Check what you can put in your bins

Find out what you can put in each of your bins.

Recycling bin

Put these items in your blue-lidded recycling bin:

  • Glass bottles and jars – lids can be kept on
  • Food tins and drink cans
  • Clean paper, card and shredded paper
  • Plastic household bottles, food trays, containers and tubs
  • Aluminium foil and foil containers
  • Aerosol cans
  • Tetra Paks™ and other food cartons

Remember to empty and rinse out all food containers.

If you have cardboard that is too large to fit in your recycling sack, flat pack it and place it next to your recycling sacks. No polystyrene or plastic packaging should be in these boxes when packed flat.

Placing your recycling items loose in the bin, rather than in bags, allows for more items to fit in.

If the item you are looking for is not listed, please check if it can be placed in your other bins.

Food and garden bin

Put these items in your food and garden bin:

  • Garden waste
  • Meat, bones, fat and gristle
  • Fish and fish bones
  • Cooked and uncooked food waste
  • Shredded paper
  • House plants without plastic pots

Keep your green bin clean by lining the bin with:

  • Newspaper
  • Kitchen roll
  • Paper bags
  • Cardboard – large amounts of cardboard will result in the bin not being collected
  • Compostable bags – only use compostable bags with the registered compostable seedling logo

Do not use black plastic sacks or our clear recycling sacks, this will lead to your waste not being collected.

If the item you are looking for is not listed, please check what can be placed in your other bins.

General non-recyclable waste bin

Put these non-recyclable items in your black bin:

  • Plastic plant pots
  • Expanded polystyrene *
  • Food and drink pouches and crisp bags
  • Cat and dog waste and pet hutch waste
  • Disposable nappies
  • Incandescent light bulbs
  • Crockery
  • Plastic and wooden toys
  • Plastic coat hangers
  • Plastic plates
  • Laminated paper
  • Mugs and cups and drinking glasses
  • Tupperware containers
  • Used toothbrushes
  • Sweet wrappers
  • Old dishcloths
  • Used tissues
  • Toilet brushes
  • Empty make-up containers
  • Contents of vacuum cleaners

* Expanded Polystyrene is the only waste acceptable as side waste. If you put it in a bag clearly mark it as polystyrene.

If the item you are looking for is not listed, please check what can be placed in your other bins.

Small electrical items, batteries and textiles (WEEE)

We collect the following items every week:

  • Small waste electrical items
  • Low-energy light bulbs
  • Small household batteries
  • Vapes
  • Textiles
  • Paired shoes

Put the above in separate small carrier bags and leave them on top of your food and garden bin to be collected every week.

If the item you are looking for is not listed, please check what can be placed in your other bins.

Compost bin

If you have a compost bin at home, you can reduce the amount of waste needed to be processed elsewhere. Composting is a natural process that turns your food and garden waste into soil improver for your garden.

Love Essex – Find out about home composting

About your collections

Collections every week

We collect your food and garden waste in your green-lidded bin every week.

We also collect small waste electrical items, low-energy light bulbs, batteries, vapes, textiles and paired shoes every week. Put them in separate plastic carrier bags and leave them on top of your bin to be collected.

Alternate weekly collections

We collect your recycling in your blue-lidded recycling bin fortnightly.

We collect your general waste in your black bin fortnightly.

Your recycling collection alternates every week with your black bin collection. For example, your blue-lidded recycling bin is collected on one week and your black general waste bin the next.

This system is known as alternate weekly collections or AWC.

More information