Moray Recycling Education Series – Full 12-Day Blog
This blog brings together all 12 days of our Moray Recycling Education Series that were originally shared on social media into one convenient guide. Here, you can find all the tips, local information, and practical advice in one place to help you recycle smarter, reduce contamination, and support a cleaner, greener Moray.
At Moray Reach Out, we care deeply about our local environment and supporting people in our community through meaningful work. Recycling properly reduces waste, preserves resources, and gives our trainees the opportunity to develop confidence and skills.
This guide combines practical tips and local information to help you recycle smarter in Moray, support our trainees, and protect the environment.
1. Keeping Recyclables Clean and Safe
- Empty all liquids
Before your bottles, cans or containers go in the recycling, make sure they’re fully emptied.
Leftover liquids can leak, ruin other recyclables, and create slip hazards for our team. Dry items help improve safety and recycling quality. - Give items a quick rinse
Just a quick rinse removes leftover residue. They don’t need to be spotless — just clean enough to prevent smells, pests, and contamination. This keeps Moray’s recycling operations running smoothly.
2. Clothing and Sustainable Fashion
Did you know that fast fashion and discarded clothes make up a huge amount of waste? There’s a smarter, greener way to enjoy your festive wardrobe while helping Moray!
Donate or Reuse
- Donate older clothes in good condition to charity shops like Moray Reach Out Thrift Shop we’ll give your pre-loved items a second life and support meaningful work in our community.
- Buy second-hand for your Christmas party outfits, thrift shops and online marketplaces have lots of beautiful, unique pieces.
- Rent online if you’re feeling extra festive – wear it once, return it, and reduce waste.
- Inspire others: If you donate, buy, or rent, consider sharing your festive outfit to encourage sustainable fashion in your community.
3. Oil Disposal
- Never pour oil down the sink
It can clog pipes, cause blockages, damage plumbing, and put extra strain on Moray’s drainage system. - Compost very small amounts
If you have a home compost bin, tiny amounts of cooled, solidified oil or fat may be okay but always check your composting guidelines first. - Use Moray Council’s recycling centres
Most Moray recycling centres have dedicated containers for used cooking oil. Take it along in a sealed container and dispose of it responsibly.
Every small step protects our environment and keeps Moray running smoothly.
4. Black Bags and Soft Plastics
Empty Black Bags – Don’t Use Them for Recycling
In Moray, recyclables must go directly into the correct recycling containers, not inside black bags.
- Black bags aren’t opened during sorting due to health and safety risks. Staff and trainees can’t safely check for sharp or hazardous items.
- Sealed bags mean the contents can’t be recycled and may be rejected entirely.
- Black bags used for extra household waste won’t be collected by Moray Council if they exceed bin limits.
Always empty the contents straight into your recycling bin — no bags needed.
Soft Plastics – Where They Actually Go
Soft plastics cannot go in Moray’s kerbside recycling bins. This includes:
- bread bags
- crisp packets
- fruit & veg bags
- cling film
- plastic film from packaging
- carrier bags
These materials can’t be recycled through the council’s system and will contaminate loads if placed in household bins.
For safe disposal, many supermarkets now offer soft-plastic recycling drop-off points, commonly found in places like Tesco, Co-op, and other local stores across Moray. These schemes accept a wide range of plastic films that the kerbside service cannot process.
Across Moray, there many recycling points, but it’s important to know what they are designed for.
- Moray Council operates 5 manned Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) where you can take a much wider range of materials, including items not accepted at the kerbside.
- There are also 22 unmanned local recycling points, but these only accept the same materials that go in your kerbside recycling, with some locations also offering textile banks. They cannot be used for soft plastics or any materials outside the standard kerbside list.
To keep these sites safe and functioning well for everyone, it’s important not to overload the unmanned points or leave materials they aren’t designed to take.
By using supermarket soft-plastic schemes and taking unsuitable items to the correct HWRC, you help keep Moray’s recycling system efficient, safe, and environmentally responsible.
