Kerbside recycling - frequently asked questions

Who collects the bins?
Your recycling box will be collected by Hills Recycling – contractors operating the black box recycling service.
When will the kerbside box be collected?

You will have received a collection timetable with your black kerbside recycling box. This will tell you on what days your recycling box will be collected.

If you do not have this timetable, or if you would like additional information, contact Hills Recycling on 0845 6032 085.

What should I do if my kerbside box has not been collected?
If your kerbside box has not been collected on the day stated in the timetable, contact Hills Recycling on 0845 6032 085.
What should I do on collection day?

  • Put your box at the kerbside by 7am on the day of collection and no earlier than 7pm the day before.
  • Place the box on the kerbside where you normally put your rubbish bags or bin
  • Put paper upright in the box alongside bottles, cans and foil (please wash cans out thoroughly)
  • Fold up clean foil (if it stays scrunched up it is foil, if it bounces back when scrunched it is plastic)
  • Put dry textiles in a separate, knotted carrier bag in or alongside the box (do not put out on wet days)
  • If your box is too full, put paper in separate open carrier bags next to the box
  • Re-use carrier bags rather than use black plastic sacks (which could be confused with refuse)
  • Do not tie bags other than those containing textiles
Who should I contact with complaints or enquiries?
Hills Recycling are the contractors engaged by Wiltshire Waste (a county-wide group) to carry out the scheme and therefore all enquiries and complaints need to be directed to them. You can ring them on 0845 6032 085.
What if I can't get through to Hills Recycling by telephone?
If you cannot get through to Hills Recycling, contact Salisbury District Council Customer Services and we will pass on your complaint.
What if the black box is too small?

Hills Waste will take any overspill if it is put in open carrier bags alongside the box. Re-use carrier bags.

Do not use black sacks, as these could be confused with ordinary refuse.

What should I put in the kerbside box?

You can put the following material in the black recycling box:

  • newspaper, magazines, catalogues, junk mail, white printer paper, Yellow Pages
  • glass bottles and jars
  • all food and drinks cans
  • textiles, clothes, pairs of shoes, leather belts/handbags, blankets
  • clean aluminium foil (such as yoghurt tops, take away food containers)
What should I not put in the kerbside box?

Do not put the following material in the black recycling box:

  • plastic bottles
  • cardboard, envelopes
  • flat or broken glass
  • duvets, pillows
  • shiny metallic plastic e.g. crisp and peanut packets
Why can't I put envelopes and cardboard in with the paper?

Envelopes: The plastic (in the window envelopes) and the sealant gum contaminates the reprocessing of the paper. A full lorry load of 26 tonnes could be rejected by the paper mill and sent to landfill if even a small quantity of envelopes were found in that load.

Cardboard: The paper used for newspapers and magazines is readily reprocessed by the paper mills and a good price is paid for it. Paper mixed with cardboard lowers the price paid considerably as it would need to be hand-sorted or used in a lower value product. The income received offsets some of the cost of collection.

Cardboard is also bulky and can quickly fill the capacity of the lorry, as it is not compacted like it is in the conventional dustcarts.

Why must I rinse out cans and recycle only clean foil?
Food and drink waste left in cans or on the foil is a potential breeding ground for bacteria. This can be a hazard to health as people have to hand-sort these materials. The smell can also become unpleasant.
Why is it necessary to sort out different colours of glass?
Glass is generally reprocessed into new products of the same colour. Manufacturers need to maintain consistent colours for their customers' products. At present there is a very limited market for mixed coloured glass, and therefore it has very little value. The best price is obtained for clear glass but only minimal amounts of contamination from the other colours will mean whole loads being rejected.
Why only dry textiles?
Textiles are primarily re-used rather than recycled. One bag of damp textiles can result in a batch becoming damp, smelly and starting to rot.
Why can't I put plastic bottles into the black box?
Plastic bottles have been excluded from the kerbside service as they take up a huge volume of air space in the collection vehicle and the capacity to collect the other materials is hugely impaired. This results in fewer households being served by the resources available.
What if I don't want the box?
Ring Hills Recycling and ask them to remove it.

Useful links

Related information

Things you can do:

Contact details:

Telephone:
01722 434319 or 434320

email:
enhmail@salisbury.gov.uk

Postal address:
Environmental Services
Salisbury District Council
PO Box 2126
Salisbury
SP2 2DJ