Banbury and Bicester homes put over 2,000 tonnes of glass in blue bins in under a year, and Cherwell is shortlisted for two national recycling awards.

Households across Cherwell have put more than 2,000 tonnes of glass bottles and jars into their blue bins since kerbside glass collections began in January. The district’s bottle banks took a further 484 tonnes on top.

The scheme has also put the council on the shortlist for two national awards.

The figures

Cherwell District Council published the totals on Thursday. It says the 2,000-tonne mark was reached “in less than a year” of kerbside collection.

  • More than 2,000 tonnes of glass collected from blue bins and recycling sacks since January 2026
  • 484 tonnes more from bottle banks
  • Two national award shortlistings

Glass went into the blue bin for the first time on 1 January 2026. Before that, Banbury and Bicester households had to take bottles and jars to a bottle bank.

The awards

The council says its Environmental Services team is shortlisted for the MRW National Recycling Awards 2026 in two categories:

  • Campaign of the Year
  • Local Authority Success

According to the council, the entries cover the publicity campaign that helped residents adjust to the change, and the “significant operational transformation” needed to deliver the new service. The winners will be announced at a ceremony in London on 1 December.

Cllr Alisa Russell, the council’s portfolio holder for neighbourhood services, said: “We were delighted to introduce kerbside glass recycling collections at the start of the year, and recycling over 2,000 tonnes in such a short space of time is a fantastic achievement.”

She thanked residents “for embracing this initiative”.

What it means for you

The council’s glass recycling page sets out the rules. In short:

  • Yes: glass bottles of any colour and glass jars. Rinse them. Labels and lids can stay on.
  • No: Pyrex and oven dishes, drinking and wine glasses, crockery, light bulbs, window panes, mirrors and broken glass.
  • Broken glass should be wrapped securely and put in the general waste bin.
  • Do not leave extra glass beside a full blue bin, even in a cardboard box. It will not be collected. Keep it until the next collection.

Bottle banks “will be removed gradually”, the council says, with a small number kept for now for on-the-go recycling.

Not sure which week is yours? Our Banbury bin collection days page explains how to check, and the Christmas bin collections page will carry the festive changes once the council publishes them.

We will report the award results after 1 December.