council's What's in your bin? campaign was launched in November, 2003 and by December, 2004 the council had collected 100% more material than in the same period the previous year.  This waste awareness promotion also won a national Green Apple Environment Award that rewards and promotes best practice by local authorities, commerce and industry around the world.  In 2005, the Visible Services Department of the Vale Council won national recycling awards: Outstanding Manager (the head of visible services); Outstanding Team (waste management development team); Best Recycling Training and Information Campaign (What's in your bin?) at the Severnside annual recycling awards.  Over Christmas 2007 an additional 200 tonnes of waste for recycling was collected compared with the previous year.  The kerbside collection of green waste time table was extended in 2008.  Visit Severnside website.  Weekly recycling of kitchen waste was piloted in some areas during 2009; this trial was extended during the year to include more villages and in 2011 was introduced to all areas.  When the recycling service began, residents were asked to separate paper, glass and cans and these were collected every other week, alternating with the collection of cardboard and plastic.  From week commencing Monday 19th September 2011, a co-mingling collection service for dry recyclables began. 

The Vale of Glamorgan Council operates a weekly co-mingled dry recycling service, whereby these items do not have to be put into separate bags/boxes.  Kitchen waste is also collected during the day.  Household refuse (ie black bags) disposal is every other week and from April to November alternates with garden waste collection.  In our area the recycling/waste collection is a Thursday. 

Scroll down or use the following Quick Search links for specific information:  

Bank Holiday collection arrangements (including any changes to normal day)

Household refuse and Fortnightly collection dates

Green waste (garden refuse)  and Fortnightly collection dates

Kitchen waste  

Co-mingling kerbside recycling
Aerosols, Foil and Cans  (and what recycled metal can be used for)
Glass  (and what happens to it) 
Paper and Cardboard  (and how it is recycled) 
Plastic  (and information on the different types and what it can be turned into) 

Miscellaneous:
Christmas Tree collection  
Household Recycling Centres
Discounted home composting bins

Bank Holiday Collection Arrangements     Return to top / Quick Links

Under normal circumstances there is no change to the usual collection day whenever there is a Bank Holiday.  However, sometimes special arrangements may need to be made at Christmas and New Year depending on how the Bank Holidays fall.  Details will usually be given by the Vale of Glamorgan Council in April together with notification of rates, in the local press in December and, sometimes, on leaflets delivered door-to-door.  Fortnightly collection dates of household refuse and garden waste are shown in the relevant section (Quick Link above) and changes are marked with an asterisk.

Household Refuse   Return to top / Quick Links

Collection is every other Thursday.  Domestic rubbish should be put out on the kerbside by 7.00 am; refuse bags can be put out the night before but no earlier than 7.00 pm.  Black bin bags (26 each time) have been delivered to households twice a year in May and November; however, this may be subject to change with the introduction of kitchen waste recycling and anticipated subsequent reduction in the amount of ordinary rubbish, and the change to fortnightly collection. 

Fortnightly Refuse Collection Dates     Return to top / Quick Links
(changes from normal day marked with an asterisk) 

Green Waste (Garden Refuse)     Return to top / Quick Links

Collection is every other Thursday from the first week of April to the last week of November; from the first week of December to the last week of March a Ring and Request collection service is in place.  Place garden waste in biodegradable or re-usable fabric bags purchased from the Vale of Glamorgan Council by 7.00 am, which will be collected at any time between 7.00 am and 7.00 pm.  Do not use black refuse/bin bags because they will not be taken away. 

Garden waste includes: grass cuttings; chopped woody stems; shrub & hedge pruning/clippings and debris; leaves; plants; flowers; and non-invasive weeds.  Garden waste is no longer sent to landfill sites and instead is used by local farmers; therefore, it must be placed in biodegradable or re-usable fabric bags purchased from the Vale of Glamorgan Council Offices.  No invasive weeds (e.g. Japanese Knotweed); kitchen waste (e.g. vegetable peelings); animal waste; plastic, including plant pots; logs; rubble or stones; soil; turf; or general rubbish.  Any bags found to contain this type of refuse will be left behind. 

Fortnightly, Seasonal, Garden Waste Collection Dates  Return to top / Quick Links

Kitchen Waste      Return to top / Quick Links

Collection is every Thursday.  The kerbside caddy should be put out by 7.00 am.  Line the daily-use (smaller) kitchen caddy with biodegradable corn starch bags which, once full, can be tied and placed in the lockable (larger) kerbside caddy.  When you have around five liners left, tie a piece of cloth or bag to the handle of the kerbside caddy and the recycling crew will leave another roll.  Newspapers can be used as an interim measure.

Cooked as well as uncooked food: bread, cakes, pastries; coffee grounds; dairy produce; egg (including shells); fish (including bones and shells); fruit; meat; noodles; pasta; peelings; pet food (including biscuits, canned meat, bird seed, small mammal mixes for hamster, rabbit, etc); pulses, beans; rice; table scraps and leftovers; tea bags; vegetables.  NO fats; liquids e.g. milk, gravy; oils; NO human waste or animal/pet waste. 

