What goes in your bins | Household waste and recycling

Your household bins take different kinds of waste. Putting waste in the right bin helps us to recycle properly, but putting it in the wrong bin can increase the cost of waste disposal.

It's important to remember:

your blue wheeled bin is for recyclable waste
your green or grey wheeled bin is for non-recyclable waste, and food waste if we've not yet delivered a food bin to your household
your brown wheeled bin is for garden waste, if you've subscribed to our garden waste collection service
your food bin, when delivered, is for food waste only

If your blue bin is full, we will collect extra recycling if:

your blue bin is left out for collection as usual, with your extra recycling next to it
your extra recycling – except large boxes, glass and cans with sharp edges – is put in clear or white plastic bags
large cardboard boxes are flattened and placed next to your blue bin
glass items and cans with sharp edges are put in your blue bin, not in bags

We do not:

collect bins or bags with the wrong types of rubbish in them
provide plastic bags for extra recycling
collect any other bags, sacks or side waste that would normally go in your green/grey or brown bin

Our A to Z of recyclable waste can help you check which bin to put your waste in, as well as suggesting other ways to dispose of unwanted items.

What to put in your wheeled bins

Blue	Brown	Green or Grey
paper – newspapers, magazines, junk mail, loose shredded paper, envelopes phone directories and catalogues cardboard aerosols food tins drink cans and cartons plastic bottles plastic food trays and yoghurt pots Tetra Pak packaging glass bottles and jars, but no other types of glass	no compostable bags, bio-degradable bags or any kind of bag or sack grass cuttings prunings leaves cut flowers clean straw or hay branches under 10cm in diameter	general refuse pet waste plastic bags polystyrene light bulbs, but not fluorescent bulbs glassware such as Pyrex and mirrors sanitary products nappies If we've not yet delivered your food bin, put food waste in your green/grey bin, wrapped in newspaper or a kitchen paper towel.

Blue

Brown

Green or Grey

paper – newspapers, magazines, junk mail, loose shredded paper, envelopes
phone directories and catalogues
cardboard
aerosols
food tins
drink cans and cartons
plastic bottles
plastic food trays and yoghurt pots
Tetra Pak packaging
glass bottles and jars, but no other types of glass

no compostable bags, bio-degradable bags or any kind of bag or sack
grass cuttings
prunings
leaves
cut flowers
clean straw or hay
branches under 10cm in diameter

general refuse
pet waste
plastic bags
polystyrene
light bulbs, but not fluorescent bulbs
glassware such as Pyrex and mirrors
sanitary products
nappies

If we've not yet delivered your food bin, put food waste in your green/grey bin, wrapped in newspaper or a kitchen paper towel.

What to put in your food bin

Put food waste in a food caddy liner bag before putting the tied bag in your food bin. Food waste includes:

cooked and uncooked food
vegetable peelings
meat and bones
egg shells
plate scrapings
teabags and coffee grounds

What must not go in your wheeled bins

Blue	Brown	Green or Grey
plastic bags plastic wrap or film polystyrene light bulbs Pyrex and Vision cookware mirrors children's toys textiles or shoes garden waste food waste liquids	bags or sacks of any kind, including compostable or bio-degradable bags plastic of any kind soil or mud, even small amounts plant pots pet waste liquids metal food or drink cans glass bottles or jars textiles or shoes sanitary products nappies general refuse	electrical items such as microwaves, toasters and hairdryers fluorescent light bulbs recyclable waste textiles, including duvets and pillows garden waste soil or mud liquids, except bottled cooking oil DIY waste, such as rubble, bricks, plaster or tiles

What must not go in your food bin

Do not put loose food waste in your food bin. Put food waste in a food caddy liner bag before putting the tied bag in your food bin. Do not put in your food bin:

cans
glass
liquids
packaging, even if marked 'compostable' or 'degradable'

Bulky waste

Bulky waste is collected separately. There is a charge for bulky waste collections.