Rubbish and recycling in flats

We provide all those living in flats with a refuse, recycling and food collection. Each block of flats may have a different arrangement of bins. 

If you believe your block needs extra recycling facilities, please email recycle@dacorum.gov.uk.

Responsibilities for managing agents

As a managing agent, you are responsible for:

• keeping the bins clean
• removing any excess waste that is not contaminated from the bin
• removing any fly-tipping
• emptying any contaminated bins
• ensuring residents know what can and can't be recycled
• understanding your duty of care

Mixed recycling in flats

In your mixed recycling, we are able to collect the following from flats:

• Plastics (such as bottles, food trays, margarine tubs, yoghurt pots and plastic ready meal trays)
• Cans, tins and foil
• Paper and card
• Glass
• Cartons

We will only collect bins that contain the correct items (as listed above). If we find the wrong items in the bins then will not collect. Managing agents must remove the contaminated items before the next collection.

Food recycling in flats

What we provide

We will provide you with a five-litre green kitchen caddy and an outside food waste bin. Depending on where you live, your food waste bin will either be:

• your own 23-litre green kerbside caddy, or 
• a communal brown-lidded wheeled bin, for you to share with your neighbours.

If you have recently moved in and do not have a kitchen caddy, or a guide on how to recycle your food waste, you can request these by emailing recycle@dacorum.gov.uk.

What we can collect

In your brown-lidded food bin, we are able to collect the following:

• All uneaten food and plate scrapings
• Raw and cooked meat/fish, including bones
• Fruit and vegetables including raw and cooked vegetables and peelings
• Baked goods - for example, bread, cakes and pastries
• Out of date or mouldy food
• Rice, pasta, beans
• Tea bags and coffee grounds
• Dairy products, such as cheese
• Eggs and egg shells
• Solid fats and oils (we cannot accept liquids)

Due to the complexities of flats in high streets, these properties do not currently have food waste recycling. In this case, please continue to place your food waste into your grey-lidded bin or purple sacks. Find out more about our food recycling service.

Garden waste

Our garden waste collection is a paid subscription service.

If you wish to receive fortnightly green-lidded bin collections you will need to subscribe and pay an annual fee. If you are a managing agent and would like to buy a garden waste subscription, please email recycle@dacorum.gov.uk.

Find out more about garden waste collections.

Bulky waste and fly-tipping

Any items or bags left on the floor of communal bin areas is fly-tipping. We will not collect these.

We will not empty bins if rubbish is dumped on the floor of bin stores and is blocking access. Managing agents must remove these items so we can empty the bins.

You must not use the bin area to dispose of bulky items such as bed frames, mattresses and sofas.

Please visit our bulky items collection page for more information on how to dispose of these items.

What happens to your recycling?

Have you ever wondered what happens to your mixed recycling and food waste?  Find out what happens once we empty your recycling point.

More information

To find out your collection day, or for any questions about recycling facilities in flats, please email recycle@dacorum.gov.uk.