Types of rubbish and recycling bins

Types of household and communal bins, bags and boxes in the Barrow, Eden and South Lakeland area and what to put in them.

Recycling bins and bags

You should make sure your items are clean, dry and have no food remnants on them as this can cause contamination.

Check the area you live in for what you can and cannot recycle.

If your items are reusable, you should consider donating or selling them. Find out where you can donate your items.

Barrow area: red recycling containers

Red recycling containers are used for cleaned recycling materials only.

Mixed glass should be separated and placed in your red recycling box. There should be no drinking glasses or broken glass in your bin.

Items that should not go in your recycling bin:

  • takeaway pizza boxes or cardboard contaminated with grease
  • takeaway containers
  • plastic bags of any kind
  • crisp or biscuit wrappers
  • black plastic
  • tissues, foil wrapping paper, kitchen roll, toilet tissue
  • wet paper and cardboard
  • drinking glasses and broken glass
  • metal other than drinks cans and tin cans
  • polystyrene and bubble wrap
  • sharps and syringes

If you need a new recycling bin, you can order one online.

Eden area: recycling green boxes and green canvas bags

In the Eden area, you have a recycling green plastic box is for cans, tins and glass, then two green canvas bags each for:

  • paper and card - do not mix hard plastics with paper and card in a green bag
  • hard plastics such as plastic bottles, yoghurt pots, plastic food trays, tubs and containers

Each household is entitled to two green bags and one green plastic box.

Do not put plastic bags, cling film, food wrappings or cartons (often referred to as Tetrapaks) in green bags. We will not empty bags that contain them.

If you need a new recycling bag, you can order one online.

South Lakeland: blue recycling boxes and bags

In the blue recycling boxes you can put:

  • paper and card
  • glass bottles and jars 

Make sure paper and card is put in a separate box from glass bottles and jars. We will not collect any boxes that have a mix of card, paper and glass in them.

In the blue recycling bag you can put:

  • plastic bottles
  • pots (but not flower pots)
  • tubs and trays
  • cans
  • aluminium foil
  • lids from bottles and jars

If you would like an extra blue recycling box, you can order a new bin.

Additional recycling

If you have additional recycling that won't fit into your bag or box then you should: