What goes in which colour bin?
What each colour holds in the 49 councils we have checked that state their bin colours.
There is no standard bin colour in the UK. The same colour holds different things in different councils. In the 49 councils we have checked that state their bin colours, green is used for garden waste in 18, recycling in 17, food waste in 11, general rubbish in 10, glass in 1 and paper and card in 1. So the colour alone cannot tell you what goes in a bin. Your council's own guidance can, and the lists below show what it says for each council we have checked.
Taken from the container descriptions in the published guidance of the 51 councils we have checked, 49 of which state their bin colours. Each council's page here links to its source. Guidance last checked between May 2026 and September 2026.
What colour is each kind of bin?
Number of councils using each colour, out of the 49 that state their bin colours:
- Recycling: blue in 20, green in 17, black in 7, brown in 4, orange in 4, red in 3, purple in 3 and grey in 2.
- Food waste: green in 11, brown in 9, grey in 5 and black in 1.
- Garden waste: brown in 20, green in 18 and black in 1.
- Glass: green in 1, blue in 1 and purple in 1.
- Paper and card: blue in 11, black in 2, green in 1, red in 1 and purple in 1.
- General rubbish: black in 23, green in 10, grey in 8, red in 2, purple in 2, blue in 1, brown in 1 and orange in 1.
A council that uses more than one colour for the same kind of waste is counted under each colour, so the numbers for one kind of waste can add up to more than the number of councils. Bins, boxes, bags, caddies and sacks all count.
What goes in a black bin?
In the 49 councils we have checked that state their bin colours, black is used for general rubbish in 23, recycling in 7, paper and card in 2, food waste in 1 and garden waste in 1.
Black for general rubbish: 23 councils
- Bexley: black sack for non-recyclable rubbish
- Bristol: black bin for household rubbish
- Bromley: black sack for non-recyclable refuse
- Cambridge: black bin for non-recyclable and non-compostable material (every home)
- Central Bedfordshire: black bin for household waste
- Cheshire East: black bin for general household waste (every home)
- City of Edinburgh: black bin for items you cannot recycle
- City of Edinburgh: black sack for non-recyclable waste
- Derby: black bin for general household waste
- Greenwich: black bin for general waste (every home)
- Greenwich: black bag for general waste
- Havering: black sack for general household waste
- Hounslow: black bin for things you can't recycle (every home)
- Lambeth: black bin for rubbish
- Leeds: black bin for general household waste (every home)
- Leicester: black bin for general waste
- Lewisham: black or blue bin for rubbish that can't be recycled
- Manchester: grey or black bin for general waste
- Merton: black bin for non-recyclable household waste
- Milton Keynes: black bin for waste that can't be recycled (every home)
- North Somerset: black bin for rubbish
- Portsmouth: black bin for rubbish
- Redbridge: black bin for domestic waste
- Redbridge: black sack for rubbish
- Sheffield: black bin for general household rubbish (every home)
- South Cambridgeshire: black bin for non-recyclable and non-compostable material (every home)
Black for recycling: 7 councils
- Bexley: black box for glass bottles and jars
- Brighton and Hove: black box for glass bottles and jars
- Bristol: black box for glass, batteries and small electrical items
- East Hampshire: black bin for recycling (every home)
- North Somerset: green or black box for glass, paper, cardboard, cartons, soft plastic
- Richmond upon Thames: black box for plastics, cans and bottles
- Tameside: black bin for recycling: plastic bottles, pots, cans, glass (every home)
Black for paper and card: 2 councils
Black for food waste: 1 council
- County Durham: black caddy for food waste (every home)
What goes in a green bin?
In the 49 councils we have checked that state their bin colours, green is used for garden waste in 18, recycling in 17, food waste in 11, general rubbish in 10, glass in 1 and paper and card in 1.
