Recycling waste - blue bin

The standard size is 240-litre wheelie bin.

This bin is emptied every fortnight. You can check your bin collection schedule using our bin day lookup.

Your blue bin is for clean, dry recycling. Rinse out your items and replace all lids, including trigger and pump sprays.

Our collection crews may check the contents of recycling bins before emptying them.

Why recycling matters

Recycling helps us recover valuable materials so they can be used again, while reducing the amount of waste that needs to be treated as general waste.

By putting the correct materials in your blue bin and keeping them clean, dry and loose, you can help us recycle more, reduce contamination and make the most of the materials we collect.

Recycling helps to:

Conserve natural resources – using recycled materials reduces the need to extract new raw materials and helps protect the environment.
Save energy – manufacturing products from recycled materials can use significantly less energy than producing them from new raw materials.
Reduce waste – recycling keeps useful materials in circulation rather than sending them with general waste for energy recovery.
Reduce contamination – putting the right materials in your blue bin helps ensure more of the recycling we collect can be successfully processed.

Presenting your blue bin

Please follow the guidance below to help make sure your bin is collected:

Put your bin out by 6am on your scheduled collection day.
Present your bin kerbside, where your property meets the public footpath, and in a position where our collection crews can safely access it.
Your bin must be presented without any items attached to it, including ropes, bungee cords, straps, chains or similar attachments. Bins with attachments cannot be emptied as they can pose a health and safety risk to our collection crews and damage collection equipment.
Make sure the lid is fully closed and down against the bin (plastic to plastic). Do not overfill your bin.
Do not present recycling in plastic bags or bin liners.
Only put the correct materials in your bin for the type of collection. If incorrect or non-accepted items are found, your bin will be rejected and will not be emptied.
Additional recycling should be placed in a cardboard box or paper bag. Additional cardboard should be flattened, folded, or cut down into manageable pieces
Cardboard should be small enough for our collection crews to safely handle and place into the collection vehicle.
Cardboard should be small enough for our collection crews to safely handle and place into the collection vehicle.
Please secure or position additional cardboard so that it does not blow away.
If cardboard is too large to be safely handled, it will not be collected.
Put your bin out only on your collection day, or late the evening before, and remove it from the kerbside once it has been emptied.

Simpler Recycling – What can I recycle?

Only recyclable materials should be placed in your blue bin. All recycling should be clean, dry and placed loose inside the bin.

You can recycle:

Plastic bottles, pots, tubs, trays and tubes
Paper and card
Tins, cans and aerosols
Clean foil and metal food trays
Cartons and Tetra Pak

For guidance on how to dispose of specific items, please use the Nottinghamshire County Council Recycling Checker Recycling Checker | Nottinghamshire County Council

Simpler recycling – Items that cannot be recycled

The following items must not be placed in your blue recycling bin:

Food waste
Takeaway Pizza boxes
Greasy food packaging
Nappies and sanitary waste
Polystyrene containers and packaging
Plastic film, including crisp packets, pet food pouches and plastic bags
Textiles and clothing
General household waste
Batteries
Vapes
Electrical items
Glass bottles and jars
Glass bottles and jars should be placed in your separate glass recycling container.

If you are unsure whether an item can be recycled, please use the Nottinghamshire County Council Recycling Checker Recycling Checker | Nottinghamshire County Council

Missed collections

Our collection crews start work from 6am and can continue collecting until 2pm. Collection times can vary, so please do not report your bin as missed until after 2pm.

If your bin has not been emptied after 2pm, please report the missed collection within 2 working days.

You can report a missed collection using our Report a missed bin – Mansfield District Council service, by email at mdc@mansfield.gov.uk or by contacting the Customer Services Team on 01623 463463.

We will investigate the missed collection and, where it is a genuine missed collection, we will normally return to empty the bin within 5 working days, subject to operational resources.

Once you have reported a missed collection, leave your bin presented kerbside until it has been emptied.

A missed collection will not be classed as genuine where:

The bin was not out by 6am.
The bin was not at the correct collection point.
Access was not available.
The bin contained incorrect or contaminated materials.
The bin was too heavy or overfilled.
The lid was not fully closed.
The contents were stuck inside the bin.

If the collection was not due to Council error, you will normally need to wait until your next scheduled collection or arrange a paid return collection.

