09 February 2012Recycling collection arrangements
How the scheme works
What can go in your clear sacks
How often do I get recycling sacks?
Helpful tips
Missed collections
Assisted collections
Our commitment to excellent services (
PDF File 76KB file details)
Recycling collection arrangements
Sevenoaks District Council collects dry recyclable materials in clear recycling sacks (at the same time that we collect your black refuse sacks) once a week from your property boundary, or in some cases from other previously agreed locations. Recycling sacks (and your black refuse sacks) should be put out by 7am on your collection day.
How the scheme works
Recycling sacks are collected separately in all towns and villages in the Sevenoaks District. We use split-body collection vehicles in some areas, and two full size vehicles in other, more densely populated areas – one for clear sacks and one for black sacks. Your recycling sacks are taken to the Kent County Council Dunbrik Transfer Station, in Sundridge, and then transported in bulk to a high-tech sorting and recycling plant known as an MRF (Materials Recovery Facility) at Allington in Kent. Once at Allington, the contents of the clear recycling sacks are sorted and made ready for recycling.
Call the Council on 01732 227000 to find out your collection day or view details of bank holiday refuse collection times.
Want to know more about our recycling schemes? Download Your Guide to Recycling in the Sevenoaks District ( PDF File 1529KB file details).
What can go in your clear recycling sacks?
We no longer recycle carrier bags or other 'film' plastic. Please note that thin plastic carrier bags, such as those from supermarkets, DIY stores and so on, and plastic ‘envelopes’ from magazines and junk-mail, plastic covers from dry-cleaning are no longer wanted for recycling.
Why are carrier bags no longer being recycled? Plastic carrier bags, which since 2002 have been one of the materials acceptable for collection by Sevenoaks District Council’s recycling service, are no longer easily sold on to reprocessors. As a result, they have become part of the ‘mixed plastics’ waste stream that Materials Recovery Facilities can no longer find a ready market for, and are now included as ‘rejects’ at many recycling plants.
What then should I do with the plastic carrier bags I do obtain? As you likely do now, please reuse carrier bags at the supermarket, as kitchen bin-liners, to store things, carry dirty shoes, and so on. At the end of the carrier bag’s usefulness, you can return it to stores that still recycle carrier bags, or you can dispose of no-longer-needed carrier bags within your refuse – in your black sack – to be used as fuel to generate electricity for the National Grid, rather than using fossil fuels such as coal and oil. All of the Sevenoaks District’s household waste black sacks are now used as fuel to generate electricity for up to 40,000 homes in Kent – they no longer go to a landfill site.
Why no other plastics? As with plastic carrier bags, the demand by reprocessors for other plastic packaging – known in the recycling industry as ‘low-grade mixed plastics’ – is low. So please put all plastics that are not a plastic bottle into our black sack.
How often do I get recycling sacks?: We deliver a roll of 25 clear recycling sacks (together with a a roll of 20 black sacks) to every District household, every 20 weeks. Each recycling sack has guidance printed on it, and within each roll can be found a paper version of the same guidance for quick-reference. Additional recycling sacks are available from various outlets ( PDF 88K file details) throughout the District.
Why Don't I Get More Recycling Sacks? ( PDF File 61KB file details)
New residents can call us on 01732 227000 to ask for refuse and recycling sacks, and for a copy of Your Guide to Recycling in the Sevenoaks District ( PDF File 1529KB file details).
Black refuse sacks: Your usual black sacks are for non-recyclable rubbish, such as food waste that cannot be composted at home, plastic food packaging and wrappings, polystyrene and so on. Glass bottles and jars should be brought to one of the District's recycling sites. Please do not put glass bottles and jars into your black sack or your recycling sack.
To find out more about the kerbside and other recycling schemes, e-mail us at info@sevenoaks.gov.uk or telephone the Sevenoaks District Council on 01732 227000.
Missed collections: If you have missed the your weekly collection, please take your clear sacks in and put them out on the next collection day.
Do not take your clear sacks to Kent County Council Household Recycling Centres (known as the dump or the tip) as they will not be able to recycle the bags and their contents. Residents who do take clear recycling sacks to KCC tips will be instructed to put their clear sacks in the non-recyclable waste container.
Assisted collections: Residents who are unable to carry their refuse and recycling sacks to the boundary of their property for collection may be eligible for help from the Council. Residents who are frail or elderly or those with disabilities preventing lifting or carrying, may be exempt from taking their black and clear sacks to the boundary of their property for collection, provided there is no-one else that can do this for them. In such cases, Council staff can collect the sacks from an agreed location closer to the house.
For more information, please call 01732 227000 or e-mail direct.services@sevenoaks.gov.uk.
