Did you know that Birmingham generated around 412,130 tonnes of household waste in 2019?
That’s a ton of rubbish!
Fortunately, the city has invested in many waste management services and recycling initiatives to help keep the streets clean and reduce environmental pollution.
From commercial and domestic waste management services, and campus initiatives, to independent recycling schemes, Birmingham is definitely pulling up its socks!
Here are eight Birmingham recycling services and initiatives you can use and contribute to.
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This Article Contains:
6 Waste Management Services in Birmingham (Domestic & Business Waste)
- Birmingham City Council
- Veolia
- Smurfit Kappa Recycling
- First Mile
- EnviroCraft
- Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice
Other Recycling Initiatives in Birmingham
6 Waste Management Services in Birmingham (Domestic & Business Waste)
Here are six Birmingham recycling services that businesses, households, and the general public can use:
1. Birmingham City Council
Help the Birmingham City Council in the West Midlands keep residential streets clean by recycling garden waste like grass, plants, and weeds. The Council also offers commercial waste management services to local businesses.
Address:
Garbage collection service: PO Box 2122, Birmingham B1 1TZ, United Kingdom
Waste management service: Montague St, Birmingham B9 4BA, United Kingdom
Website: https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/info/20009/waste_and_recycling
Phone no.: 0121 303 1111 (Garbage collection service), 0121 303 1112 (waste management service)
Booking: Book online for household recycling services. Call the Van Booking Centre for commercial waste at 0203 567 3915.
What recycling services does Birmingham City Council offer?
Birmingham City Council collects garden waste from households. Residents can put waste like hedge clippings, leaves, and tree prunings in their garden waste wheelie bin. Other waste items like soil and stone won’t be collected for recycling.
This governing local authority also offers commercial waste management services to small and large organisations. Businesses can benefit from refuse containers, pre-paid sacks, and bulky waste disposal containers.
What should go in your bins?
- Garden waste wheelie bin: This recycle bin features a brown lid and is for green garden waste items. Find out what you shouldn’t put in this bin here.
- Recycling wheelie bin: This bin has a blue lid and features pods for paper, cardboard, drink cans, plastic bottles, and more Visit their website to find out what type of household waste you can place in this bin.
- Rubbish wheelie bin: This recycle bin has a grey lid and is for non-recyclable household rubbish like food waste. Find out what you shouldn’t put in this bin here.
When will the waste be collected?
Your bins must be placed outside your home before 5am on your specific collection day or no earlier than 3:30pm the day before.
How to report a missed bin or sack collection
Residents can report a missed collection by creating a BRUM account and filling in the online form on the Birmingham City Council website.
Note: You can only report a missed collection if you placed your bin outside your home before 5am. Missed collection should only be reported after 1:30pm.
How to get rid of bulky items
If you want to get rid of unwanted items like old furniture, consider donating it to the ReUser shop, CT Furniture, or Freegle.
2. Veolia
Veolia is an innovative waste management company working to reduce domestic waste in Birmingham city.
Visit Veolia’s household recycling centre if you want to get rid of any household waste. The West Midlands company even accepts items that can’t be collected by regular residential collection services!
Address: James Rd, Birmingham B11 2BA, United Kingdom
Website: https://www.veolia.co.uk/birmingham/
Phone no.: 0 121 680 2000
Booking:
Book online for a car here
Book online for a van here
How many sites does Veolia operate?
Veolia operates five recycling centres in Birmingham:
- Sutton Coldfield
- Perry Barr
- Castle Bromwich
- Tyseley
- Kings Norton
Can you visit Veolia sites?
Yes, you can visit Veolia sites by making a car or van booking online. You’ll also need to bring your driving licence, council tax, or utility bill to prove you’re a Birmingham resident.
You must use the car you booked with – no pedestrians are allowed.
What can you expect when you arrive on site?
Once you arrive at a household recycling centre, a friendly Veolia staff member will greet you at the main entrance and help you get rid of your items as quickly as possible.
What materials are accepted on site?
Here are some of the materials Veolia accepts:
- Cardboard
- Green garden waste
- Paper
- Glass
- Metal
- Wood and wood-based products
- Bulky waste
- And more
What restrictions does Veolia have?
Veolia’s site won’t collect trade or business waste via their online booking system.
3. Smurfit Kappa Recycling
Smurfit Kappa Recycling Birmingham is a flexible company providing paper and cardboard recycling solutions to Birmingham’s public sector and local businesses.
The organisation uses recycled paper and cardboard boxes to produce sustainable, paper-based packaging for businesses.
Concerned about the latest news about the fire and smoke at Smurfit Kappa’s Mount Street site?
Not to worry – the West Midlands Fire Service alongside other emergency services reported that there were no casualties at the Mount Street plant.
Address: Duddeston Mill Rd, Saltley, Birmingham B8 1AB, United Kingdom
Website: https://www.smurfitkappa.com/locations/united-kingdom/smurfit-kappa-recycling-birmingham
Phone no.: 0121 328 5033
Booking: Request a quote via their online form
What recycling solutions does Smurfit Kappa offer?
