Orkney Recycling Guide
Kerbside Collections
Mainlaind Kerbside collection options (where available) provided by Orkney Islands Council
Further information on their page:
Four dry recyclates are collected by OIC
1. Plastics
Yes please – Plastic bottles (numbered 1 and 2) OIC accept bottles – eg shampoo bottles, household cleaner bottles, drinks bottles and plastic milk bottles. Lids can also be recycled now. OIC request bottles are rinsed, squashed and lids replaced prior to placing in bin.
No thanks – Yogurt pots, plastic bags and food containers, (e.g. margarine tubs, fruit punnets, vending cups).
2. Glass
Yes please – Glass bottles and glass jars.
3. Metals – Cans
Yes please – Food cans/tins, drink cans/tins, aluminium foil, aerosol cans, metal lids from jars/bottles, foil trays, lids and food wrappers (all clean and empty).
No thanks – Paint/petrol cans. Please rinse, do not crush or pierce, place can tops inside cans and remove labels.
4. Paper
Yes please – newspapers, light carboard, tin labels, envelopes (no clear windows)
No thanks – Corrugated cardboard boxes – put in the Cardboard Recycling at the Waste Disposal Centres
Your Guide to Dry Recycled Collection
You will have received 2 green wheelie bins (with blue lids) and 2 inner caddies for your recycling material. Households should use the main compartments and inner caddies to separate 4 recyclates.
However currently due to Covid restrictions – only the Green Bins are being collected on two cycles – one week is Glass and Plastic and a fortnight later the Paper and Metals. No caddies are currently being collected. Look on the OIC Website to find out when your recycling is going to be collected:
Look up your bin schedule online (orkney.gov.uk)
Recyclates are more valuable when they are clean. If in doubt, please leave it out.
Orkney Islands Council also has a deal with Great Green Systems offering discounts on hot composters. Deals accessible here: https://www.greatgreensystems.com/shop/local-council-deals
Where to Recycle
- Tetra Pak® recycling – HWRC
- Textile and Shoe recycling – available at Hatson, Bossack and Garson HWRCs. Note Red Cross, The Cat Shop will accept clothes which are beyond being resold in charity shops. They ask that you clearly mark these donations as rags
- Women’s underwear – Smalls for all is a charity which can accept lightly used, laundered bras (and new pants/knickers). Their details: https://www.smallsforall.org/
- Inhaler recycling – was being offered by Sutherlands but currently suspended due to Covid 19 pandemic
- Carrier bag/stretchy plastics – bin available at Tesco, Pickaquoy Road – Recycle carrier bags and other stretchy plastics (eg magazine covers)
- Inkjet recycling – bins are available inside Tesco store
- Battery recycling – can be done at Lidl, Co-op stores and in Tesco
- Electrical Recycling – check out our Electrical Recycling guide
Soft plastic recycling – available instore at Tesco, Pickaquoy Road
How to recycle soft plastics:
- Clean it – First, rinse your packaging out
- Scrunch it – Now, scrunch it up tight – if it pings back, it’s a useful indicator it’s soft plastic
Soft plastic recycling includes:
Refill options
Sutherlands the Chemist:
Provide ‘faith in nature’ refills – shampoo and body wash
Shearers:
Refill Ecover cleaning products – laundry detergent/dishwashing liquid
Some of the North Isles offer this too.
Milk refill stations:
- Shearers (Kirkwall)
- Papdale Stores
- Baikies Stores (Finstown)
- Argos (Stromness)
- Fletts Butcher (Dounby)
- Dounby Butcher (Dounby)
- JC Tulloch (Westray)