What materials can I recycle in my green box?
You can put glass bottles & jars, tins, cans, empty aerosols, batteries and plastic bottles (please no food trays, yogurt pots or margarine tubs) into your green box for recycling
What materials can I recycle in my purple box?
You can put all types of paper in your purple box, including newspapers, magazines, junk mail, directories & catalogues, office & printer paper and card.
Where should I put my kerbside boxes?
Please make sure that you put your boxes on the kerb outside your house by 7.00am on the morning of your collection.
How often are boxes collected?
Boxes are collected every week on a specified day. If you are unsure on what day your collection takes place, please contact us using the details at the bottom of this page.
What should I do if my kerbside boxes are not emptied?
We would ask you to check that your box was put out by 7.00am on the morning of your collection day, and whether it was on the kerbside.
If it was, did it have the correct materials in the box?
If it did, please try and see whether it was just your box that was missed or the entire road in which you live, and then please contact us, using the details at the bottom of this page, to report the problem.
Sometimes entire streets are missed as a result of residents parking their cars in the road and blocking access. Please consider our kerbside collection vehicle when parking on the evening before or the morning of your collection.
My kerbside box has been stolen/damaged/lost
We can provide a new box free of charge, please come down to the Recycling and Cleansing Depot on Woking Road to collect one.
However, if this isn’t possible we can arrange a delivery directly to you. Please contact us using the details at the bottom of this page to make such arrangements.
I have a lot of recyclables, and would like a second box, I would also like to know if I can I get a lid for my box?
You can buy a second box for £2.42, while lids cost £1.17, but please don’t put your box out for collection with the lid on.
Both items, along with green garden waste sacks and green cones, can be purchased from the Recycling and Cleansing Depot on Woking Road to collect one.
Do I need to remove labels on bottles, jars and tins?
There is no need to spend time removing labels, as the paper will be burnt off in the recycling process. However, if you want to remove the labels they can be put into your purple box for mixed paper.
Where can I take other materials – textiles, books etc?
Located around the borough are banks for aluminium foil, textiles, shoes, books, music (tapes, CDs, records and videos) and printer cartridges. For their exact locations please see the Bring Sites and Recycling Directory.
My cardboard is too big to fit in my box, what can I do?
Large pieces of cardboard can be broken down into smaller prices to fit in your purple box. Alternatively it can be taken to one of our recycling centres, please check it has a cardboard container before making a journey there, by using the Bring Sites and Recycling Directory.
I am disabled and or elderly and find it difficult to put my recycling box out, what can I do?
If you are having trouble carrying your box we can easily solve this problem by arranging for an assisted collection. This is where the crew collect your box directly from your door, or other convenient location specified by you, and then return it.
If you are interested in this service please contact us using the details at the bottom of this page, and we will be able to make the appropriate arrangements and issue you with a special yellow poster. We ask that you put the poster in a visible position in your window, to notify the crew that you would like a collection.
Before arranging for an assisted collection please consider whether another person living with you, or perhaps a neighbour could help by putting your box out for you.
What can I do with my green garden waste?
Home composting is the best way of getting rid of green garden waste and kitchen food waste. To find out more please see Home Composting pages.
You may be interested in our garden waste kerbside collection service, if you would like more information about this service see Garden Waste pages.
Alternatively, you could take your green garden waste to your local community recycling centre (the tip), where it is collected for composting.
How can I recycle my plastic bottles?
We are delighted to announce that following two successful trials, we are expanding the range of materials that you can recycle in your weekly kerbside collection scheme. Most of you will are able to recycle all of your plastic bottles and unwanted textiles through the kerbside collection scheme.
I live in a flat and am not covered by the kerbside recycling collections, do you have any plans to help residents in flats to recycle?
We provide mini recycling points for flats across the borough.
The convenient and easy scheme is based on five wheeled bins for newspapers and magazines, tins and cans, green glass, clear glass and brown glass. We also provide a handy container to carry materials from your flat to the bins.
If you live in a flat which does not have any recycling facilities, please contact the Assistant Recycling Officer on 01483 445063 for more information.
What happens to the service on Bank Holidays and at Christmas?
During a week with a bank holiday, your collection day will be one day later for that week only. For example if your collection should be a Friday, it will occur on a Saturday.
For Easter, Christmas and New Year, we will give you details of any changes. Please look out for full details of collection dates in our adverts in the local press before each bank holiday and on our website.
What happens to all of the recyclables collected?
All of the material collected from your kerbside boxes is taken to a transfer station on the Slyfield Industrial Estate where it is bulked to be transported on to various reprocessors for recycling.
Cleansing Hotline
Woking Road Depot
Woking Road
Guildford
GU1 1QE
Tel: 01483 444499
Email: cleansinghotline@guildford.gov.uk