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Recycling bins, boxes or clear sacks

Boxes to clear sacks

Deliveries of recycling sacks to replace the existing recycling boxes in the Northampton area are underway and are due to be completed by the end of November 2025. You will receive 4 packs of 26 sacks and an information leaflet.

We are not accepting any missed delivery requests at this time to allow Veolia to complete all of their deliveries.

How to recycle

  • Empty and rinse items to remove any food residue before recycling
  • Place items loose within your bin or clear sack
  • Do not stack items of different materials inside each other for example plastic yogurt pots inside a cardboard cereal packet
  • Extra recycling can be left in clear bags (not black bags) or cardboard boxes next to your recycling bin

We accept any of the following:

  • plastic bottles (with lids on)
  • plastic pots, tubs and trays (no pouches)
  • glass bottles and jars (with lids on)
  • food and drink cartons
  • foil and foil trays
  • empty aerosols
  • paper and card
  • cardboard
  • tins and cans

We do not accept any of the following in the recycling bin:

  • food - this is collected separately. Use your food caddy
  • garden waste - this is collected separately using a paid for service - alternatively, you can compost at home or take to your local HWRC
  • textiles - take textiles to textile banks, charity shops or use our doorstep collection service
  • batteries and small electricals - use the separate collection provided for small electrical items
  • vapes - do not put vapes in any bin these need to be returned to the place of purchase or taken to your local HWRC
  • nappies, pet waste and sanitary items - place these in your rubbish bin
  • polystyrene and hard plastics eg plastic toys and washing up bowls - use your rubbish bin
  • glass cookware and ceramics
  • pots, pans and baking trays
  • plastic bags, wrapping and film
  • light bulbs

View a full list of where to recycle certain hazardous waste items.

You can put in: 

  • newspaper, magazines and paper (including shredded paper) 

  • food and drink cartons 

  • card, cardboard and flattened boxes 

    • please try to keep cardboard as dry as possible (but don't put in plastic bags) 

  • non-metallic wrapping paper 

  • envelopes (including windows), junk mail, leaflets and flyers 

  • telephone directories and catalogues

  • clean paper bags

  • cardboard tubes from toilet and kitchen rolls

Do not put in: 

  • nappies 

  • kitchen roll, tissues and tissue paper 

  • glittery cards and wrapping paper/metallic wrapping paper 

  • envelopes with plastic padding (Jiffy bags) 

  • greaseproof paper 

  • wallpaper 

  • oils and liquids 

  • wood 

    • please take to your local HWRC 

You can put in numbers 1, 2 and 5.

This includes: 

  • plastic bottles with lids 

  • other plastic tubs, trays, punnets and pots (such as yoghurt, pots, margarine tubs, ice cream tubs)

Do not put in numbers 3, 4, 6 and 7.

This includes:

  • Carrier bags, bread bags, heavy duty plastic bags/bin liners of any kind 

  • soft plastics such as bags containing frozen foods e.g. peas and chips, sandwich bags, cling film or bubble wrap 

  • tear-off cellophane lids - please remove and dispose of these and recycle the container e.g. throw away the lids on yogurt, cream pots, oven/microwave ready foods and food trays i.e. sliced meat containers 

  • plastic plant pots and plastic toys - please take to your local HWRC hard plastic skip for recycling

  • plastic film/cellophane wrapping, sweet/biscuit wrappers 

  • crisp packets 

  • polystyrene 

  • nappies 

  • thick or hard plastics such as washing up bowls - take to your HWRC hard plastic recycling skip

  • empty paint tins - take paint and paint tins to your local HWRC 

  • barrels or kegs 

  • metallic wrapping paper 

  • cosmetic products (such as cotton buds and face wipes) are not recyclable and cannot be flushed down the toilet 

  • CD's/DVD's and cases 

You can put in: 

  • all foil, foil cases and foil wrappers. Please wash off food and collect into the size of a tennis ball to aid recycling 

  • food and drink cans 

  • empty aerosols and lids 

  • crushed large tins (e.g. sweet and biscuit tins) 

Do not put in: 

  • baking trays and saucepans - please take to your local HWRC 

You can put in: 

  • all glass bottles and jars 

  • broken glass bottles and jars wrapped in paper 

  • perfume/ aftershave glass bottles 

Do not put in: 

All the below can be taken to your local HWRC 

  • window glass 

  • pyrex glass 

  • light bulbs 

  • drinking glasses 

  • crockery and ceramics 

  • mirrors 

  • tiles 

Last updated 30 October 2025