Bin Collections

Purple lidded glass collection bins

Rushcliffe households are set to benefit from new Simpler Recycling rules that will see kerbside glass collections introduced from outside your home from December 2025.

By March 2026, all councils in Nottinghamshire will have the collection in place and we plan to roll out the new 180 litre grey bins with purple lid bins to you between September 1 and November 7. Collections will then start from December 1 and be collected every six weeks.

Collection dates for the new bin will be detailed on a new look collection calendar that will be distributed later in 2025. We plan to collect the new glass bins on the same day as your current grey bin collections.

The Simpler Recycling changes are part of central government plans announced in 2023 which intends to ensure all homes in England recycle the same materials at the kerbside outside your home.

Under this new service, the glass will be collected more simply as mixed glass, and will then be colour sorted at the reprocessor, meaning we can continue to help your glass be remanufactured into new glass bottles and jars.

Existing bring and recycle bank sites for glass and Tetra Pak items are being reviewed as we appreciate most residents will now be able to recycle their glass from home meaning trips to the recycling sites will no longer be necessary. Please see further information in our FAQs below.

Further work will be undertaken on the best collection options for communal bin stores and flat complexes where different receptacles for glass and other recyclables may be more appropriate.

Frequently asked questions about glass recycling

When will I get my kerbside glass recycling bin?

Bins will start being delivered to households from September 1 2025 onwards. Look out for future communications as we will advise when we are delivering the bins in your area.

When can I start to use my bin?

The new emptying service starts from Monday December 1 2025. Please continue to also use existing bring sites prior to your first collection too.

When will kerbside glass recycling bin collections start?

From December 1 2025.

What can go into my glass bin?

ONLY THESE GLASS ITEMS

• Empty glass bottles and jars of any colour.

• Food jars, drink bottles, toiletry jars, perfume bottles, and reed diffuser bottles.

• Items must be empty and clean.

What is happening to existing glass bring banks?

At present, the following sites will remain and all others will be removed in January 2026.

Glass Recycling sites to remain in place

West Bridgford

• Morrisons, Gamston
• ASDA, Loughborough Road
• The Hook Car Park, Lady Bay

Bingham

• Newgate Street Car Park

Cotgrave

• Leisure Centre Car Park, Woodview

East Leake

• Co-op, Main Street

Keyworth

• Bunny

Radcliffe-on-Trent

• Health Centre Car Park

Ruddington

• Co-op, Church Street

Further work will be undertaken on the best collection options for communal bin stores and flat complexes where different receptacles for glass and other recyclables may be more appropriate.

Do the lids need to be taken off the bottles?

• Lids can be left on all glass bottles and jars.

Do labels need removing?

• Labels can stay on.

How can I find my bin collection day?

Rushcliffe Borough Council will distribute new bin calendars later in 2025. You can also find your bin day using our online search tool.

How big is the bin?

The bin is 180 litres, smaller than your current 240 litre grey and blue bins.

What colour is the bin?

Grey bins with purple lids.

If I don't have space for a bin, what can I do with my glass?

We still have a network of bottle banks around the Borough focused on the areas that need them most. You can find your nearest bottle bank on the Recycle Now website.

What happens if I use a communal bin?

Individual sites and their residents will be informed of arrangements.

Can we opt-out?

Please note that we will be reviewing and removing many existing recycling sites across the Borough as part of the move to kerbside collections. 

Further work will be undertaken on the best collection options for communal bin stores and flat complexes where different receptacles for glass and other recyclables may be more appropriate.

If you feel you can’t recycle your glass at home you can opt-out using an online form if you have yet to receive the new bin.

Can you collect a bin I don’t want?

Our contractors can collect a bin if it is not wanted. Please email customerservices@rushcliffe.gov.uk to inform us of your address.

How much will this cost?

This service is free for residents.

How often will the bins be emptied?

Collection dates for the new glass bin will be detailed on a new collection calendar that we distribute each year at the end of November. However, we plan to collect the new bins on the same day as your current grey bin collections, but on a six-week cycle.

What do I do if my bin is lost or damaged?

