Black Bags

Black Bags
 

 Yes please

• Black or brown plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays
• Nappies
• Wet wipes
• Polystyrene
• Pet waste
• All remaining household waste that can’t be recycled

 No thank you

• Any items that can be recycled from home using your council-provided containers, or those that can be recycled at your local Household Waste Recycling Centre

Collection Day Checker

Enter your postcode to check details of your next recycling and waste collections and set up email reminders.

Black Hygiene Caddies

We collect a range of items as part of our hygiene waste collections service. We collect nappies, nappy bags and wipes, as well as incontinence, sanitary and adult hygiene products.

If you would like to use this service you can purchase a hygiene caddy for a one-off cost of £10.

Please place your hygiene caddy out for collection on your black bag collection day. Please line your caddy with a strong bag. 

Additional Bag Allowance

If you’re sorting your waste correctly, recycling all you can, and still feel you may need to put out more black bags please call us on 01446 700111 to discuss your needs.

If you qualify for an ‘additional bag allowance’ we will deliver you a supply of single-use purple sacks. You can use these to put out additional non-recyclable waste alongside your black bag collection. 

Frequently asked questions

• How will I store my filled black bags for up to three weeks? 
  On average, almost half of the contents put in black bags are recyclable. If you recycle all you can using our recycling collections every week, you’ll have less non-recyclable waste to put out to be collected in your black bags. This means you should have fewer filled black bags to store until your next collection.

   

  You may choose to store your filled black (or purple) bags in a dustbin or wheeled bin outside of your home, then either move the black (or purple) bags to the kerbside on your collection day. Alternatively, you may move your dustbin or wheeled bin to your collection point before 7am on your collection day for our crews to empty. Wheeled bins will be loaded to the back of our collection vehicles to be emptied and dustbins will be emptied by hand. Please note wheeled bins are used at your own risk. 

• What types of waste will you collect in black bags?

  The types of non-recyclable waste we collect in your black bags will not change.

   

  If your black bags contain items that should have been put in your recycling containers, we won’t collect them. Instead, our crews will place a sticker on the bag asking you to sort its contents in time for your next collection.

   

  Please don’t put out additional waste alongside your three black bags on your collection day. This is known as ‘side waste’. We don’t collect ‘side waste’ and you may have to pay a fine.

• How should I present my black bags to be collected?

  On your collection day, tie your black bags securely, then place them at your collection point before 7am.

• What should I do with pet waste?

  If you need to get rid of any animal faeces, that is ‘pet poo’ or ‘pet waste’, please bag it then put this in your black bags for non-recyclable waste. Households that produce large amounts of pet waste can apply for an additional purple bag allowance.

   

  If you have a hygiene caddy you can also dispose of pet waste in a bag inside your lined hygiene caddy. 

   

  If your pet is a ‘herbivore’, eating only plant-based foods – such as rabbits, guinea pigs, tortoises, and gerbils – you can put their waste in any compost bin or on any compost heap you may have.

• What should I do with plastic bags and wrapping?

  If you need to get rid of any plastic bags or wrapping, some of these items are accepted at recycling points at locations such as supermarkets.

   

  Visit www.walesrecycles.org.uk to find your nearest facility.

   

  The types of items accepted may vary between different locations, so please follow the guidance provided by the organisation managing the recycling point.

   

  If you’re unable to take these items to one of these facilities and you need to dispose of them at home, please put them in your black bags for non-recyclable waste.

• Where can I get black bags?

  You can purchase single-use black sacks from most grocery or hardware stores, but please make sure they don’t exceed a 60-litre capacity. This is to make sure they aren't too heavy or unsafe for our crews to collect.

• You’ve not collected my black bags. What should I do?

  We may collect your black bags at any time on your collection day.

  
  If you see a sticker on one or more of your black bags that we’ve not collected by the evening of your collection day, it’s likely we haven’t missed this, but instead we’ve not collected it because there’s an item in it that shouldn’t be there, or it’s too heavy and therefore unsafe for our crews to collect it. If this is the case, please take a look at the sticker and follow the guidance on it, which will most likely ask you to remove any item(s) that shouldn’t be in the bag, then put your bag out again on your next collection day for us to collect.