5. Sharp Items and Glass
These materials can be dangerous if placed loosely in bins, so proper handling protects our Moray Reach Out trainees, collection crews, and the wider community.
Sharp items – How to dispose of them safely
Sharp objects should never be placed loose in your household bins. This includes:
- broken glass
- smashed ceramics
- blades, knives, chisels
- sharp metal pieces
- anything with jagged edges
Safe disposal for small household sharps
- Place the sharp items in a rigid, puncture-resistant container (e.g., an empty detergent bottle, thick plastic drinks bottle, or sturdy tin with a secure lid).
- Seal the container tightly.
- Clearly label it: “SHARP WASTE – DO NOT OPEN.”
- Dispose of it following Moray Council guidance. For items like household knives placed in a puncture-proof plastic or metal container, you can take them to a Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC), where a site attendant will assist with safe disposal.
Medical and clinical sharps
Clinical items such as needles, syringes, and similar equipment must never go into household waste. These must be disposed of using approved NHS sharps bins.
- Used medical sharps can be returned via NHS services.
- Many local pharmacies also accept filled NHS sharps containers for safe disposal.
Using the correct disposal methods protects waste crews, keeps recycling streams safe, and ensures hazardous materials are handled responsibly.
Glass items – What goes where in Moray
Orange bin (glass bottles & jars)
- Yes: glass bottles (clear, brown, green), glass jars (rinsed, lids removed), perfume or aftershave bottles, wine/beer/spirit bottles
- No: Pyrex, ceramics, broken window/mirror glass, light bulbs, drinking glasses/tumblers, crystal glass
Handling broken glass at home
- Sweep up pieces carefully (never with bare hands).
- Place them in a rigid container.
- Seal and label: “BROKEN GLASS – DO NOT OPEN.”
- Dispose at a recycling centre OR green waste bin if permitted and safely contained.
By disposing of sharps and glass safely, you help protect our trainees, reduce injuries, and keep Moray’s recycling stream clean and efficient.
6. Understanding “Steel”
“Steel” = Steel cans, not scrap metal
Steel recycling includes:
- Steel food tins
- Tinned vegetable/fruit tins
- Steel drink cans
- Metal lids & caps (from jars and bottles)
What doesn’t count as steel recycling
- Car parts
- Tools
- Spanners, screwdrivers, metal rods
- Metal frames
- Car wheels
- Heavy scrap metal pieces
How to correctly dispose of large or heavy metal items
Large metal items should never go in household bins, they can injure staff, damage machinery, and contaminate recycling.
Safe disposal options:
- Take items to a Moray Recycling Centre (scrap metal, frames, car wheels, large household metal).
- Use Moray’s Bulky Waste Uplift Service, a fee applies (£40 for up to 5 permitted items), with some items not accepted.
Festive period notice:
The bulky uplift service ends Friday 12th December and resumes Monday 5th January. Full details on permitted items and fees are on the Moray Council website.
7. Mixed Materials and Drink Cartons
Some items look simple but are made from multiple materials fused together, making them tricky to recycle locally.
Mixed-material items (e.g., Pringles tubes):
- Cardboard + metal foil + plastic lining + metal base
- Separate what you can:
- Plastic lids → pink/purple bin
- Cardboard tube → blue bin
- Metal base → pink/purple bin
- Anything still fused → green bin
Tip: Pringles tubes make great storage for Christmas lights — wrap lights around the tube and tuck the plug inside to stop tangling.
Drink cartons (Tetra Pak):
- Multi-layer: paper/card, plastic, aluminium foil
- Accepted in the blue bin if empty, flattened, lightly rinsed
- Lids: plastic → pink/purple bin; attached soft plastic → green bin (unless your supermarket recycles soft plastics)
Choosing single-material packaging wherever possible reduces contamination and keeps Moray’s recycling stream clean.
8. Wires, Cables, and Electrical Items
Wires, cables, and electrical items should never go into your kerbside household recycling bins. They can tangle and jam sorting machinery, damage equipment, and create safety risks for staff and trainees.