If your bin goes missing, complete our missing bin form. We’ll investigate what happened, and hopefully be able to find it. If your bin is damaged, it will generally be replaced free of charge. If the damage is as a result of misuse, you have to pay for a replacement.

Can I have two glass bins?

We are confident most residents will need just the one bin to be emptied every six weeks, but if you do need an additional bin contact us online.

What happens to the recycled glass?

All the glass collected is sent to a reprocessor where it is colour separated by machines and recycled back into glass bottles and jars.

Why have been bins been chosen for this service instead of other receptacles?

This is to reduce the chance of glass being spilt onto pavements or the highway outside properties causing further issues. Boxes and other options would also mean a less cost effective service and can present health and safety challenges for our collection teams.

How is this project being funded?

Central government have provided funding to support the roll out of Simpler Recycling legislation which includes making it a statutory requirement for Councils to collect glass from the kerbside by March 2026 and weekly food waste collections from October 2027. The Council’s Cabinet agreed in January 2025 to allocate further funding to support the introduction of the new collection services.

The income received from the sale of the glass collected is reinvested in the costs of running the service.

Blue bin

Your blue bin is for paper, card, mixed food & drinks cans, yoghurt pots, margarine tubs and plastic bottles only.

We will also take flat packed cardboard next to the bin if it is too large to place into the bin.

For more detail, explore the different household items that can be placed into your blue bin below:

Bathroom

Plastic - shower gels/shampoo & conditioner bottles

Plastic - hand soaps & cosmetic bottles

Plastic - household cleaning fluid bottles

Cans - empty aerosols & deodorants

Cardboard - toiletry boxes, toilet roll tubes, tooth paste boxes, hand soap boxes & cosmetic boxes

Kitchen

Plastic - milk bottles and milk bottle tops

Plastic - pop, water and soft drinks bottles

Plastic - fabric & conditioner bottles

Plastic - household cleaning bottles

Plastic - yoghurt pots & margarine tubs

Cardboard - cereal boxes & egg boxes

Cardboard - other cardboard packaging

Cans - food and drink cans

Lounge or bedroom

Paper - newspapers, magazines and pamphlets

Paper - junk mail, envelopes & writing paper

Cans - empty aerosols

Cans - drinks cans

Remember to take your glass bottles, jars, textiles, shoes and Tetra Pak cartons to one of our bring banks. The remainder can be placed either in the grey bin if it is rubbish, or green bin if its garden waste. To locate your nearest Bring Site.

Small electrical items

Residents can place small electrical items on the top of their blue bins from Monday October 28, 2024, in a new recycling service.

This includes the following items and the list could be extended in the future:

• Kettles
• Toasters
• Irons
• Lamps - must have bulb removed
• Hairdryers
• Straighteners
• Hair clippers
• Shavers
• Electric toothbrushes
• Games consoles
• Digital clocks
• Digital watches
• Remote controls
• Torches
• Calculators
• Laptops and tablets
• Cameras and camera chargers
• Mobile phones
• Radios

The Council’s waste teams will collect the items at the same time or on the same day as the blue bin collection and they will be recycled at local contractors where other blue bin waste is sorted.

Residents are advised to fully wipe and remove any data cards from laptops, tablets, cameras or phones before being left on a bin to be recycled.

For larger electrical items including microwaves, fridges and freezers please either book a bulky waste collection or take them to one of Nottinghamshire's 12 recycling centres where they will be separated for recycling.

Items with built-in batteries do not need to be removed before recycling and removable batteries such as AAA, AA and 9V are as ever requested to be left in a separate bag on the top of any coloured bin.

Green bin - garden waste

Your green bin is for green, organic garden waste.

Find out how to join the Garden Waste Scheme, or visit our page for more information. 

Grey bin - household items that cannot be recycled

Your grey bin is for household waste that cannot be recycled or composted in your blue or green bin or at bring sites.

Please wrap food waste in paper and/or plastic bags before placing in the bin and keep the lid shut. Make sure bags are free of air as this takes up space in the bin.

Please think carefully about what you are throwing away- can it be reused or recycled?

Find out more about grey bin collections on our Frequently Asked Questions page.