Contamination

If incorrect or non-accepted materials are found inside your blue bin, it will be rejected and will not be emptied.

If your bin is rejected because of contamination:

You will need to remove the incorrect materials from the bin.
Your bin will then be collected on your next scheduled collection day, provided the contamination has been removed.
We will do not return to empty a contaminated bin once the incorrect materials have been removed, unless a paid return collection has been arranged.
Repeated contamination may result in further action, including the removal of the recycling bin or suspension of the recycling collection service.

How will I know why my bin was not emptied?

We no longer routinely use tags, labels or stickers to notify residents when a bin has not been emptied because of contamination.

Where contamination is identified, the reason for non-collection will be recorded on the collection crew's in-cab system.

If your blue bin has not been emptied and you are unsure why:

Please use our Report a missed bin – Mansfield District Council service, by email at mdc@mansfield.gov.uk or by contacting the Customer Services Team on 01623 463463.

We will check the collection records and advise you of the reason your bin was not emptied.

Contents stuck inside your bin

Recycling can sometimes become compacted and stuck inside the bin, meaning it does not fully empty when tipped.

Our collection crews are not permitted to manually remove waste or recycling from inside a bin.

If this happens, you should loosen the contents before presenting the bin on your next scheduled collection day.

A paid return collection may be available if you cannot wait until your next scheduled collection.

If your road is inaccessible

Sometimes collections can be affected by circumstances outside the Council's control, such as:

Road closures
Parked vehicles blocking access
Severe weather
Other access restrictions

Where it is safe and practical to do so, we will make further attempts to collect your bin.

During severe weather or other exceptional circumstances, please follow any collection updates provided on our website and social media channels.

Additional recycling

If you occasionally have more recycling than will fit inside your blue bin, you can present some additional recycling next to your bin on your scheduled collection day.

Please follow these rules:

Additional recycling must be clean, dry and suitable for recycling.
Do not present recycling in plastic bags or bin liners.
Additional recycling should be placed in a cardboard box or paper bag. Additional cardboard should be flattened, folded, or cut down into manageable pieces
Cardboard should be small enough for our collection crews to safely handle and place into the collection vehicle.
Cardboard should be small enough for our collection crews to safely handle and place into the collection vehicle.
Please secure or position additional cardboard so that it does not blow away.
If cardboard is too large to be safely handled, it will not be collected.

Additional recycling bins

If your household regularly produces more recycling than can fit in your blue bin, you can apply for an additional recycling bin.

An additional blue bin may be provided free of charge where there is a genuine need for additional recycling capacity.

Applications are subject to the Council's criteria. Properties with a history of recycling contamination may not be eligible for an additional recycling bin.

To request an additional recycling bin, please use our bin delivery form Bin Delivery | Contact details – Mansfield District Council, by email at mdc@mansfield.gov.uk or by contacting the Customer Services Team on 01623 463463.

Lost, stolen or damaged blue bins

If your blue bin has been lost or stolen, we will replace it free of charge. If your blue bin has been damaged by the Council's collection vehicle or is no longer serviceable due to normal wear and tear from regular use, we will also replace it free of charge.

If your blue bin has been damaged through misuse, neglect or improper use, we reserve the right to charge for a replacement.

Please report a lost, stolen or damaged blue bin using our Bin Problems service Bin Problems | Important! – Mansfield District Council by email at mdc@mansfield.gov.uk or by contacting the Customer Services Team on 01623 463463.

Flats and communal bins

For flats and housing complexes, some properties may not have individual blue bins and will instead have access to communal recycling bins.

The same general principles apply. Communal recycling bins must also contain only the materials accepted in the recycling service. If incorrect or non-accepted materials are found in a communal recycling bin, the bin may be identified as contaminated and will not be emptied.

Where a communal recycling bin is contaminated, it is the responsibility of the landlord, managing agent, housing association or other person responsible for managing the property to arrange for the incorrect materials to be removed. The bin will then be collected on the next scheduled collection once the contamination has been removed.

Communal bin areas must be kept clear, accessible and safe so that collection crews can access and empty the bins.

Loose waste, excess rubbish or bulky items must not be left around communal bins or in a way that prevents access.

Where access to a communal bin store is blocked, the collection may not be possible to completed.

Recycling waste - blue bin