You'll find hundreds of waste disposal and recycling facilities for waterway users along our canals and rivers.
Simpler recycling
From Monday 31 March 2025, the government’s new ‘Simpler Recycling’ legislation came into effect, which applies to our customer service facilities.
It means most businesses now have to arrange separate collections for different types of waste. The biggest change is that food waste has to be separated from general waste and other recyclables. So, all our customer service points with waste facilities for boaters will now have to provide separate bins for:
Dry recyclables (paper, card, metal and plastics)
Glass
Food waste
General waste
The bins will have large stickers applied to show what sort of waste should go in each one.
This legislation will ensure that every site throughout England will now offer the same provision.
What should you expect?
We have been working with our waste contractors to ensure that as many of our sites as possible are ready to go and currently a fifth of all locations in England have received the majority of the new bins. Deliveries are continuing and you can expect to find more sites changing over the coming weeks. Unfortunately we know there is a delay to the roll-out of the food bins: delivery for the majority of these is currently scheduled for May.
Each bin has the relevant waste type printed on the front. The stickers are then being applied shortly after the new bins are delivered.
We ask you to bear with us during this transition which we will get through as quickly as possible. Take a little time to get the right waste in the right bins, and let us know if you are having difficulty using a site by reporting problems to our service teams. More information can be found below. The mixed recycling should be clean (i.e. tins and pots rinsed), and anything that still has food waste on it should go in with the general waste.
Bin bags
Black bin bags can only be used for general waste.
Mixed recycling should be placed in the appropriate bin either loose or in clear plastic bags only.
Food waste should be loose or in compostable bags (plant-based, not plastic).
The Simpler Recycling legislation does not change the current disposal methods for waste from separator toilets. For more information please see our website.
Like all organisations, we'll face financial penalties for waste that is not correctly separated. It's important that as much rubbish as possible goes in the right bin, so we really do need your help. It's vital that we all work together to keep these waste costs as low as possible, to ensure money doesn’t have to be diverted from the work to maintain our canals and rivers.
You can find all our waste facilities by zooming in on your location on the map below.
You can also find your nearest recycling facilities when you're out and about with www.recyclenow.com. Simply put in a postcode and it will tell you all about the facilities in the area.
Disposing of your rubbish
Store domestic rubbish securely onboard so that it can't be blown or knocked off into the water or onto the towpath. This is particularly true for empty solid fuel bags which frequently foul lock gate paddles and boat propellers.
Make sure any bin bags are tied securely so that they can't spill open.
Don't forget to close the bin lid after use. If bin compounds are accessed using one of our keys, remember to lock up when you've finished, as it helps prevent fly-tipping.
Don't dump it! If the bins are full don't leave your rubbish on the floor. Carry it with you on your journey to the next available waste disposal point.
Don't leave bagged rubbish next to a litter bin either, as it's not a collection point for household waste. Leaving bags next to a bin is also an invitation for animals to break into the bags looking for something to eat, spreading litter everywhere.
Choose your fender wisely
While natural rope fenders are available, most boats tend to have fenders made out of plastic, whether it's a balloon, pipe, cylindrical shape, corner, chubby, anchor or buoy. Unfortunately, whenever we drain a lock, we usually find a lot of lost fenders lurking at the bottom where they can block the lock mechanism and the propellers of passing boats.
A simple way to prevent your fenders adding to the plastic in the canal is to make sure you don't have them dangling when cruising, bow and stern fenders excepted. When your fenders are in use, normally only while moored up, ensure they are properly secured. Alternatively, why not consider changing to natural rope fenders?
