Raise the rate
We’re on a mission to improve the district’s current recycling rate of 44.6%* but we need help. We need you to use your bin-fluence for good and make sure the right things are going in the right bins.
You can find some useful links below to get you started alongside some FAQ’s about the recycling rate itself.
Find out why recycling is important
View our A-Z guide for recycling and waste
See what you can recycle from home
Find out how to recycle an Item
Book a trip to the household waste and recycling centre
Paper and card FAQ’s
The paper and card goes into the same lorry as the recycling so why do I need to separate it?
As part of our collection service, paper and card needs to be separated from other recyclables. This is because the paper and card you recycle at home goes directly to a paper mill in Snodland. Although it looks like the paper and card is going into the same lorry, there are two separate compartments one for general recycling and one specifically for paper and card.
Why do we need to separate the paper and card from the other recycling?
The paper and card you recycle at home needs to be separated to ensure it is successfully recycled. If paper and card is mixed in with other waste streams, including glass bottles, tins and plastics then the mix will be contaminated and neither the plastics, glass and tin or the paper and card will be recycled.
It is very important that you present your paper and card within your black box and not within your purple lidded recycling bin.
What happens to the paper and card?
Once your paper and card is picked up at the kerbside, is it taken to a paper mill in Snodland. See video below to show the recycling journey of paper and card.
How can I order a new paper and card box?
You can order a new paper and card black box by going to New or replacement bins | Folkestone & Hythe District Council
Recycling rate FAQ’s
What is meant by the term recycling rate?
The recycling rate is the percentage (by weight) of all the waste and recyclable material collected by the council that is able to be sent for recycling
What is the recycling rate for FHDC?
The 2022/23 recycling rate for Folkestone & Hythe District Council is 44.6%. This means that just under half of all the district’s waste is recycled. The recycling rate for 2023/24 is in the process of being confirmed
How is the recycling rate calculated?
The recycling rate is calculated by measuring the total waste generated by households in the district then subtracting the weight of material that was able to be recycled. A mini example of this would be, if a household generated 30kgs of waste over a week period and 15kgs of that waste was recycled, the recycling rate would be 50%.
Each month we are provided with tonnage information which shows how much waste has been generated against how much of that waste was recycled. We are able to work out a percentage for each month. Over the course of a year period, starting in April and finishing in March the following year, we work out our recycling rate by calculating the average percentage throughout the year.
How do we measure the recycling rate?
The recycling rate is measured by weight. Once your waste is collected at the kerbside, the collection vehicle will take the waste to a designated ‘waste transfer station’. The collection vehicle is weighed upon arrival and the weight of the vehicle is recorded. The weight of the vehicle without any waste inside it has already been recorded so that only the waste within the vehicle is being weighed. The weights are recorded at the waste transfer station and sent to Kent County Council who then provide Folkestone & Hythe District Council with the information.
How can we improve the recycling rate?
To improve the recycling rate, it requires all recyclable waste to be put in the correct containers. By ensuring that you are separating your waste and recyclable waste correctly, the recycling rate will rise. For example, if you were to put all your waste within your refuse wheeled bin or purple sacks, the recycling rate would be 0% as none of the waste is being made available to be recycled. That is why it is very important to ensure you separate your household waste and recyclables as much as possible.
*2022/2023 rate