  
  If you’re unsure what the misplaced item is, please take a look at our Recycling A to Z for a full list of common household items and the containers into which you should put them.
  If you’ve put out additional waste alongside your black bags, we won’t collect it. This is known as ‘side waste’. We don’t collect ‘side waste’ and you may have to pay a fine.

  
  If it’s unclear why we’ve not collected your black bags, and we’ve also not collected your neighbours’ black bags, please check our website or social media accounts for information about any disruptions to our collection services.

  
  If your black bags haven’t been collected by the day after your collection day, please contact us.

• What can and can’t I recycle from home?

  To find out what household waste you can and can’t recycle from home, use our handy Recycling A to Z. It allows you to search for an item and we’ll tell you how to recycle or dispose of it correctly. 

• I need help to sort my recycling and waste correctly. Can you please help me?

  We have a team of Recycling Officers that can:

  • give you advice and guidance about all our recycling and non-recyclable waste services,

  • support you to maximise your recycling and minimise your non-recyclable waste, and

  • consider whether you might need an ‘additional bag allowance’ to put out an extra bag of non-recyclable waste, if you’re sorting your waste correctly and recycling all you can

   

  We’ll assess your situation and, if we agree you’re recycling all you can, we’ll ask you to collect a supply of specific single-use purple sacks from our Civic Offices in Barry, for you to use to put out your extra bag of non-recyclable waste on your collection day, alongside your three black bags.

  
  To arrange for one of our Recycling Officers to visit you in your home, please contact us.

• I currently receive an ‘assisted collection’. Will this continue?

  Yes. If you currently receive an ‘assisted collection’, we’ll continue to provide this service for you. You don’t need to register again for this service.

• I’m struggling to put my black bags out for you to collect. Can you please help me with this?

  If you’re temporarily or permanently unable to put out your black bags – and your recycling – for us to collect due to you having limited mobility, and there is no one else to help you, you can contact us to apply for an ‘assisted collection’ and we’ll assess your situation.

  
  An ‘assisted collection’ is when our crews collect your recycling and non-recyclable waste from an agreed collection point that’s convenient and easy for you to access.

• What happens to my black bag waste once collected?

  The black bags of non-recyclable waste we collect from your home are taken to an ‘Energy Recovery Facility’ in Cardiff, where it’s processed to create electricity for the National Grid, which is then used to power homes.

  
  Whilst recycling as much of our recyclable waste as possible – such as glass bottles and jars, metal cans, tins, aerosols and foil, plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays, and so on – so that they can be used to create new products is always better for the environment, recovering even a small amount of energy from our leftover non-recyclable waste diverts it from landfill.

  
  To find out how the non-recyclable waste from your black bags creates energy and diverts waste from landfill, visit the Viridor website.

• Will collecting black bags less often encourage residents to fly-tip or put non-recyclable waste in their recycling containers?

  This doesn’t appear to be a significant issue for other Councils that already collect non-recyclable waste every three or four weeks.

  
  If a resident dumps household or trade waste on roads, in fields, in rivers, or on private land without permission, this is known as ‘fly-tipping’. It is illegal. If you fly-tip, you could end up paying a fixed penalty, or end up in court and fined.

  
  There is never an excuse for fly-tipping, and we have no reason to believe most Vale of Glamorgan residents will start breaking the law in this way.

  
  The most common items fly-tipped are bulky items or trade waste, neither of which we collect as part of our routine household recycling and non-recyclable waste collections.

  
  If you need to get rid of bulky household items you no longer want – such as beds and sofas, mattresses, tables and chairs, wardrobes, cookers and dishwashers, fridge freezers, washing machines and tumble dryers, and carpet and carpet underlay – you can take these to your local Household Waste Recycling Centre free of charge.

  
  Alternatively, you can book a Bulky Household Waste Collection.

  
  We all have a responsibility to reduce our impact on our environment. If you see anyone fly-tipping their non-recyclable waste (or any type of recycling), please report it to us.

  
  If any residents put non-recyclable waste in their containers for recycling, we won’t collect it.

• I need to dispose of nappies, nappy bags and/or wipes. Where should I put these?