The kitchen waste collected is taken to a local farm and turned into a soil enhancer.  

Co-mingling of cans/glass/paper & cardboard/plastic      Return to top / Quick Links

Collection is every Thursday.  Items can be put in a recycling box if you have one and should be placed on the kerbside by 7.00 am on the day of collection.  If the box is full, place additional boxes/bags next to it.  Do not put items within other items, for example a plastic carton inside a cereal box or a different type of plastic container.  Please note any other material in the box will not be collected.  Any items contaminated with, for example, food will be left behind.  You do not have to remove paper labels from jars, tins or bottles.  Any materials left behind will have a sticker attached to explain why they have not been collected. 

Aerosols, Foil and Cans     Return to top / Quick Links
(and what recycled metal can be used for)

Food and drink cans (aluminium, steel, tinplate steel) e.g. baked beans, soup, fish, soft drinks, beer, pet food tins.  Cooking foil and take-away foil containers.  Remember to rinse/wash and preferably squash before recycling as contaminated items will be left behind.  Drained aerosols (remove lids).  No paint tins. 

Aluminium can be completely recycled, known as closed loop recycling.  Cans are flattened and shredded, then the lacquer and decoration is removed by blowing hot air through the shreds before the metal is melted down, cooled and rolled and made into new 100% recycled cans or food packaging.  Aluminium can be made into ingots which are then used in the manufacture of cars and aeroplanes.  Recycling cans also reduces the amount of bauxite (a raw material used to make aluminium) that needs to be extracted.  There is a microscopic layer of tin on steel cans in order to stop rusting which is recovered before they are melted down and made into foil pellets.  Recycled steel cans can be made into car parts, road signs and railings.  It takes as much energy to reprocess 20 cans as it takes to create a new one.  The energy saved by recycling one aluminium can is enough to run a TV for three hours.  It takes 50-100 years for an aluminium can to decompose when buried. 

Aluminium foil is a different alloy to cans and is made from 98% aluminium.  It can be recycled by a simple re-melt process that will save up to 95% of the energy used in the first production.  To check whether "foil" packaging used for items such as bread, biscuits and crisps can be recycled, scrunch the packet into a ball; if it retains its shape as a ball it is foil but if it returns to its original shape then it is metallised plastic film and cannot be recycled. 

Glass      Return to top / Quick Links
(and what happens to it) 

Glass jars and bottles, e.g. paste, pasta sauce, mincemeat, jam jars, beer and wine bottles.   Remember to rinse/wash before recycling as contaminated items will be left behind.  No Pyrex, Visionware cooking dishes, glass crockery, light bulbs window panes or broken glass.  Return glass milk bottles to the milkman as they can be reused 20 times before being recycled. 

Energy-saving light bulbs should be placed in special bins at a Household Recycling Centre. 

Glass can be turned into aggregate and sand.  Recycling one glass bottle/jar saves enough energy to light a 60 watt bulb for eight hours, to power a TV for one and a half hours or to boil enough water for three cups of tea.  Recycled glass can be made into road surfacing, paving, insulation and stained glass and uses 20% less energy than raw materials. 

Paper & Cardboard    Return to top / Quick Links
(and how they are recycled)

Paper includes newspapers, magazines, office paper, leaflets, brochures, junk mail, telephone directories.  Cardboard includes cereal boxes; egg boxes; cartons; Tetra Pak type cartons such as those for fruit juice, milk and soup; plain greetings, birthday and Christmas cards (any glue and decoration such as beads, glitter, metal and ribbons must be removed).  Remember to remove any packaging such as plastic and polystyrene.  Contaminated items will be left behind.  No glitter or highly-decorated greetings, birthday and Christmas cards, envelopes, wrapping paper, napkins (as they are waxed).   

The Vale Council in partnership with the Woodland Trust and Yellow Pages organise the Yellow Woods Challenge; local schools collect as many Yellow Pages telephone directories as possible for recycling into various products.  This raises funds for the Woodland Trust and schools, with cash prizes.

In some recycling plants, paper and card goes through an automatic recognition equipment process where laser-guided jets of air are used to separate the heavier mixed paper (eg cardboard, magazines, coloured paper) that is turned into cardboard packaging for toys and goods (such as fridges, computers, TVs) from the lighter newsprint that can be recycled by paper mills.  Recycled paper can be made into newspaper, magazines, toilet paper and hand towels.  Cardboard can be made into new cardboard such as that used for cereal boxes, egg boxes and chipboard products.  It takes two to four weeks for a paper towel, six weeks for newspaper and two months for a cardboard box  to decompose when buried. 

