Frequently asked questions
 Recycling
Can I use the orange sacks for recycling?
All households where rubbish is collected in sacks or ordinary dustbins will be given a quarterly delivery of orange sacks for recycling paper, card, glass bottles and jars, cans and plastic bottles. If you live in a block of flats where the rubbish is collected in shared, wheeled bins, orange sacks cannot be collected and a different service is offered.
Can I mix all recycling together in one orange sack?
Yes. You can put paper, card, glass, cans, plastic bottles and food and drink cartons togetherin one sack. Please squash boxes flat to save space.
What happens to the recycling after it has been collected?
After the orange sacks and mixed recycling banks have been collected they are sent to a sorting facility where the materials are separated and sent on for recycling. Recycling placed in to banks at public recycling centres are sent directly to reprocessors for recycling into new products. Find out more about how this happens.
How do I get more orange sacks?
Orange sacks will be delivered to households eligible for the service every three months. If you need extra sacks in between deliveries then you can collect from the waste management reception in the town hall or from your local library. If you are unable to collect sacks please contact us to arrange delivery.
Can I recycle cardboard?
Yes. Please flatten all cardboard and tie it in a bundle. This will be collected with your orange sacks for recycling. You do not need to put it inside an orange sack. Please make sure to remove any non-recyclable packaging such as foam filling or bubble wrap.
What type of plastics can be recycled?
Any type of plastic bottle can be put in the orange sack or mixed recycling bank - this includes all drinks bottles, detergent bottles and shampoo bottles. No other types of plastic should be put in the orange sack or recycling banks, for example, yoghurt pots, margarine tubs, ready-meal trays and plastic wrapping cannot be recycled at present and should not be put in with the recycling.
Why can't all rubbish be recycled?
Recycling of some items can be difficult for two reasons: physical properties of a material, or it being economically unviable. Recycling rubbish into new products is not possible if a market for that product does not exist. For example, because no manufacturer is using scrap plastic from food trays and yoghurt pots they cannot be recycled at the moment. Recycling can also be a problem if the rubbish item is a mixture of more than one material. As recycling technology improves, it will be possible to recycle more in the future.
I don't want to recycle – what do I do with my orange sacks?
Unwanted sacks should be left out for collection where they can be clearly seen at the front of the property, on the next refuse and recycling collection day after each delivery.
Do not use unwanted orange sacks for general rubbish – these will not be collected and ongoing abuse of the service may result in prosecution. Why should we recycle?
How can I recycle large items like furniture or PC equipment?
Good quality furniture and re-usable PC equipment can be taken to the reuse and recycle centre in Smugglers Way, SW18. Or, local charities may offer free collections. You can also advertise them for free on www.freecycle.org or www.dontdumpthat.com to see if any other Wandsworth residents will take them off your hands.
When is my recycling collected?
Refuse and recycling sacks are collected on the same day.
Exactly what items can and can't I recycle in the orange sacks/banks?
You can recycle:
- All paper, card and cardboard e.g. newspapers, magazines, envelopes, junk mail, card packaging
- All glass bottles and jars of any colour
- All steel and aluminium cans
- All empty aerosol cans
- All plastic bottles
- All waxed or foil lined cartons e.g. Tetra Pak, milk or fruit juice cartons
You cannot currently recycle:
- The lids from bottles or jars
- Plastic bags, plastic film, plastic tubs or pots, or plastic from food packaging (any plastic that is not a bottle)
- Polystyrene or foam
- Textiles (clothing, bedding, shoes - please take to a textile bank or charity shop)
- Aluminium foil or foil trays
- Metal other than tins and cans e.g. saucepans
- Glass from lightbulbs, mirrors or windows
- Ceramics e.g. Pyrex dishes
- Batteries
- Wood
Refuse
When is my rubbish collected?
If your rubbish is collected in sacks or ordinary dustbins, it is collected once a week on the same day, Monday to Saturday in different areas of the borough. Find your refuse and recycling collection day. If your rubbish is collected in large, wheeled bins this will be different. Please contact us to find out which day(s) of the week the bins are emptied.
Is there a change to rubbish collections on public holidays?
Refuse and recycling collections remain the same on all public holidays except for Christmas and New Year where collections may be made one day late. Any changes will be advertised on this site and elsewhere in December each year.
Does Wandsworth Council provide refuse sacks, dustbins or wheelie bins?
Residents are required to provide their own refuse sacks or dustbins. Please make sure that strong plastic sacks are used to avoid bags splitting open and causing litter. If you choose to purchase a dustbin for your rubbish, it should be placed back to its original position, with its lid on, by the collection crew. Please do not use 'wheelie bins' – they cannot be emptied safely.
How do I dispose of large or heavy items?
Please contact us to book a bulky item collection or take the items to one of the civic amenity sites. If you intend to take household rubbish to the site in a van or other commercial vehicle you will need to obtain a free tipping letter from our office.
How do I get garden waste collected?
A new service will be introduced in April 2007 to collect garden waste in special compostable sacks available from the council, on arrangement. The charge for this service will be £16.50 for up to 20 sacks. The best way to deal with garden waste is to compost it at home.
Does Wandsworth Council provide a rubbish collection service for commercial waste?
We have a duty to provide a collection service to commercial premises on request. If you would like the council to provide a quote for this service, requests should be made in writing or by email (but not by telephone). However, businesses are advised to obtain quotations from several sources to find out which offers the best service for them. More details about commercial waste.
Street cleaning
What day(s) of the week is my road swept?
Every road in the borough is swept at least twice a week.
How do I report an emergency such as a dead animal or broken glass on the road?
Contact us to report an emergency including road traffic accidents, hazardous spillage (e.g. glass, paint, and oil) or a dead animal. We will respond within one hour during the day and two hours at night. To report a problem of this kind out of office hours, call (020) 8871 6000.
How do I report illegal dumping of rubbish?
Contact us to report any instances of fly tipping. More serious incidents may have to be investigated by our waste enforcement team. If you wish to report an ongoing problem of illegal dumping, please contact the enforcement team on (020) 8871 6396.
I have seen contractors spraying weeds in my area - is this safe?
The product used for spraying weeds is called round-up (ministerially approved pesticide product numbers 10137 and 12645). Its main chemical is isopropylamine salt of glyphosate. It is an amber brown liquid and has a slight smell. The Ministry of Agriculture's Pesticides Safety Directorate has approved this product and it is widely used in gardens. All staff carrying out weed spraying are qualified to do the work. To prevent accidentally spraying other plants, they will not spray during wet or windy weather. If you are concerned for any reason please call Connaught Environmental Ltd on 020 8678 5670.
Street trading
How do I apply for a street trading licence?
To discuss the application for a street trading licence, please contact us. Get more information and download an application form.
What vacant pitches are available for trading?
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