  We collect a range of items as part of our hygiene waste collections service, which includes nappies, nappy bags and wipes, as well as incontinence, sanitary and adult hygiene products.

  
  Residents that would like to use this service can purchase a hygiene caddy for a one-off cost of £10, after which we’ll then collect this waste from their home every three weeks, on their usual collection day for non-recyclable waste. Hygiene caddies should be lined with a black bag. 

   

  You may choose to store your filled black (or purple) bags in a dustbin or wheeled bin outside of your home, then move the black (or purple) bags to the kerbside on your collection day. Alternatively, you may move your dustbin or wheeled bin to your collection point before 7am on your collection day for our crews to empty. Wheeled bins will be loaded to the back of our collection vehicles to be emptied and dustbins will be emptied by hand. Please note wheeled bins are used at your own risk. 

• I need to dispose of incontinence products. Where should I put these?

  We collect a range of items as part of our hygiene waste collections service, which includes incontinence products, as well as nappies, nappy bags and wipes, and sanitary products.

  
  Residents that would like to use this service can purchase a hygiene caddy for a one-off cost of £10, after which we’ll then collect this waste from their home every three weeks, on their usual collection day for non-recyclable waste. Hygiene caddies should be lined with a black bag. 

   

  You may choose to store your filled black (or purple) bags in a dustbin or wheeled bin outside of your home, then either move the black (or purple) bags to the kerbside on your collection day. Alternatively, you may move your dustbin or wheeled bin to your collection point before 7am on your collection day for our crews to empty. Wheeled bins will be loaded to the back of our collection vehicles to be emptied and dustbins will be emptied by hand. Please note wheeled bins are used at your own risk. 

• We have a large number of people living in our home. Can we put out more than three black bags of non-recyclable waste on our collection day, every three weeks?

  Some residents qualify for an ‘Additional Bag Allowance’ (purple bags), which allows them to put out an extra bag of non-recyclable waste for us to collect on their collection day. 
  You might qualify for this allowance if you have:

  • six or more people living in your home,

  • a large amount of pet waste and bedding to get rid of,

  • ash from any log burners or fires in your home, or

  • other waste you can’t recycle or limit to the three-bag limit

  
  If you feel you’re recycling all you can and need more space for your non-recyclable waste, you may apply for the ‘Additional Bag Allowance’.

  
  We’ll assess your situation and, if we agree you’re recycling all you can, we’ll ask you to collect a supply of specific single-use purple sacks from our Civic Offices in Barry, for you to use to put out your extra bag of non-recyclable waste on your collection day, alongside your three black bags.

• I don’t think it’s fair I’m paying my Council Tax and only getting a collection once every three weeks.

  Now that we’ve introduced separate collections every week throughout the county for all your recyclables, such as:

  • food waste,
  • glass bottles and jars,
  • mixed metals and plastics, including:
    • metal cans, tins, aerosols and foil,
    • plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays,
    • food and drink cartons (such as Tetra Pak),
    • cardboard,
    • paper,
    • household batteries, and
    • small electrical items
      
      

  we’re actually collecting more of your waste than ever before.

   

  Because we’re now able to collect all these recyclable items as ‘recycling’ from your home, you’ll have fewer leftover non-recyclable items to put in your black bags, which means we can collect this waste less frequently.

   

  We also collect a range of items as part of our separate hygiene waste collections service, which includes nappies, nappy bags and wipes, as well as incontinence and sanitary products.

• My neighbour puts their black bags for non-recyclable waste directly next to mine. If one of us puts out more than three bags on our collection day, how will you know which of us did this?

  Although some homes have previously chosen to put their black bags in a shared pile at the same collection point, there’s often no reason why residents can’t place their bags at the kerb in front of their home instead.

   

  Residents must not pile their bags together. This will help us identify homes that are putting out more bags than three black bags on their collection day.

• What should I do if someone puts their non-recyclable waste in my black bags?

  If someone puts their non-recyclable waste in your black bags without your permission, please contact us. 

• What else can I recycle in the Vale of Glamorgan?

  You can recycle a wide range of materials at your local Household Waste Recycling Centre.