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For applications to place a structure/equipment within the highway, please see: Information and guidance and Apply for a structure licence.
Disposal Guidance for Sandbags and FloodSax
Sandbags and FloodSax are only accepted at Mountsorrel and Kibworth Recycling and Household Waste Sites (RHWS). They will not be accepted at any other waste sites.
Residents should speak to a member of site staff before disposing of these items.
- Sandbags – empty the sand into the inert waste bins and place the empty sacks into the residual waste bins
- FloodSax must be placed directly into the residual waste bins at Mountsorrel or Kibworth RHWS
- Do not place any used FloodSax in household black (residual) bins at home
- Do not place FloodSax down any drain
Sandbags and FloodSax contaminated with oils or fuels are hazardous waste and cannot be accepted at any RHWS.
RHWS Charges
Sandbags and FloodSax are classed as construction and demolition waste, not household waste.
They are accepted free of charge within the DIY waste allowance (up to 2 items per week). Any items above this allowance are charged at £3 per bag. This charge does not cover the full cost of disposal, particularly for FloodSax.
Keeping dogs under control in the countryside
Many public footpaths and rights of way pass through working farmland where livestock, horses and wildlife are present. When enjoying the countryside, dog owners must follow the Countryside Code.
Please remember:
• Keep dogs under effective control and in sight at all times
• Use a short lead around livestock, horses, and wildlife
• Never allow dogs to chase animals, even in play
• Follow local signs – some areas require dogs to be on leads
• Bag and bin dog poo, or take it home
During lambing season, sheep and lambs are especially vulnerable. Even calm dogs can cause serious harm through stress or chasing. Please keep dogs on a short lead and stay strictly on public paths at this time.
Dogs worrying livestock can cause injury, death, and significant distress to farmers. In serious cases, farmers may be legally permitted to take action to protect their animals.
By following the Countryside Code, we can all help keep people, animals, and dogs safe while enjoying our local countryside.
Composting workshops
Find out about future composting workshops. These workshops are free and open to any Leicestershire resident who is keen to start composting at home or wanting to further their knowledge. Please share this information with colleagues, friends and family who are Leicestershire residents.
Battery recycling campaign
We need your help to reduce the risk of serious fires by encouraging battery recycling. Where possible, please raise awareness of the following key messages:
- Always recycle batteries and electrical items separately from other types of waste.
- Batteries and unwanted electrical items should not go into kerbside recycling collections, unless there is a dedicated separate kerbside collection service for these items – please check with your local district council.
- Find suitable recycling points near you.
- Recycle your batteries and electrical items at Recycling and Household Waste Sites across Leicestershire.
More and more everyday items such as children’s toys, wireless headphones, mobile phones, laptops, electric toothbrushes and disposable vapes contain non-removable batteries. These batteries can become crushed or damaged in bin lorries or at waste sites if they are not recycled appropriately and can lead to fires which are hazardous, environmentally harmful and which cause costly damage and disruption to waste systems and infrastructure.
When crushed or damaged, lithium-ion batteries can be especially dangerous to the public, waste operators and firefighters as they cause fires that are very challenging to tackle. They can lead to explosions and chemical exposure. Once ablaze these batteries can keep reigniting; prolonging incidents with smoke and fumes affecting the air quality of neighbouring areas and communities, sometime for long periods of time.
As the rise of portable battery-powered devices leads to more lithium-ion batteries ending up in the bin, the number of fires caused by batteries in waste has increased accordingly:
- There were 700 fires caused by batteries in the UK waste system in 2022, and 1,200 in 2023 an increase of 71%.
- 1.6 billion batteries were thrown away in the UK over the last year; over 3,000 a minute, including over 1.1 billion electrical items containing hidden lithium-ion batteries.
- The National Fire Chiefs Council says that “Fires involving lithium-ion batteries are a disaster waiting to happen”.
Research by Material Focus (an environmental campaign group) revealed that last year, UK residents binned at least 24 batteries per year on average, including 15 electrical items containing batteries and nine loose batteries per year. This included 260 million disposable vapes.
Nearly half of the UK adults involved in this research did not know or had not heard that electrical items containing chargeable built-in batteries can catch fire if crushed or damaged, or that these batteries / electrical items therefore need to be disposed of or recycled separately to other types of waste.
Find out more information about never binning batteries and how to recycle them safely from Less Waste.
If you have any queries, please contact wasteprevention@leics.gov.uk