Black box scheme
In Hull the kerbside black box recycling scheme covers all homes in the city. To encourage participation, black boxes are provided free of charge. Black boxes are collected fortnightly.
Why we only take plastic bottles 
Black Box recycling information
Where will my box be collected from?
If your black and blue bins are collected from a tenfoot, your black box will not be collected from the same place. Your black box will be collected from the front of your house, just within the edge of your property boundary. For households that do not have a tenfoot collection, boxes will be collected from the same place as the black and blue bins.
When will my box be collected?
Your box will be emptied once every fortnight. A sticker with collection dates is supplied. To ensure that your recyclables are collected, please present your box by 7.30 am at the boundary of your property.
What about assisted collections?
If you currently receive assistance with your bin collections, you will automatically be provided with this service on the black box scheme. If you don’t currently receive any assistance with your wheeled bins but feel that you may have difficulties lifting and presenting the black box, please contact us on 01482 300300 to discuss the range of options we have available to help you take part in this scheme.
I live on my own and don’t have enough to recycle
Many residents tell us they don’t produce enough material to make it worth our while collecting. This is not true. We are collecting in the street, anyway, so it doesn’t take any extra effort to collect, no matter how few recyclables you produce.
What if I live in a flat or similar accommodation?
If you would like a box and live in a flat or similar accommodation you are still entitled to have a black box. If however you and your neighbours consider that a small communal recycling site would be more appropriate, please contact us on 01482 300300 to discuss this option further.
What can go in the box?
 Plastic bottles |
Please remove all lids, rinse and squash all bottles and do not put any plastic bags or other food packaging in your black box. |
 Cans, foil and aerosols |
Aluminium foil, aerosols and all types of aluminium and steel food and drink cans. Please rinse all cans and foil and remove all aerosol lids. |
 Glass bottles and jars |
Clear, green, brown, red and blue glass bottles and jars only. Please do not put any Pyrex, sheet glass, light bulbs, drinking glasses or any broken glass in the box. |
 Textiles |
All clean, dry clothing, curtains, sheets, towels, blankets (not duvets), pairs of shoes and leather goods in the box. All textiles must however be placed in a plastic bag or bin bag and sealed to keep them dry. |
How big are the boxes?
The boxes are about 30cm high, 40cm wide, 50cm long and are supplied with a lid, suitable for storage inside or outside of your home.
Can I have more than one box?
Yes. You can have as many boxes as you need, as long as they are all used for recycling. If you would like more than one black box please contact us on 01482 300300. Alternatively, any extra materials can be put out in plastic bags and bin liners and we will still empty them. We do ask, however, that you do not place glass or cans in plastic bags as these have to be handsorted.
Do I need to sort the materials I put in the box?
No. All food and drink cans, aerosols, foil, glass and plastic bottles can be put loose into the box and we will sort them for you. Textiles must, however, be placed in a plastic bag or bin bag and sealed to keep them dry.
Sample of items that can be put into a black box
Do I need to clean the materials or remove any labels?
We do ask that you rinse any items that you recycle in your box. This is to ensure that your recycled items are not contaminated with food or liquid remains, helps to speed up the hand sorting process for our collectors and to keep your box clean. There is no need to remove any labels from the items that you recycle.
