Recycling in Southwark
Reducing, reusing and recycling means sending less of your rubbish to landfill. This is better for the environment and means that the money we save through avoiding disposal charges can be spent elsewhere. If you haven't recycled before, now's the time to start. And if you're already a keen recycler, see if you can do more.
Everyone in Southwark can recycle paper, card, cardboard, plastic bottles, cans, and glass. The different recycling services make it easy for you to recycle, wherever you live in the borough.
Southwark's recycling services
Your local recycling centre
Take your recycling to your nearest local recycling centres. There are over 500 centres across Southwark, helping to make it easy for you to recycle. At most local recycling centres you can recycle paper, card, cardboard, plastic bottles, cans, and glass bottles and jars. Some of the centres also have textiles and shoe banks (pdf 40kb).
The blue box and bag scheme
If you live at a street based property you can use a blue box and bag to recycle. Use your blue bag for paper, card, cardboard and your blue box for glass bottles and jars, food and drink cans, plastic bottles, food trays, pots and tubs.
The clear bag scheme
If you are part of the clear bag recycling scheme you can use your clear bag to recycle paper, card, cardboard, cans, plastic bottles, glass bottles and jars. Find out whether you are part of the clear bag recycling scheme.
The garden waste scheme 
If you live in a property with a garden we can collect garden waste from you every two weeks, throughout the year as part of our garden waste collection scheme. You can use a green reusable bag, brown wheelie bin or single use paper bag, depending on your needs.
It doesn't stop there. There are a lot of other things you can recycle. Find out about other ways to recycle.
Report a problem or request a container for recycling
Use our online forms to report a missed collection or that a recycling bank is full. You can also complete a form to request a new container to use a recycling service.
Report a problem
Request a container for recycling
Identity fraud
Please be aware that to protect yourself from identity fraud you should not throw away or recycle entire bills, receipts, credit or debit card slips, bank statements or even unwanted post in your name.
Destroy unwanted documents, preferably by using a shredder or deleting your name, before placing them out for recycling. All shredded documentation must be placed in the paper and cardboard recycling bag and placed outside your property in a visible area ready for collection.
Contact us
For further information on Southwark's recycling services, please contact us.
Recycling unit
Tel: 020 7525 2000
environment@southwark.gov.uk
30-34 Penrose Street
London
SE17 3DW
|