This service is managed by Infrastructure Services
Reduce, reuse and recycle
The best way to reduce your impact on the environment is to create less waste in the first place. After that, reusing and then recycling are the next best options.
Recycling is important for many reasons. Every tonne of waste shipped to Shetland for incineration costs around £150. It takes more than 450 years for a plastic bottle to decompose. And the more you recycle, the more we can reinvest in other services.
Recycling collected in Orkney is shipped to a range of re-processors in the UK.
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What to recycle
This document contains guidance for Mainland residents using dry recycling collections. It explains how to use the two green bins with blue lids, keeping paper and thin card, glass, plastic bottles and cans loose and separate; caddies are for storage only. It lists accepted and rejected items and how to rinse, flatten or prepare materials. Clean recycling is required, and wrongly separated items may not be collected.
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Where does our recycling go
This document contains a guide to where Orkney Islands Council sends household recycling, including paper, cardboard, cans, glass, plastic bottles, electrical goods, oils, textiles, batteries and green waste. It explains how materials are processed and their destinations, from local parks and gardens to recycling plants across Scotland and the United Kingdom. In 2022, households recycled 23.3% of their rubbish.
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Reduce
Food waste
The average family wastes around £700 a year on food that gets thrown away. Planning meals, checking use-by dates and understanding portion sizes can all help.
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Nappies
Disposable nappies are expensive and bulky to dispose of. In 2022, Orkney disposals of nappies were estimated at around 815,000 a year. Reusable nappies are a lower-cost and lower-waste alternative.
The Orkney Nappy Library offers demonstrations, advice and a borrowing scheme for reusable nappies. Visit the Orkney Nappy Library Facebook page or email orkneynappylibrary@gmail.com.
Plastics
We accept type 1 (PET) and type 2 (HDPE) plastic bottles in kerbside and HWRC recycling. You can reduce plastic waste by using a reusable water bottle, reusing carrier bags when shopping and reusing plastic containers for storage.
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Types of plastic
This document contains a table of common plastic types, their recycling symbols and typical uses, such as bottles, food packaging, bags and building materials. It explains that Orkney Islands Council accepts only household plastic bottles made from polyethylene terephthalate or high-density polyethylene, while other plastics aren’t accepted. Some marked plastic films can be recycled at the Tesco carrier bag facility in Kirkwall.
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Reuse
Before throwing something away, consider whether it could be repaired, sold, donated or given away. Keeping things out of the waste stream altogether is better than recycling.
You can sell unwanted items on sites like eBay, Preloved, Gumtree or through Orkney Merkitplace on Facebook.
Orkney Zerowaste runs "Love Your Clothes" workshops to help you repair clothing and textiles or turn them into something new.
Where to donate
- CLAN, 30 Victoria Street, Kirkwall, 01856 873393
- Orkney Food Bank, Dunkirk, Shore Street, Kirkwall, 01856 873685
- British Red Cross, 68 Victoria Street, Kirkwall, 01856 879744
- Restart Orkney, 62 Junction Road, Kirkwall, 01856 879777
- Orkney Zerowaste Yard, Garson Place, Stromness (adjacent to the recycling centre)
- Home-Start Orkney, 7 Main Street, Kirkwall, 01856 870770
- The Blue Door, 63 Victoria Street, Kirkwall, 01856 873897
- The Peedie Retreat, 39 Albert Street, Kirkwall
- Orkney Cats, 85-87 Victoria Street, Stromness
- Salvation Army Shop, Unit 2, Anchor Buildings, Kirkwall, 01856 877250
- British Red Cross Shop, 2 Graham Place, Stromness, 01856 850913
- Mind On, 8 Albert Street, Kirkwall, 07825 417774
- ODD Animals Rescue, 22 Victoria Street, Kirkwall
- Bargain Box, Westray Development Trust offices and the Hofn, Quarry Road, Westray, 01857 677858
- The Front Porch, Ebenezer Stores, Whitehall Village, KW17 2AR
- Sanday Reuse Centre, Temperance Hall, Sanday. Call Heather on 01857 600274 before visiting.
Connect Up For Orkney
We have partnered with Restart Orkney, Greener Orkney and XS Resources to run Connect Up For Orkney, a scheme to give unwanted electrical items a second life. You can donate by visiting Restart Orkney's shop, dropping items at the reuse container at Hatston, or booking a free home or business collection (currently available for mainland Orkney).
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Recycle
Plastic bottles
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Plastic bottles
Show HideWe accept type 1 (PET) and type 2 (HDPE) plastic bottles in kerbside recycling and at all recycling sites. Check the number in the recycling triangle on the base of the container. We do not accept other types of plastic packaging such as film, bags or trays through kerbside collections.
