What goes in your bins | Household waste and recycling

Your household wheeled bins take different kinds of waste.

Putting the right rubbish in the right bin helps us to recycle properly. Each household has 3 bins:

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

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 and pet waste plastic bags polystyrene light bulbs, but not fluorescent bulbs glassware such as Pyrex and mirrors sanitary products nappies cooked and uncooked food vegetable peelings meat and bones egg shells plate scrapings teabags and coffee grounds food waste may be wrapped in newspaper or kitchen paper towels

Putting waste in the wrong bin can increase the cost of waste disposal. The table below lists items most commonly put into the wrong bin by mistake.

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

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.

Bulky waste is collected separately.