Wires & Cables
- Cannot be placed in any kerbside bin
- Easily tangle machinery and increase contamination
- Take them to a Moray recycling centre with a WEEE (electrical waste) section
- Some electrical retailers in Moray offer take-back schemes for old cables and chargers
Small Electrical Items (WEEE)
Includes: mobile phones, kettles, toasters, hairdryers, irons, and other small appliances
Use the dedicated WEEE bins at Moray recycling centres
- Larger appliances (e.g., washing machines, microwaves, fridges) may need bulky uplift or a recycling centre drop-off
- Moray Waste Busters can take reusable electrical items
- ReBoot accepts electricals that can’t be reused but can be dismantled or recycled
Why it matters:
Proper disposal protects staff, prevents damage to equipment, and ensures valuable materials like metals, plastics, and glass can be safely recovered and reused.
9. Festive Opening Hours – Moray Council Services
Over the festive period, some Moray Council services and recycling collections will operate on a different schedule. To avoid confusion, it’s important to check before visiting or arranging collections.
Key points:
- Household recycling centres and bulky uplift services may close or have reduced hours.
- The Bulky Waste Uplift Service ends Friday 12th December and resumes Monday 5th January. Fees and permitted items still apply.
- Other services may also be affected over the holiday period.
For the full festive schedule, check the out their website https://newsroom.moray.gov.uk/news/moray-councils-christmas-and-new-year-service-arrangements-202526
10. What Goes in Each Bin
Blue bin – Paper & Card
- Acceptable: newspapers, magazines, phone books, cardboard boxes, beverage cartons, envelopes, letters, scrap/shredded paper
- Not acceptable: plastic bags, bottles, polystyrene, crisp packets, padded envelopes, tissues, metallic wrapping, food-contaminated paper, painted paper
Orange bin – Glass
- Acceptable: glass bottles & jars (rinsed)
- Not acceptable: plastic bags, Pyrex, mirrors/window glass
Pink/Purple bin – Cans & Plastic Bottles
- Acceptable: drinks cans, plastic bottles (PET 1, HDPE 2, PP 5), food tins, foil trays, clean tin foil, aerosols, metal lids, tablet/medicine bottles, yogurt/margarine tubs (rinsed)
- Not acceptable: plastic bags, toys, oil or paint tins
Brown bin – Organic Garden & Kitchen Waste
- Acceptable: grass, leaves, branches, plants, weeds, hedge trimmings, all food waste
- Not acceptable: dog fouling, cat litter, plastics, rubble, soil/turf, wood blocks
Green bin – General Waste (Residual)
- Use for anything not accepted elsewhere
- Waste must fit with lid closed; side waste will not be uplifted
- Green bins collected every 3 weeks; only one per household
Proper sorting keeps Moray recycling safer and more effective.
11. Wrapping Paper & Christmas Cards
Blue bin – Paper & Card
- Acceptable: plain wrapping paper (no glitter/foil), cards made of card/paper, envelopes, paper packaging (clean & flattened)
- Not acceptable: foil/metallic wrapping, glittered/laminated cards, padded envelopes, gift bags with plastic handles, tissues, food/sticky tape contaminated paper
Alternative ideas for non-recyclable wrapping
- Reuse ribbons, bows, gift bags
- Terracycle schemes for foil/laminated paper
- Non-recyclable wrapping → green bin
Separating recyclable and non-recyclable wrapping protects trainees and reduces landfill waste.
12. Recycling is About People
Recycling in Moray is about people, community, and opportunity. Every item that’s recycled correctly does far more than protect the environment, it helps create a safer community and supports the development of adults gaining skills through Moray Reach Out.
Our trainees work hands-on to sort, clean, and process recyclables, building confidence, learning practical skills, and finding a real sense of purpose. When you recycle responsibly, you’re not just reducing waste, you’re directly contributing to their growth and wellbeing.
By recycling correctly, you help:
- Protect our environment
- Keep our community safe
- Support local trainees in gaining confidence, skills, and meaningful opportunity
Small actions make a big difference. Your choices help Moray thrive socially, environmentally, and sustainably.
