Waste and recycling service - what we collect
Find out about the service
- Why have we changed?
- Sign up for the latest news
- Chester information pack (PDF, 5.42MB)
- Ellesmere Port and Neston information pack (PDF, 3.75MB)
- Vale Royal information pack (PDF, 3.71MB)
- What goes where? (PDF, 2.34MB)
- Find your bin collection date
What goes in each recycling box?
Brown bin - what food can you recycle?
- Meat and fish - raw or cooked including bones
- Fruit and vegetables - raw or cooked
- All dairy products such as cheese
- Eggs - including shells
- Bread, cake and pastries
- Rice, pasta and beans
- Uneaten food from your plates and dishes
- Tea bags and coffee grounds
Please do not put the following items in the brown bin:
- Packaging of any sort
- Plastic and biodegradable bags
Compostable liners along with other items such as low cost
compost bins and Wheela trolleys are available to purchase through
our online shop:
You can also buy 100% compostable liners from many supermarkets, just look for the compostable logo.
Your Red/Grey box
- Plastic bottles (lids may be left on but please squash the bottle first)
- Household plastic pots, tubs and trays
- Food and drinks cans and lids
- Aerosols and foil
Please do not put the following items in:
- Plastic film, carrier bags and bubble wrap
- Crisps, bread and biscuit wrappers
- Black plastic (including pots and trays)
- Hard plastic (eg garden furniture)
- DIY and garden chemical bottles
- Polystyrene packing or trays
- Tapes, CDs and toys
Your green box
- Paper and envelopes (all colours)
- Cardboard (all colours)
- Food and drink cartons (eg tetrapaks)
- Telephone directories and magazines
- Glass bottles and jars
- Textiles, clothes and shoes
- Batteries (place car batteries beside the box)
- Cooking oil and engine oil (in a sealed container)
- Small electrical items (smaller than a toaster)
- Spectacles
- Empty printer cartridges
- Mobile phones
- Duvets and pillows
Please do not put the following items in:
- Broken glass and jars
- Light bulbs
- Plate glass (mirror and window glass)
- Pyrex
- Ornaments and toys
Your green bin
- Leaves
- Small branches and twigs
- Grass cuttings
- Plant and hedge clippings
- Cut flowers
Please do not put the following items in:
- Food and vegetable waste
- Soil and stones
- Animal waste and pet bedding
- Plastic
- Cardboard
Your black bin
- Polystyrene
- Crisp and sweet wrapping
- Dog and cat waste (wrapped)
- Plastic carrier bags
- Any other waste that cannot be recycled
Please do not put the following items in:
- Hot ash
- Bricks, rubble, soil and other heavy items
- Large electrical items
New, replacement or second containers
If you require a replacement container or you need additional recycling containers, you can request these online. Simply fill in the following form, select 'other issue' and enter your requirements in 'further information'.
Calendar update
A small number of properties in the Ellesmere Port area have recently received two conflicting collection calenders through the post.
This has occurred due to human error. Those affected properties will receive a letter over the next few days confirming their new collection day.
Kitchen food waste
A weekly collection of kitchen waste ensures that we maximise the amount of waste we can recycle and provide households with a weekly collection of 'smelly' waste.
Households are issued with a 23 litre food waste caddy to put out for collection. This has a lockable lid to ensure it is secure. A small seven litre kitchen caddy will also be provided for residents’ convenience. Cooked and uncooked food, meat, fish, vegetables and other foodstuffs can be recycled.
Remaining household waste
Waste that cannot be recycled through the new service is collected fortnightly in a new 180 litre wheeled bin. There is plenty of space in this wheeled bin as so much more of the waste is now be recycled as part of the new service.
Assisted collections
If householders are physically unable to move their containers then they are eligible for an assisted collection.
It is also be possible to purchase wheels or trolleys to use with the recycling boxes and the Council is exploring the best way to make a system of purchasing these accessories available to residents.
Other services delivered by May Gurney
The Bulky Waste collection service is sub-contracted to the Cheshire Furniture Reuse Forum which is made up of not-for-profit community groups that collect furniture and electrical goods for reuse.
The service maximises reuse and recycling of Bulky waste. May Gurney will also take over the provision of 'bring banks' for the Council.
Old containers
The existing brown bins, many of which are old, are being collected over the coming weeks and will be sold for recycling into new products.
The existing blue bins from the Chester area will be collected by May Gurney and sold for reuse or, if not in a suitable condition, sent to be recycled. The income from sale of the old bins will help offset the contract costs.