Food Waste & Recycling
For information on how to prepare your waste/recycling for collection, please click the links below.
Food Waste - all cooked and uncooked food waste
How to recycle
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1. Put all your cooked and uncooked food waste into your kitchen caddy.
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2. Line your kitchen caddy with one of the liners provided by East Lothian Council.
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3. When it is full tie the liner and remove the bag and put the tied bag into your outdoor caddy.
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4. Place your outdoor caddy at the kerbside by 07:00 on your collection day, ensuring the lid is locked shut.
What to Recycle
in your outdoor silver caddy
- Dairy & eggshells
- Pet foods
- Fruit & vegetables (& peelings)
- Bread & cakes & pizza
- Rice, pasta, beans & pluses
- Tea bags & coffee grounds
- Unpackaged out of date food
- Liquids & oils
- Any plastic or compostable packaging or bags, except for the liners provided by East Lothian Council
- Animal faeces or bedding
Need more liners?
Each roll of liners includes a request tag. Secure this to the handle of the outdoor caddy when you present it for collection and a new roll will be left for you.
Plastics, Metals & Cartons - plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays, tins, cans and aerosol
How to recycle
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1. Rinse your metals, and wash and squash your plastics and cartons.
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2. Place your clean squashed plastics, metals and cartons, lids and tops into your white bag.
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3. Seal your white bag and place it at the kerbside for 07:00 on your collection day.
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4. Materials are taken to a facility to be sorted and then sent for recycling.
What to Recycle
in your white weighted bag
Plastics - washed & squashed
- Food & drink bottles
- Toiletry bottles
- Tablet & medicine bottles
- Food pots, tubs & trays
- Detergent bottles & tubs
- Lids & tops
Metals - empty & rinsed
- Tins & drinks cans
- Empty aerosols
- Clean foil trays
- Clean aluminium foil
- Chocolate & biscuit tins
- Lids & tops
Cartons - washed & squashed
- Fruit juice, milk, soup & sauce cartons
- Plastic bags, liners & cling-film
- Bubble wrap
- Polystyrene
- Pouches, wrappers & packets
- Plastic cutlery
- Plastic netting
- Plant pots
- Compostable packaging
- Plastic & coffee cups
- Glass bottles and jars
Glass Bottles & Jars - all colours of glass bottles and jars
How to recycle
![](/images/step-graphics/glass-1.png)
1. Clean your glass bottles and jars and remove tops and lids.
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2. Place your glass bottles and jars into your green or black box.
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3. Make sure your box has a cover tied on and place it at the kerbside for 07:00 on your collection day.
![](/images/step-graphics/glass-4.png)
4. All glass bottles and jars can be recycled into new bottles and jars.
What to Recycle
in your green or black box
Glass bottles & jars
- Food & drink bottles & jars
- Condiment bottles & jars
- Toiletry & perfume bottles
- Crockery, ceramics & pyrex
- Windows & mirrors
- Drinking glasses
- Light bulbs
- Broken glass
Broken glass is hazardous. Please wrap it carefully in newspaper and put it in your non recyclable waste bin. - Plastic & metal lids & tops
Plastic and metal lids and tops can be recycled in your white bag.
Paper & Card
How to recycle
![](/images/step-graphics/cardboard-1.png)
1. Collect your clean paper and card for recycling.
![](/images/step-graphics/paper-3.png)
2. Flatten boxes, remove windows and inserts and discard any bags.
![](/images/step-graphics/cardboard-5.png)
3. Make sure your box has a cover tied on and place it at the kerbside for 07:00 on your collection day.
![](/images/step-graphics/cardboard-6.png)
4. Paper and card will be delivered to a facility to be sorted, graded and recycled.
What to Recycle
in your blue box
Paper - clean and dry
- Newspapers
- Magazines, catalogues & directories
- Junk mail
- Letters & envelopes
- Office & shredded paper
Card - flattened
- Grey thin card boxes & packaging
- Toilet & kitchen roll tubes
- Toothpaste & toiletries boxes
- Plastic bags & wrappers
- Tissues & napkins
- Padded envelopes
- Kitchen towels
- Food & drinks cartons
- Coffee cups & paper plates
- Foil or glittered wrapping paper
Cardboard
How to recycle
![](/images/step-graphics/cardboard-2.png)
1. Remove any protective packaging inserts and flatten your boxes.
![](/images/step-graphics/cardboard-4.png)
2. Cardboard boxes can be tied in a bundle, or placed inside another cardboard box.
![](/images/step-graphics/cardboard-3-new.png)
3. Place your cardboard for collection at the kerbside for 07:00.
![](/images/step-graphics/cardboard-5.png)
4. Cardboard can also be recycled in a blue box, remember to make sure the box has a cover tied on.
What to Recycle
flattened - blue box or bundle
Cardboard - clean, dry and flattened
- Brown & white corrugated boxes & packaging
- Polystyrene
- Bubble wrap & air bags
- Packing peanuts
- Cardboard contaminated with food
Household Batteries
How to recycle
- Collect your batteries.
- Use an empty food caddy liner to contain them.
- Tie the liner securely.
- Place the bagged batteries on top of your covered glass box at the kerbside for 07:00.
Batteries are:
- Sorted into different chemical types.
- Combustible elements are removed.
- Cells are chopped up and gently heated.
- Metals are recovered by weight and used in new products.
What to Recycle
- All household batteries including 'button' batteries from watches
- Battery packs from laptops, mobile phones, power tools & remote control units
- Car Batteries
- Electrical items