Waste Education Hub

Your Waste Journey Starts Here

Every item you throw away in Blackpool goes somewhere.

But where it ends up depends on the choices you make at home.

This page will help you understand what happens next and how small actions can make a big difference.

What Happens to Your Waste?

Follow the journey

Once your bin is collected, your waste doesn’t just disappear.

  • Recycling is taken to specialist facilities where materials are sorted and turned into new products
  • General waste is usually sent for energy recovery
  • Contaminated recycling (wrong items in the bin) can mean entire loads are rejected

What you put in your bin matters more than you think.

Blue, Brown, Green lidded wheeled bins and outdoor food caddy Recycling
House, Green, Blue, Brown and Grey lidded wheeled bins and a outdoor food caddy
Grey lidded wheeled bin General Waste
Enveco Wagon
Recycling Hall Recycling Hall
Waste Transfer wagon
General Waste Hall General Waste Hall
Enveco Wagon
Waste treatment facility Transported to waste treatment facilities
Soil with a green 2 part leaf at the top Soil Improver
Paper and card icon Paper Mill
Plastics icons Recycling of plastic bottles, glass, tins & cans
Anaerobic Digestion Facility Food waste goes to the Anaerobic Digestion Facility
General Waste General waste is turned into refuse-derived fuel
58,000 Recycling Collections 72,000 Household Collections

Why Getting It Right Matters

Small mistakes have a big impact

Putting the wrong item in your recycling bin might seem minor, but it can affect thousands of tonnes of waste.

  • One contaminated load can’t be recycled
  • Valuable materials are lost
  • Costs increase for the whole town

The good news?
Simple changes at home can make a huge difference across Blackpool.

Recycling Made Simple

New waste collections start from 20 April

From next week, waste and recycling services in Blackpool are changing to help increase recycling and reduce waste.

What’s changing?

  • Food waste collections are being introduced for properties with wheeled bins
  • Grey-lidded, blue-lidded and brown-lidded bin collections will move to 3 weekly collections
  • Many households will have a new collection day

Getting ready for the changes

As these changes come into place, it’s a good idea to:

  • Check your new collection day HERE
  • Start separating your food waste
  • Make sure you’re using the correct bin for each type of waste

For further information, please go to Blackpool Council | Bin collections

Top tips to get it right every time

  • Empty and rinse containers
  • Keep food and liquids out of recycling
  • Don’t bag your recycling
  • Never put batteries in your bin

If you are unsure about where an item goes, take a look at our helpful guide HERE.

Faded recycling logo.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Recycling is just one part of the solution

The best way to deal with waste is to create less of it.

  • Reduce what you buy and throw away
  • Reuse items where you can
  • Recycle what’s left

Even small changes, like reusing bags or avoiding single-use items, add up.

Get Involved in Blackpool

Be part of a cleaner, greener town

We’re working with residents every day to improve our environment.

You can get involved by:

Together, we can make a difference.