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Recycling boxes and bag

Information on the types of recyclable items that can be put in the new style recycling collections.

Some waste and recycling collections are currently behind schedule. 

  • If your collection is less than 24 hours late, please leave your bins out.
  • If it’s over 48 hours late, please report it to SWISCo 

Each property in Torbay should have:

  • at least two recycling boxes
  • a food waste bin and/or caddy
  • a blue bag for recycling paper

We empty these every week. Leave them on the edge of your property by 6am on your collection day.

Right stuff, right box

We have simplified your recycling with orange and green stickers for each box and a blue bag for your paper. To help keep collections as efficient as possible, please put the ‘right stuff’ in the right box. All recycling must be contained within the recycling boxes.

Recycling Guide
Download and print this handy guide so you know what to put in your recycling containers.

If you need replacement stickers or bags, you can order them online.

Box with orange sticker

Click on a material to see the items that will be accepted in this recycling box:

Yes please:
  • Any cardboard packaging, please flatten or fold and place inside box
  • One large piece of flattened cardboard will be taken away per collection
  • Brown envelopes
  • Cardboard cereal boxes
  • Cardboard tubes
  • Brown paper
  • Egg boxes
  • Greetings cards (without glitter)
No thanks:
  • No dirty cardboard
  • Greetings cards with glitter or embellishments
  • No wet cardboard
Yes please:
  • Glass bottles - any colour
  • Glass jars - any colour
No thanks:
  • No broken glass
  • No drinking glasses
  • No glass tableware
  • No pyrex
  • No window panes
  • No light bulbs
Yes please:
  • Please put cooking oil in a sealed, labelled container
Yes please:
  • Please put engine oil in a sealed, labelled container
Yes please:
  • Kettles, toasters and Irons
  • Mobile phones, remote controls and chargers
  • Electric toothbrushes
  • Small radios, electronic toys and games consoles
  • Small power tools i.e. drills
  • Hairdryers, hair straighteners, curlers, hair trimmers and shavers
  • Put electrical items in a labelled plastic carrier bag
No thanks:
  • No larger electrical items, these will need to be taken to the Recycling Centre at Tor Park Road.

Box with green sticker

Click on a material to see the items that will be accepted in this recycling box:

*Note - For plastic film, wrappers and bags these can be recycled at participating supermarkets you find your closest collection point here

Yes please:
  • Plastic bottles (please squash the bottles and replace the lid)
  • Plastic pots (e.g. yoghurt pots, instant noodle pots)
  • Plastic tubs (e.g. margarine and ice cream tubs)
  • Plastic trays (e.g. meat and fish trays, fruit punnets and egg boxes)
  • Foil
No thanks:
  • No black plastic
  • No plastic film or wrappers
  • No plastic bags
  • No plant pots or plastic toys
  • No polystyrene
Yes please:
  • Foil packaging
  • Tin foil (please make sure it’s clean)
  • Aluminium food trays
  • Foil pet food trays
No thanks:
  • No shiny plastic wrapping
  • No crisp packets
  • No biscuit or sweet wrappers
  • No metallic wrapping paper
Yes please:
  • Metal food tins
  • Metal drinks cans
  • Large tins (e.g. chocolate tins)
  • Metal lids and caps from jars and bottles
No thanks:
  • No metal saucepans
  • No metal tools
  • No metal car parts
Yes please:
  • Empty metal aerosol cans
No thanks:
  • No gas canisters, these can be taken to the recycling centre

Please put batteries in a plastic bag, do not put them inside any other recycling items

Yes please:
  • All household batteries
  • Button batteries
  • Hearing aid batteries
  • Mobile phone batteries
  • Laptop batteries
No thanks:
  • Car and motorcycle batteries

Textiles should be placed in a supermarket size carrier bag and clearly marked. Limited to one bag per collection

Yes please:
  • Clean, dry clothes and underwear
  • Clean, dry sheets
  • Clean, dry towels
  • Pairs of shoes/trainers/boots
  • Clean, dry curtains
  • Accessories – purse / wallet / belts / hats / scarves / ties and jewellery
No thanks:
  • No wet or dirty items
  • No odd or single shoes
  • No duvets or pillows
  • No carpet
  • No rags or fabric scraps
  • No items with stuffing (eg cushions / soft toys)
  • No ripped or damaged items that are not suitable for reuse

Blue bag for paper

Click on a material to see the items that will be accepted in this recycling bag:

Yes please:
  • Newspapers
  • Magazines
  • Catalogues
  • Shredded paper (please put in a clearly marked and loosely tied carrier bag. Limited to one bag per collection)
  • White envelopes (no need to remove the window if it has one)
  • Yellow Pages, phone books and directories
  • Letter, leaflets and junk mail
  • Coloured paper
No thanks:
  • Brown paper – this goes in orange box with cardboard
  • Brown envelopes – this goes in the orange box with cardboard
  • Padded envelopes
  • Gift bags
  • Wrapping paper

Contact SWISCo

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