Metals
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Metals
Show HideAll metal packaging can be recycled: food and drink cans, sweet tins, cake tins, foil trays, aluminium foil and pet food tins. Aerosols for deodorant, shaving foam and hair spray can also go in your recycling.
For aerosols: make sure they are fully empty before recycling. Do not pierce, crush or flatten them. Remove plastic lids but do not worry about the nozzle.
For aluminium foil: clean foil can be recycled. Give it a quick rinse if it has food residue. To check if something is aluminium, scrunch it. If it stays scrunched, it is aluminium and can be recycled. If it springs back, it is metallised plastic and should go in your refuse.
Larger metal items such as bikes, pans and scrap metal can be taken to any HWRC. See the site facilities list above.
Glass
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Glass
Show HideGlass bottles and jars can be recycled at all HWRC and recycling sites. Please ensure all glass is rinsed and all colours accepted for kerbside collection.
Batteries
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Batteries
Show HideDo not put batteries in your refuse or recycling bin. Batteries contain chemicals such as lead and mercury which can harm the environment if they go to landfill. Battery recycling containers are available at recycling centres and at many shops that sell batteries. Larger batteries that do not fit in shop containers can be taken to any HWRC.
Lightbulbs
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Lightbulbs
Show HideWe recycle two types of bulb:
- Fluorescent and gas discharge bulbs (strip lights, spiral and stick types) contain mercury and must be recycled. Take them to any HWRC or recycling centre.
- LED bulbs are electronic items. Put them in the waste electrical bags at recycling centres.
Standard incandescent and halogen bulbs cannot be recycled here. Put them in your grey bin, or bring them to a recycling centre to avoid breakage in kerbside collections.
Recycling facilities for lightbulbs are at Hatston, Garson, Bossack, Cursiter and St Margaret's Hope.
Textiles
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Textiles
Show HideClothes and shoes in good condition can be donated to charity shops. All textiles including those not suitable for reuse can be taken to any HWRC or recycling centre.
Cardboard
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Cardboard
Show HideFlatten cardboard before putting it out for recycling or taking it to a site.
Electrical items
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Electrical items
Show HideElectrical and electronic equipment can be taken to any HWRC or recycling centre, or donated through the Connect Up For Orkney scheme.
Composting and food waste
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Composting and food waste
Show HideComposting at home is one of the most effective ways to reduce what goes in your bin. Even households that already compost often have composting material still going in their refuse.
Green Johanna
Residents can buy a Green Johanna compost bin at a discounted price of £124.99 (normally £144.99). With the winter jacket, the combined cost is £174.99 (normally £199.99). Purchase from getcomposting.com, regardless of where in Orkney you live.
Green Cone
A Green Cone is a solar-powered food waste digester that reduces cooked and uncooked food waste to water and carbon dioxide, improving the surrounding soil. We no longer supply these, but they can be bought from Great Green Systems. Spare parts are also available there.
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What and where to recycle
This document contains information about Orkney’s recycling centres and local recycling points for domestic waste. It lists what each site accepts, including cans, glass, paper, textiles, garden waste and other materials, with services varying by location. Waste must go in the correct containers to avoid contamination. Commercial waste, some garden waste and hazardous materials must be taken to the designated waste sites.
Please be aware that this summary has been generated using AI.
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Metal recycling
This document contains guidance on recycling metal items in Orkney. Put bins out by 8am and make sure items are clean, dry and empty. Include bottle tops, jar lids, cans, tins, foil scrunched into a ball and aerosols with no hiss. Do not include paint or petrol cans, Pringles-type tubs, scrap metal or food pouches.
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Green cone faq
This document contains frequently asked questions about using a Green Cone to break down household food waste. It explains where to install it, what can and can’t go inside, how accelerator powder helps, and how to manage smells, flies, soil types and cleaning. It also describes how sunlight, air, bacteria and worms break down waste, leaving nutrient-rich liquid and little residue for the garden.
Please be aware that this summary has been generated using AI.
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Recycling posters
This document contains guidance on recycling glass, metal, paper and thin card, and plastic in Orkney. Items should be clean, dry and empty, with bins put out by 8am. It explains what can be recycled, including bottles, jars, cans, foil, paper, card and plastic bottles, and lists items that must not be included, such as mirrors, cookware, light bulbs, food pouches, plastic bags and film.
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Deposit Return Scheme
Scotland's Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) is due to come into effect in October 2027. Under the scheme, anyone who sells drinks in single-use glass, plastic or metal containers will be required to accept returns and refund the 20p deposit. Orkney has been involved in piloting some of the scheme's logistics.