Waste Collecting and Recycling
Waste Collecting and Recycling
Residential waste is collected from homes weekly by Guildford Borough Council. Click here and enter your postcode to find out what day your bins are collected.
| Waste | Frequency | Bin |
| Food | 7 Days | Green Caddy Bin (Outdoor) Small Silver Caddy (Indoor) |
| Refuse | 14 Days | Black bin |
| Recycling | 14 Days | Green Bin |
| Garden Waste (Optional) | 14 Days | Brown Bin (Additional Annual Change) |
If your property is not designated a wheeled bin, recycling and black sacks are issued in accordance with the Recycling and Refuse Services Customer Charter.
Excess Waste
If you can’t fit everything into your upcoming Refuse or Recycling collection, then you have many options.
Additional Recycling
You can put additional recycling next to your recycling collection provided it is presented in an appropriate manner. Cardboard must be broken down and secured next to your recycling collection. Other items that would usually be put in recycling bins can also be placed in small plastic carrier bags for side waste collection but black sacks won’t be taken.
Batteries
Batteries of all kinds can be placed into transparent plastic bags and placed on or near your recycling collection. Please do not put them in any bin or sack as batteries sent to landfill can release harmful metals and chemicals which can endanger wildlife and is hazardous to humans.
Textiles
The following permitted items can be placed into small plastic bags and placed next to your waste collection each week.
| Yes Please | No Thanks |
| All clothes including underwear and socks | Single Shoes |
| Pairs of Shoes (no singular) | Stuffed items such as cushions and duvets |
| Accessories like belts and bags | Dirty & Unwashed Items |
| All home textiles, including towels and sheets | Duvets and Pillows |
| Large sacks of items (small carrier bags only) |
Small Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment (WEEE)
Guildford Borough Council will collect “WEEE” items that fit into a carrier bag left next to your recycling or rubbish wheeled bin on your collection day. TVs, computer monitors or microwaves will not be collected as they must be taken to a Community Recycling Centre.
| Yes Please | No Thanks |
| Kettles | Large electrical items |
| Toasters | Televisions |
| Hair Dryers | Microwaves |
| Straighteners | White goods |
| Laptops | |
| Game Consoles | |
| Radios | |
| Clocks, Alarms & Watches |
What Goes In Which Bin?
Green Bin
If you often have too much recycling you can request a second recycling bin, there is no charge for this! You can do this by the GBC Customer Services Centre at customerservices@guildford.gov.uk or call them on 01483 505050.
| Yes Please | No Thanks |
| Paper and card | General waste |
| Newspapers and magazines | Black bags |
| Glass bottles and jars (all colours) | Expanded polystyrene |
| Empty food and drink tins and cans | Bubble wrap |
| Empty aerosol cans | Light bulbs |
| Clean foil and foil trays | Hard plastic, such as plastics toys or garden furniture |
| Plastic bottles, tubs, pots and trays | Kitchen paper or tissues |
| Plastic carrier bags | Crisp packets or sweet wrappers |
| Cartons for food and drink | Plastic film (cling film) |
| Plastic and metal lids, caps and tops | Nappies |
| Drinking glasses, crockery and Pyrex | |
| Paint tins | |
| Garden waste | |
| Anything else not included on the ‘yes please list’ |
Black Bin
Households with five or more people living permanently (including children) may apply for an additional refuse bin. Exceptions may also be granted if a member of the household has a medical conditional resulting in excess non-recyclable waste.
| Yes Please | No Thanks |
| Anything that can’t be put into your green wheeled bin or not excluded | Asbestos, soil, rubble or building material |
| Gas canisters | |
| Paint cans | |
| Garden waste | |
| Batteries |
Brown Bin (Garden Waste Collection Scheme)
If you do not want to compost your garden waste or do not wish to transport it to a Community Recycling Centre then for an annual fee, you can pay for fortnightly collections.
To enter the scheme please visit https://www.guildford.gov.uk/article/16793/Garden-waste-collection-scheme
| Yes Please | No Thanks |
| Organic garden waste | Over 50kg |
| Soil | |
| Plastics including plastic sacks | |
| Food products |
A contaminated container will not be emptied. Once resolved, the bin may be placed out for the next scheduled collection as trucks will not return to collect it before when the container was contaminated.
Food Waste
The silver 5 litre caddy is designed to be kept in your kitchen. The green 23 litre caddy is designed to be kept outside. Food waste caddy should be presented next to your wheeled bin for collection.
You can line your caddy with plastic bags purchased on a roll, old carried bags, food packaging bags (e.g. bread bag) or newspaper.
| Yes Please | No Thanks |
| Meat and fish – raw and cooked including bones | Food packaging that belongs in your recycle bin |
| All shells from shellfish, nuts and eggs | Black bin liners |
| All dairy products such as eggs and cheese | Liquids |
| Raw and cooked vegetable and fruit | Oil or liquid fat |
| Bread, cake and pastries | |
| Rice, pasta and beans | |
| Leftover, mouldy or expired food | |
| Tea bags and tea and coffee grounds |
To order a new food waste caddy you can contact customerservices@guildford.gov.uk or visit the Ash Parish Council Office.
The facilities at these CRC vary between each site, please check the site page before you visit. The opening times vary throughout the year and are published online.
Author & Images by Cllr John Tonks