Richmond updates its recycling guide — and you can now recycle more at home

Richmond Council has published a refreshed guide to household recycling, with the headline news that residents can now put more items in their recycling bin than before.

The council's main advice is straightforward: the right material in the right container makes a real difference. When recycling is contaminated — by food waste, plastic bags or non-recyclable materials — it becomes harder to sort and may end up as general rubbish rather than being processed and reused. A small amount of contamination can affect a whole collection.

To make it easier, the council has created a printable What bins do I use? guide covering paper and card, mixed recycling, food waste caddies, general rubbish and garden waste bins. The suggestion is to print it out and keep it near your bins or on the fridge as a quick household reference — particularly useful if you share a home or have recently moved.

For Barnes residents, collections run on a set schedule, and checking the guide before putting out your bins is one of the easiest ways to keep the borough's recycling rate high. Download the guide and find full details on the Richmond Council recycling page.