Bassetlaw residents are being told they can now recycle more items than ever in their blue bins, after changes to the council's recycling service came into effect as part of the government's national Simpler Recycling reforms.

Letters are going out to households across the district explaining the changes, alongside updates on kerbside glass recycling collection dates.

What you can now put in your blue bin

In addition to everything you could already recycle – paper, card, plastic bottles, pots, tubs, tins, cans and aerosols – Bassetlaw residents can now also place the following in their blue bin:

  • Clean foil (scrunched up for easier sorting)
  • Metal food trays – e.g. takeaway containers, ready-meal trays
  • Plastic trays and tubs – e.g. punnets and margarine tubs
  • Cartons and Tetra Pak – e.g. juice cartons, soup and sauce cartons

All items should be rinsed, empty and clean before being placed in the blue bin – food residue contaminates entire loads and can send otherwise recyclable material to landfill.

A new Bassetlaw recycling app is on the way

To make it easier to keep track of what can go where, Bassetlaw District Council is launching a new mobile app designed to give residents personalised information. The app will include:

  • Bin collection days based on where you live
  • A full guide to what can be recycled and where
  • Live updates on any disruptions to collections – including bad-weather delays or missed rounds

Kerbside glass collections

Households will also be receiving a letter confirming their kerbside glass recycling collection dates and service details for the current year.

Why it's changing

The changes are part of the UK government's Simpler Recycling programme, which aims to make recycling consistent across every council in England. Under the new national rules, every household in England must be able to recycle the same core set of materials through kerbside collection – rather than each council operating its own slightly different list of accepted items.

Where to find more

For the full details of what you can recycle in Bassetlaw and to check your bin collection day, visit bassetlaw.gov.uk/waste-and-recycling.