Confused: What can and can't go into a green bin?

Is anyone else confused about what can and can't go into a green bin?

Every household I visit seems to have a different policy.

I put the following into normal waste others don't, can they go in the green bin:
Bags from fruit - apple bag etc, packet of ham - I wash the tray and recycle it but the plastic wrapper I black bin, wrapper from a box of grapes.

I'm sure there's more but that's all I can think of at the moment!

I share your confusion and the leaflets/websites by the providers often confuse me more.

We have four bins:

Brown Compost Caddy: for all food waste including meat etc
Blue/Green Bin: for mixed dry recyclables, juice/milk cartons washed and dried, no styrafoam.

• Paper
• Cardboard
• Plastic film
• Plastic bottles
• Steel cans and aluminium cans
  

I wash yohgurt tubs and butter tubs but some neighbours tell me they are not allowed.
I squash the aliminium cans and try but fail to squish the plastic bottles.
I put used clingfilm into the black bin.
I put used potato paper sack bags into the black bin.
Old coal bags go into the black bin.


Red Bin: for bottles (all colours with paper labels, rinsed), no caps, no corks, no mirrors, no panes, no pyrex, no crockery, no drinking glasses
Black Refuse Bin: everything else but no batteries, electrical goods, garden waste, building rubble waste, stones etc.

I still dont know what to do with used chip pan oil!

Is it not a question of which area you live in?

The following is the policy with [broken link removed]

What can I put in my green bin?
The following items may be put out for collection in the green bin:

1. Waste Paper: newspapers, magazines, copybooks, whole or shredded papers
2. Light cardboard: cereal boxes, postcards, greeting cards, advertisement fliers
3. Tetra Pak: washed and emptied milk or juice cartons with plastic parts removed
4. Steel cans: washed and emptied vegetable cans, dog- or cat-food cans, steel drinks cans.
5. Aluminium cans: soft-drink or beer cans.
6. All Clean Plastics

ajapale said:

... I squash the aliminium cans and try but fail to squish the plastic bottles. ...

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What about regular tin-cans - dog-food, pineapple chunks, tinned tomatoes, etc?

For the plastic drink bottles, take the cap off, fold the base up until it lies parallel to the side and continue rolling towards the top of the bottle. Replace the screw-on cap and bingo! it pretty much holds its squashed shape occupying about 1/10th of the original volume in your bin.

ajapale said:

...I still dont know what to do with used chip pan oil!

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Most LAs have bring centres to deal with chip oil, engine oil, old paint tins, paint, aerosols and other liquid haz-chems

Sue Ellen said:

Is it not a question of which area you live in?

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It's now down to area and provider, they each have their own rules on what is and is not allowed depending on the downstream facilities they use.