Last updated:
27th September 2024
Storing and putting out your recycling
To ensure your waste is emptied on collection day you should leave your green recycling bags:
- At the edge of your property
- Where it meets the nearest public pavement
- On your fortnightly collection day
You can put out as many green recycling bags as you like, though four green bags should be enough if you wash and squash the contents.
if you don’t have enough green recycling bags, you can collect more green recycling bags free of charge from several hubs around the borough.
Get help putting out waste
We offer assisted collections for residents who:
- are not able to wheel their bin to the edge of their property
- don’t have anyone else in the house who can do it for them
For residents who qualify, our waste crews will collect, empty, and return their waste containers to and from an agreed location.
Find out more about registering for assisted collections.
Storing two weeks' worth of recycling on your property
Your green recycling bags don't need to be stored indoors. If they are sealed properly, they can be safely left outside, until you’re ready to put them out on your next collection date.
It may be helpful to either:
- keep them in a shed, a bin store, or inside your old traditional dustbin if you have one
- stack them against a garden wall, fence or other surface
- compact your recycling as much as possible, particularly items like cardboard boxes, plastic bottles and drinks cans
In other areas which use wheeled recycling bins, these are typically limited to 240 litres - the same amount as four of our 60-litre green sacks.
- We're not limiting how many green recycling bags you can put out for collection, but most households should find four are enough.
How suitable are green bags for storing two weeks’ worth of recycling
Our green bags are waterproof when they’re sealed. If your bag won’t seal, you can either:
- order replacements free of charge
- contact us to report faulty bags, stating when you collected them and which collection point you picked them up from
Other councils, including West Berkshire, collect recycling fortnightly from several different containers including bags and boxes. Their residents adapted to these changes and their recycling rates have continued to increase.
