February Recycling Newsletter

From 2 March 2026, Oxford residents can book two free bulky waste collections per property in any 12-month period, with up to three items per booking. Any additional collections will continue to be chargeable at the current rates:

• £23.50 for furniture (£10 concession) 

• £34.50 for electrical items (£15 concession) 

Bulky waste includes larger household items that cannot be placed in your regular bins, such as sofas, fridges, washing machines, computers, and wardrobes. 

 These changes have been introduced to: 

• Improve recycling rates

• Reduce fly-tipping 

• Make responsible waste disposal more accessible 

• Support the city’s wider environmental and sustainability goals 

Where items are still in good condition, residents are encouraged to prioritise reuse wherever possible. This could include passing items to friends, family or neighbours, donating to local charities (some offer free collection), or repairing and mending items rather than disposing of them. 

To book a collection from Monday 2 March, residents should complete the online booking form. Those without access to the internet can contact Oxford City Council on 01865 249811 to arrange a booking. The online form will capture booking details, however, a specific collection date will not be provided at the point of booking. Residents will be contacted by email to confirm their allocated collection date once it has been scheduled. 

Click below for full details, including booking information and a comprehensive list of what can and cannot be collected.

Every year, UK households throw away 4.4 million tonnes of food, worth £17.5 billion, and generating 16m tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. At a time when household budgets are stretched and climate concerns are growing, tackling food waste has never been more important.

This March, the UK's biggest food waste reduction campaign returns with a powerful message: Make Your Food Go Fuuuuuuurther – for your pocket, for our planet. Food Waste Action Week (9-15 March) brings practical, everyday solutions that help your food last longer, saving you money, time, and stress.

This year's Love Food Hate Waste campaign focuses on simple hacks that unlock value across every aspect of daily life. Each day features themed content with tips you can put into action immediately:

• Mon: for your money (stretch your budget further)
• Tue: for your time (save precious minutes with meal planning)
• Wed: for our planet (seduce your environmental impact)
• Thu: for your health (eat well, waste less)
• Fri: for your headspace (less waste, less stress)

Throughout the week, watch for daily tips, storage hacks, and creative recipes on Oxford's recycling social media channels.

Good news for residents of flats in Oxford: a rollout of food waste recycling to flats and HMOs is now underway, meaning nearly all Oxford households can now recycle food waste. Did you know? In 2024/25, the 4,545 tonnes of food waste collected in Oxford generated enough electricity to power 768 homes for a year.

Haven't got your food waste caddy yet? Order one below. 

This March, Oxford residents have the chance to make a difference to the city's streets and public spaces by taking part in the Great British Spring Clean. This is coordinated locally by OxClean in partnership with ODS and Oxford City Council.

The Spring Clean takes place across two weekends: 6, 7, 8 March and 13, 14, 15 March. Community groups, schools, businesses, and individual volunteers come together for two-hour litter picks at locations of their choice. It could be the volunteers’ own neighbourhood, a local park, or one of the city's litter hotspots.

OxClean, an Oxford Civic Society initiative, works year-round to keep our city welcoming and pleasant for residents and visitors alike. The Spring Clean helps clear accumulated rubbish, raises awareness about littering, and encourages residents to be proud of their city.

To take part, simply register at oxclean.org.uk as a group or individual. If you're signing up as an individual, OxClean can put you in touch with a local group or a group tackling a litter hot spot. Once you have registered, OxClean will contact you about ordering and collecting equipment.

ODS provides OxClean with the equipment, including litter pickers, work gloves, hi-vis vests, and sacks. ODS will also collect your filled sacks from pre-agreed pick-up points during both weekends. Don't worry, OxClean will make sure everything is arranged before you start your litter pick. 

Please note, equipment orders must be submitted by tomorrow, Saturday 28 February, for the first weekend and Monday 2 March for the second weekend, so click the button below to register and make Oxford a place we can all be proud of.

This National Old Stuff Day on 2 March, it's time to declutter responsibly and give your unwanted items a second chance. Whether you're spring cleaning or simply breaking free from "same old" routines, Oxford offers plenty of sustainable options for the things you no longer need.

Donate clothes to charity shops including Oxfam's flagship superstore, swap clothes through OxSwap and online platforms like The Swap Shop or share items via Freecycle and Freegle.

You can book a free kerbside textile collection or use textile banks at Rose Hill, Cutteslowe, and South Oxford Community Centres. All textile donations support local charities, including Thames Valley Air Ambulance.

For electricals and gadgets, instead of buying new, consider borrowing instead of buying from the Library of Things, or fix items at a Repair Cafe, both available through Share Oxford. Working items can be donated to organisations including Orinoco and Emmaus Oxford.

Small electrical items (including disposable vapes) and batteries can be recycled at the kerbside. Simply put them in separate clear plastic bags on top of your bin lid on collection day. Batteries are collected on blue bin day only, while small electricals are collected weekly. If you live in a flat and have batteries or small electricals to recycle, please check collection points. Please don’t put small electricals or batteries in your bin as they’re a fire risk.

For more information on how to reduce, reuse and recycle in Oxford, click below

Welcome back after half term! As the kids settle back into their routines, it's the perfect time for a declutter. If you read our National Old Stuff Day article, here's another way to get more from your old electricals while helping your child's school win prizes.

The Hidden Treasure Hunt makes recycling old tech rewarding for families and schools alike. Simply find old, unwanted or broken gadgets lurking in drawers and cupboards – anything with a battery, plug or cable qualifies – bag them up and bring them to your local Currys store. You'll receive at least a £5 discount voucher to spend on purchases over £25. Working tech like laptops, mobiles or consoles could be worth more.

Here's how it benefits schools: scan the QR code in-store at Currys and register your recycling to earn a Planet Care Point for your child's school. Every point helps schools climb the leaderboard for a chance to win tech prizes, and you'll automatically be entered into a termly tech prize draw.

Remember to back up and remove personal data before parting with devices. Currys will safely data wipe any tech to UK Government standards, but it's worth visiting recycleyourelectricals.org.uk for guidance on protecting your information.

For more information and to register, click below.