For the majority of households we provide a 3 bin and a blue bag system collected on an alternate weekly collection: Green bin one week, the blue bin and bag and brown bin the next. 

Use the postcode search to find your collection day.

How to present your bin/bag for emptying

• Bin and bag lids should be fully closed. When using your blue bin, blue bag or brown bin please ensure all items are placed loose inside and not bagged as this may result in your bin or bag not being emptied.
• Place your blue bag next to the blue bin for emptying.
• Don't put your blue bag inside the blue bin, it may get tipped into the back of the vehicle and you will need to arrange a replacement bag.
• If a blue bag is identified in a blue bin at the kerbside by the collection crew this may result in neither the bin or the bag being emptied on that occasion.
• If your wheeled bins or blue bag are too heavy to be handled safely, or contain the incorrect type of materials, they will not be emptied. If this happens you will be notified of the reason for the non-collection.
• Any sharp objects should be wrapped securely. Do not put items in your wheeled bins or blue bag that could be a health and safety hazard to the collectors.
• Don't use wheelie bin liners in either your blue or brown bins, these can cause contamination issues resulting in loads being rejected and sent for disposal as general waste.
• Please return the bins and blue bag back onto your property as soon as possible after collection.

Further information from Recycling Frequently Asked Questions or:

• Textiles and Clothing Collections
• Electrical and Electronic Equipment Collection and Used Household Batteries
• Large or Bulky Items
• Household Waste Recycling Centres (The ‘Tips’)

What happens next to the recycling and waste collected from my home?

Find out what happens to the waste and recycling once its collected from your home - Where does it go.

Blue Bin - Recycling

Please use the blue bin for the following items ONLY.

If the item you have is not listed below then it should be disposed of in the green bin, at the Household Waste Recycling Centre (where a wider range of materials can be recycled e.g. Tetrapak) or at designated drop off points in shops and supermarkets.

If in doubt, leave it out - help us to improve the quality of recycling collected in Stafford Borough.

Leave recycling loose in the blue bin, do not put in carrier or bin bags. Rinse items before placing in the blue bin and separate lids from containers.

• Glass bottles and jars
• Plastic bottles
• Plastic pots, tubs and trays (no black plastic or plant pots)
• Food tins
• Drink cans
• Tin foil and foil containers
• Aerosols

Do not put batteries, textiles or clothing in this bin Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Collection and Used Household Batteries and Textile and Clothing Collection

Blue Bag - Recycling (Paper and Cardboard)

Please place your blue bag next to the blue bin for emptying, do not leave the blue bag inside the blue bin.

Your blue bag will be collected on your scheduled recycling day, bag lids should be closed to contain the bag contents.

If you have extra cardboard, tear or flatten the pieces to the size of your blue bag, secure together (not in any type of bag or bin liner) and leave beside your blue bag for collection. Please note this option is for cardboard only, please don't present paper outside of the blue bag

If you regularly have excess cardboard you can request an additional blue bag free of charge by calling 01785 619402 or emailing info@staffordbc.gov.uk with your address details.

Oversize cardboard, or cardboard that cannot be broken down should be taken to the Household Waste Recycling Centres

Ensure all non-card packaging is removed from cardboard boxes and card packaging. 

Please contain any shredded paper in old envelopes or small cardboard boxes to prevent it from becoming a litter issue during the emptying process.

Use the blue bag for the following items only.

• Newspapers and magazines
• Letters and envelopes (no need to remove windows from envelopes)
• Junk mail
• Phone books and catalogues
• Card packaging
• Cardboard boxes
• Egg cartons
• Plain greetings cards

Do you live in a flat with a bin store or communal collection point?

Don’t worry that you may not have a blue bag - there are different arrangements for flats with larger bin stores or communal collection points.

You will have larger grey bins with blue lids or large metal bins with blue lids, marked as paper and card only.

Please put loose paper and card (not bagged) together in these bins.

Do not put paper and cardboard in the mixed recycling bins provided for glass, cans and plastic as they will not be emptied.

Communal Bins - Frequently Asked Questions

Brown Bin - Garden Waste

There is an annual charge to empty your brown bin. Information and how to sign up for the brown bin collections.

Please use the brown bin for the following items only:

• Leaves
• Small branches, twigs and bark
• Grass cuttings
• Cut flowers
• Plants and weeds (excess soil shaken off)
• Hedge clippings

Stafford Borough sends over 10 thousand tonnes of garden waste to be composted each year. The compost is then supplied to garden centres and local farms, we don't receive any income from the sale of the compost.

Did you know, it only takes 20 weeks to turn your garden waste into compost.

The compost is screened at various stages of the composting process and some items are causing contamination issues.

Please do not put these items in the brown bin:

• Soil, turf, rubble or stones
• Biodegradable or compostable items (plant pots, bags, cups, plates) - 
  These items take much longer to break down than garden waste and cause contamination issues. These items can be placed in your home compost bin as they can break down over a longer period of time.
• Food waste - even peelings. We cannot accept food waste using the current composting method, you can compost food at home in your home compost bin.
• Plant pots, garden tools, paddling pools, garden toys or ornaments are not classed as garden waste and should be disposed of as general waste if they can’t be re-used.

Green Bin - General Waste

This bin is for your general waste which can't be recycled, examples of which are:

• Plastic bags, crisp bags, sweet wrappers, food wrapping, waxed cartons, black plastic, plant pots and hard plastic e.g. toys, buckets (some of these items can be returned to shops and supermarkets or taken to the Household Waste Recycling Centres where a wider range of materials can be accepted for recycling)
• Disposable nappies, sanitary and incontinence products
• Pet waste properly wrapped and tied securely
• Food waste properly wrapped and tied securely
• Ash from fires (allow to cool first)
• Polystyrene

Don't pour cooking oil down the sink or toilet as it can cause blockages.

Small amounts of used cooking oil from your household can go in your green bin but you must put the oil into a sealed container such as a glass jar or plastic bottle with a lid. Alternatively, use rags to soak up spillages and put them in a plastic bag.

Do not pour oil directly into your green bin.

Solidified cooking fat can be placed in sealed plastic bags and also placed in your green bin.

If you are a commercial premises, you must make arrangements to dispose of used cooking oil through a waste disposal company.