An easy guide to recycling in Harrow

An easy guide to recycling!

This image above was added in December 2020. You can get more info here https://www.harrow.gov.uk/bins-waste-recycling/happens-bin-collection-days 

For more up to date information from Harrow Council, please visit What Goes in which Bin

Useful links:-

• What goes in what bin for houses
• What goes in what bin for flats
• Garden waste
• Food waste
• Bin collection dates
• Blue and grey bins in flats

Harrow Council have provided blue, brown and green/grey bins for waste to every house in the borough, and are extending these arrangements to flats.

In the not too distant past, Harrow’s waste was sent to landfill, which wasted potentially useful materials which could be salvaged, and is becoming increasingly difficult as all the nearby landfill sites are becoming full.

Britain relies more heavily on landfill than other countries in Europe, but all are experiencing the same problems, and all local authorities are committed to improve their waste disposal arrangements.

The Harrow brown bin is for material which can be composted — organic material such as

• hedge clippings,
• grass,
• dead flowers,
• vegetable peelings or food waste.

Food waste should be wrapped in newspaper (a cellulose product which will degrade readily), but it is better to recycle newspapers, so they should not routinely be placed in the brown bin.

The brown bin is collected every week — so food waste in Harrow is collected as often as it was under Harrow’s traditional arrangements. Not everyone realised this when the arrangements were changed in 2006, and Harrow got a bad press which it did not deserve.

Most plastic bags will not rot down to form compost, and those that do are difficult to identify. They should not be placed in the brown bin, neither should oasis, which should be separated from flower arrangements.

Re the brown bin: –

Yes please: –

Grass cuttings
Garden pruning
Branches and twigs
Leaves
Flowers
Plants
Weeds
Wood shavings
Bark
Carboard (all types)
Wet/damp newspaper
Brown paper

No thanks: –

Nappies
Pet waste e.g. cat/dog litter
Glass, metal or porcelain
Plastic containers or plant pots
Plastic bags
Polystyrene
Wax packaging
Foil packaging
Ash
Vacuum cleaner waste
Soil
Bricks
Stone
Rubble
General household rubbish

The Harrow blue bin is for materials which can be recycled, e.g.

• cans,
• plastic bottles,
• plastic containers,
• glass bottles,
• glass jars,
• Tetrapak containers,
• newspapers,
• magazines,
• cardboard,
• aluminium foil,
• envelopes
• and junk mail.

It is collected every fortnight.

Re the blue bin PLUS glass: –

Harrow is part of West Waste, which uses a MRF (Material Recycling Facility), pronounced merf, to separate these materials for reuse.

The Harrow green or grey bin is for everything else, e.g.

• disposable nappies,
• hoover bags
• dust bags,
• light bulbs,
• plastic bags (which the MRF cannot separate),
• plastic film (which the MRF cannot separate),
• expanded polystyrene, etc.

This is collected every fortnight. As it cannot be recycled it goes to landfill.

But, of course, the strategy we should follow, in order of merit, is:

“¢Â Â Â  Reduce
“¢Â Â Â  Reuse
“¢Â Â Â  Recycle

If we do not create the waste in the first instance we do not put ourselves in the position of needing to recycle it. So — can you reduce the resources you use, use them again or give them to someone else who can do so, and only then recycle them under Harrow’s arrangements?

Mick Oliver
Member of Harrow Agenda 21 Waste Group