We take recycling and caring for our environment seriously, explore how we are reducing waste, increasing recycling rates and promoting a cleaner, greener community.
Recycling and general waste
We are proud that nothing is sent to landfill from Tonbridge and Malling. Everyone's hardwork means we have one of the best recycling rates in Kent. Making sure as much of your waste as possible gets recycled or reused can help us do even better and minimise the impact waste has on our environment.
We have comprehensive list of what you can recycle in Tonbridge and Malling. See the Recycling A to Z.
Did you know, household recycling is so successful this has prompted a decision to remove bottles, cans and plastic banks from collection points across the borough? This helps save a bit of money too!
Food waste
Tonbridge borough residents recycled 2,755 tons of food waste in Tonbridge and Malling in 2023.
All food waste across Kent gets sent to an anaerobic digester, right here in our borough, It converts the food we don’t use into:
- green energy sources - which creates enough energy to power the processing plant and up to 3,600 homes
- organic fertiliser - used on Kent farms to grow our crops
Garden waste collections
Those who love nothing more than getting out to the garden can take up our garden waste collection service, let us take away all your weeds, twigs and cuttings for less than a pound a week.
Community litter picks
Did you know, you can organise you own litter pick? We have a dedicated community who want to help us keep their borough clean.
We can provide you with litter picking equipment for both adults and children including high viz tabards, handi-hoops, branded sacks and litter pickers. We strongly encourage our wonderful volunteers to separate the recyclable litter they collect to place in their home green-lidded bins. All other non-recyclable waste can be placed in your black bin. For larger organised groups we will happily collect the rubbish from a pre-agreed location with our street teams contractors from Urbaser.
Bin your butts
Cigarette butt littering is a huge issue across England, accounting for 66 per cent of all litter and costing local authorities a huge amount of money to clear up. Butts pollute the environment, watercourses, and marine environments, taking up to 14 years to breakdown.
We have rolled out a scheme to target cigarette littering in settings where smokers tend to gather.
Greener trucks
A joint service provided by Tonbridge and Malling and Tunbridge Wells councils saw a new fleet of trucks take to the road which use less polluting biofuels with much lower carbon emissions.
Solar panels at our leisure centres
To help our drive to become carbon neutral, solar panels have been installed at two of our leisure centres, Larkfield and most recently Tonbridge Swimming Pool, allow the centres to generate their own renewable electricity, saving an estimated 35 tonnes of carbon emmissions per year.
River Medway clean up
Taking place regularly, the River Medway in Tonbridge is lowered to allow volunteers from across Sussex and Kent to scour 6km of river by kayak for rubbish and then sort it for recycling. Teams have seen over 50kg waste collected during the last clean up, this included everyday iteams such as plastic bottles to office heaters, school book and even a garden gate!
The next clean is due to take place in Spring 2024.
Roadshows and schools
Our rubbish and recycling team has hosted a series of roadshows where you can come along and talk to them about your waste and recycling services, and how it can make a big difference to the environment.
We also encourage schools, voluntary or community groups to come and talk to us and would welcome the opportunity to visit you. If you would like us to come and visit you or you have any questions, please get in touch.
Training and grants
Local organisations can benefit from a number of community and business grants throughout the year, from helping to improve knowledge around carbon literacy and green energy solutions to programmes to enhance shop fronts and signage
Enforcement
Specialist teams get tough on littering
We currently has approximately 1,150 public litter bins across the borough and more than 600 dog waste bins. There is no excuse for littering in our borough.
People who drop litter in Tonbridge and Malling will face fines of up to £150 as part of a borough-wide drive to reduce rubbish on the streets of towns and villages.
Fly-tippers and litter bugs to face heftier fines