Plastic     Return to top / Quick Links
(and information on the different types and what it can be turned into)

This includes medication, milk, mineral water, pop, shampoo and washing up liquid bottles; butter, cheese spread and ice cream tubs; ready meal and take-away food containers.  Plastic lids need to be removed.  Other suitable items are dessert, fromage frais, mousse and yoghurt pots; fruit punnets; food bags such as for bread and fruit.  Clingfilm and cellophane are also accepted.  Remember to rinse/wash & squash plastic before recycling as contaminated items will be left behind.  No larger items, for example garden or patio furniture, flower pots, cracked kerbside boxes, toys, UPVC window frames and washing-up bowls - these can be taken to the Household Recycling Centre.  No polystyrene trays. 

Plastic bearing the triangular logo with a number 1, 2 or 3 in the centre can be shredded and re-cycled where facilities exist and is made from one of three types: PET (polyethylene terephthalate) which is opaque or coloured and used for items such as fizzy drink and cooking oil bottles as well as some milk bottles; HDPE (high density polyethylene) which is used for thicker items such as milk and washing-up liquid bottles; and PVC (polyvinyl chloride) which is clear and used for items such as still mineral water and cordial bottles.  PET bottles (sometimes marked by the number one in the universal recycling symbol to aid sorting and which have a small dot on the base) are used by some companies to make material for fleece jackets, filling for sleeping bags and anoraks, new packaging, industrial strapping as well as wall and floor coverings.  Bottles are sterilised, crushed, chopped into flakes which are drained and dried, stripped of any further impurities then melted into a thick liquid in large vats, from which fibrous polyester strands are produced that can be knitted and woven into fabric.  It takes 25 (or 11 two-litre) recycled plastic bottles to make a fleece jacket in a process lasting around 12 weeks from start to finish.  Plastic bottles can be made into fencing, compost bins, traffic cones, watering cans and drainpipes.  The free storage boxes given to householders for use with the kerbside service are made from recycled materials.  Recycling one plastic bottle saves enough energy to light a 60 watt bulb for 60 hours. 

Kerbside Household Christmas Tree Collection     Return to top / Quick Links

After the festive season, recycle your (real) Christmas tree via the Vale of Glamorgan collection service.  Check the local press, the Vale of Glamorgan website, our Diary Page or look out for  posters advising when you can put your (real) Christmas tree out with your rubbish ready for recycling.  This is usually on the next normal collection day following the week that included Twelfth Night (ie 6th January).  Remember to remove all decorations. 

Two town councils and 20 community councils took part in the Vale of Glamorgan Council's Christmas tree recycling competition in 2004/05 which, together with the tree collection points, resulted in 1,488 trees being collected and 2,200 recycled.  They were disposed of in an environmentally friendly way - either shredded for compost or "chipped" for use as animal bedding at a local farm.  More than 10,000 festive trees were recycled in the 2005/06 season, thanks to a tremendous response to the newly established kerbside collection; once again used as bedding and to clean out cattle sheds, the material was then used as a soil conditioner on the farm's fields.  Over 12,000 trees were collected in early 2007, saving 46 tonnes from landfill.  At the beginning of 2008 more than 15,000 Christmas trees were put to good use locally.    

Household Recycling Centres     Return to top / Quick Links

Sites at Llandow Trading Estate and Atlantic Trading Estate, Barry, have recycling banks for: glass, paper, cans, cartons (Tetra Pak), textiles, plastic, foil, garden waste, car batteries and waste oil; and will accept electrical items, including appliances such as: cookers, freezers, fridges, microwaves, washing machines; and household equipment such as computer monitors, energy saving bulbs, fluorescent tubes and TVs; as well as small items such as hairdryers, irons, kettles, keyboards, radios and toasters.  Vale of Glamorgan Council can arrange to collect large, bulky electrical equipment. 

Discounted compost bins (information kindly supplied by Vale of Glamorgan Council)  Return to top / Quick Links

The Vale of Glamorgan Council is offering residents the chance to purchase discounted home compost bins, which come in two designs and three sizes.  Kitchen and garden waste can be easily turned into compost at home, such as: uncooked fruit and vegetable waste, tea bags and coffee grounds, egg shells and cardboard egg boxes, small amounts of paper and cardboard, grass cuttings, hedge and shrub clippings, old plants and flowers.  Waste Awareness Officer, Helen Ball said: “Making compost at home is a great way of saving money and also provides an environmentally friendly way of reducing your rubbish.”  Visit Original Organics website which supplies home compost bins (discounted for Vale of Glamorgan residents) or to order call them direct on 01884 841 515.  For further information on waste minimisation, recycling and home composting contact the Vale of Glamorgan Council Visible Services. 

It takes one to two weeks for bread, two months for an apple core, six months for orange peel and one year for a banana skin to decompose when buried. 

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Refuse Disposal/Recycling Collection  | What Can I Do?  |  Kerbside Collection Checklist
 Why Wait Till Winter? ç Information provided by Vale Council è Scoop the Poop Campaign

Return to main Recycling & Waste Collection and Services Information page

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