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Torridge District Council Announces New Recycling Changes from 1st April 2026
Torridge District Council is introducing important changes to its recycling services from 1st April 2026 as part of its ongoing commitment to improving safety and expanding the range of materials residents can recycle.
From this date, cartons (Tetra Paks) will be accepted as part of the district’s kerbside recycling service, in line with simpler recycling requirements. This includes items such as juice cartons, long‑life milk containers, soup cartons and other liquid food packaging. Residents should place cartons in their brown recycling bag, with caps left on, as they can be recycled together.
At the same time, the Council will no longer accept batteries in its weekly kerbside recycling collections. This change is essential to address the serious fire risks and environmental hazards posed when batteries are mixed with general recycling materials. Batteries can ignite if damaged or exposed to certain conditions during the recycling process, creating a significant fire hazard for collection crews, recycling facilities and the wider community. They also contain chemicals that can leak and contaminate other recyclable materials, making them unsafe and unsuitable for standard recycling streams.
Although batteries cannot go in your recycling bin, they can, and should, be recycled safely at dedicated collection points:
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Recycling Centres - Local facilities have designated battery disposal areas, including Deep Moor, Bideford and Anvil Corner Recycling Centres.
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Retail Collection Points - Many major retailers, such as supermarkets, chemists, charity shops and electronics shops have dedicated battery recycling bins.
To find your nearest battery recycling locations, use the Recycle Now search tool at: https://www.recyclenow.com/recycling-locator.
The Council would also like to take this opportunity to remind residents to continue ‘washing and squashing’ all plastics before placing them in the green recycling box, which helps to maximise space and increase the amount that can be recycled.
Councillor Chris Leather, Lead Member for Operational Services at Torridge District Council, said:
“Safety and sustainability are at the heart of these changes. Removing batteries from kerbside collections is essential to prevent fires and protect our crews, facilities and residents. At the same time, we’re delighted to introduce carton and Tetra Pak recycling, making it easier for households to recycle more of their everyday packaging. We encourage everyone to use the brown bag for cartons and to continue taking batteries to the dedicated drop‑off points across Torridge, helping ensure these materials are dealt with safely and responsibly.”
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