You can use Smurfit Kappa to get rid of:
- Sorted mixed papers and boards (max 40% newspapers and magazines
- Sorted office paper (unused)
- Used paper and board packaging (min 70% corrugated board)
- Used cardboard boxes and sheets of corrugated board
4. First Mile
Want to ensure your business leaves a greener footprint on the planet?
First Mile is the answer.
Benefit from First Mile’s flexible recycling schedule and exemplary customer service team. With First Mile, your business can go the extra mile with waste management and skyrocket your recycling rate.
Address: Unit 20, Pure offices, Broadwell Rd, Birmingham, Oldbury B69 4BY, United Kingdom
Website: https://thefirstmile.co.uk/birmingham
Phone no.: 0333 300 3448
Booking: Request a quote
What business waste services does First Mile offer?
- Regular business waste collection services on a schedule that suits your needs
- 100% GDPR compliant data destruction services
- One-off rubbish removal or office clearance services
- Buy bins and recycling supplies for your business
What shredding services does First Mile offer?
First Mile offers 100% GDPR compliant paper shredding services. Your documents will be collected by CCTV monitored and GPS-tracked low emission vehicles.
Your confidential documents will be destroyed within 24 hours of collection.
What renewable energy solutions does First Mile offer?
Get a quote from First Mile if you want to switch to renewable electricity and carbon neutral gas for your business.
5. EnviroCraft
Give this exceptional waste management company a call if your business has tons of recyclable waste.
No matter what type of business you own, EnviroCraft will come directly to your location to collect waste. Envirocraft will then recycle the materials at their own innovative plants.
Address: Unit 2, Merlin Park Wood Lane, Birmingham B24 9QL, United Kingdom
Website: https://envirocraft.co.uk/branches/birmingham/
Phone no.: 0121 405 1315
Booking: Request a quote
What recycling services does EnviroCraft offer?
EnviroCraft can collect recyclable waste from your business. This includes items like:
- Electronic waste
- Fluorescent tubes
- Plastic
- Cardboard and paper
- Glass
What waste disposal services does EnviroCraft offer?
EnviroCraft provides waste disposal services like:
- Full commercial bin services
- Site clearances
- Confidential shredding
- Secure data destruction
- Hazardous waste disposal
- Manufacturing waste disposal
- Waste oil disposal
- Trade waste collection
- And more
6. Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice
Get involved in one of Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice’s many meaningful recycling programmes where you can help the hospice raise vital funds while getting rid of unwanted items.
This year, the hospice recycled 5,500 Chrismtas trees while raising over £98,000 for the organisation!
Address: 176 Raddlebarn Rd, Birmingham B29 7DA, United Kingdom
Website: https://www.birminghamhospice.org.uk
Phone no.: 0121 472 1191
Donating: Make a donation online or contact fundraisevol@birminghamhospice.org.uk
What recycling programmes does St Mary’s Hospice offer?
- Ink Cartridges: Help reduce landfill waste by donating your empty Kodak, HP, Dell, or Canon ink cartridges to the hospice. The hospice will receive a £1 donation for each ink cartridge you donate.
- Electronic waste: Raise funds for the hospice by recycling your old cell phones.
- Giveacar: Get rid of your scrap metal by donating it to Giveacar. Your scrap metal will be auctioned off and the money will be donated to a United Kingdom charity of your choice.
Looking for a volunteering job at a United Kingdom charity?
Check out some of the most life-changing Volunteering Opportunities in Birmingham.
Other Recycling Initiatives in Birmingham
Here are two campus recycling schemes university students and visitors can contribute to:
1. Birmingham City University
Birmingham City University has many recycling objectives to help students, visitors, and staff reduce waste and boost the recycling rate.
The university follows the waste hierarchy to teach students and campus visitors what items are recyclable and how to recycle properly.
Address: 15 Bartholomew Row, Birmingham B5 5JU, United Kingdom
Website: https://www.bcu.ac.uk/about-us/corporate-information/environment-sustainability/waste-recycling
Phone no.: 0121 331 5000
What recycling objectives does Birmingham City University have?
The university is aiming to reduce waste generated every year by 1% and to boost recycling rates annually by 2% every year.
Here are some of the initiatives the university has rolled out:
- Waste Awareness Week
- Improved recycling bin signage ( cans and tins, plastic bottles, etc.,)
- Raising awareness for waste and the impact it has on the environment
- Reducing food waste
- A Waste and Resources task group
- And more
2. University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham is a ‘zero waste to landfill’ institution that prides itself in recycling 56% of all campus waste. The recycled materials are used to produce heat and power.
The university’s staff also recycles materials in the Green Machine and Big Green Machine. The materials are then collected by Biffa and taken to a recycling plant.
Address: Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT United Kingdom
Website: https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/campus-services/environmental-services/Our-Services/Mixed-Recycling-Scheme.aspx
Phone no.: 0121 414 3344
What kind of recycling services does the university offer?
- Cardboard recycling: Flattened cardboard will be removed by the University’s cleaning services and then taken to Biffa’s recycling plant.
- Paper recycling: Small amounts of paper should be placed in a mixed recycling bin. If you have large quantities of recyclable paper, the recycling team will arrange a temporary paper bin for you.
Glass recycling: Glass can be recycled across the university, including at the loading bay in the staff house, the biosciences basement, and recycling points in the student accommodation villages.