Green for garden waste: 18 councils
- Bolton: green bin for food and garden waste (every home)
- Brent: green bin for garden waste
- Bristol: green bin for garden waste (every home)
- Cambridge: green bin for food and garden waste (every home)
- Cheshire East: brown or green bin for garden and food waste
- Greenwich: green bin for food and garden waste
- Havering: green bin for garden waste (every home)
- Islington: green or brown sack for garden waste
- Leicester: green bin for garden waste (every home)
- Liverpool: green bin for garden waste (every home)
- Manchester: green bin for food and garden waste (every home)
- Milton Keynes: green bin for food and garden waste
- North Somerset: green bin (garden) for garden waste
- Reading: green bin for grass, hedge cuttings, leaves and plants (every home)
- Redbridge: green sack for garden waste
- Richmond upon Thames: green bin for garden waste
- South Cambridgeshire: green bin for food and garden waste (every home)
- Tower Hamlets: green bag for garden waste (every home)
Green for recycling: 17 councils
- Bexley: green bin (white lid) for plastic packaging, glass, cans and cartons
- Birmingham: green bin for paper and card
- Birmingham: green box for plastic, metal and glass
- Bristol: green box for plastic, cans and foil
- Bromley: green box for plastics, cans, glass and cartons
- Bromley: green bin for plastics, cans and glass
- Central Bedfordshire: green bin for dry recycling
- City of Edinburgh: green bin for mixed recycling
- City of Edinburgh: green sack for dry mixed recycling
- Islington: green box for mixed recycling
- Lambeth: green bin for paper, card, glass, plastic, cans and cartons
- Leeds: green bin for recycling
- Lewisham: green bin for recycling
- Newham: green bin (orange lid) for recycling
- North Lanarkshire: green bin for glass, metals, plastics and cartons (every home)
- North Somerset: green or black box for glass, paper, cardboard, cartons, soft plastic
- Plymouth: green bin for recycling
- Portsmouth: green bin for recycling
- Rochdale: green bin (blue lid) for mixed recycling (every home)
- Somerset: green box for glass bottles and jars, and cartons
Green for food waste: 11 councils
- Bolton: green bin for food and garden waste (every home)
- Brent: green caddy for food waste
- Cambridge: green bin for food and garden waste (every home)
- Derby: green caddy for food waste (every home)
- Greenwich: green bin for food and garden waste
- Hounslow: green bin for food waste (every home)
- Manchester: green bin for food and garden waste (every home)
- Milton Keynes: green bin for food and garden waste
- North Somerset: green bin (food waste) for food waste
- Richmond upon Thames: green box for food waste
- South Cambridgeshire: green bin for food and garden waste (every home)
Green for general rubbish: 10 councils
- Bexley: green bin (green lid) for non-recyclable rubbish
- Coventry: green bin for rubbish (every home)
- East Hampshire: green bin for refuse (every home)
- Newcastle upon Tyne: green bin for household waste (every home)
- Newham: green bin (rubbish) for household rubbish
- North Tyneside: green bin for household rubbish (every home)
- Rochdale: green bin (dark green) for general waste (every home)
- Southwark: green bin for general household waste
- Tameside: green bin for general waste (refuse)
- Wakefield: green bin for general household waste (every home)
Green for glass: 1 council
- Hounslow: green box for glass bottles and jars (every home)
What goes in a blue bin?
In the 49 councils we have checked that state their bin colours, blue is used for recycling in 20, paper and card in 11, glass in 1 and general rubbish in 1.
Blue for recycling: 20 councils
- Birmingham: blue bin for recycling; paper and card in the pod
- Birmingham: blue box for cardboard and paper
- Brent: blue bin for mixed recycling
- Bristol: blue bag for cardboard, paper and cartons
- Buckinghamshire: blue bin for all recycling (Aylesbury Vale)
- Cambridge: blue bin for recyclable materials (every home)
- County Durham: blue bin for recycling (every home)
- Coventry: blue bin for recycling (every home)
- Derby: blue bin for dry recycling
- Glasgow: blue bin for paper, card and cardboard
- Greenwich: blue bin for dry recyclable items
- Liverpool: blue bin for recycling (every home)
- Manchester: blue bin for paper and card
- Merton: blue bag for recycling
- Milton Keynes: blue bin for glass, metal and plastic
- Newcastle upon Tyne: blue bin for recycling (every home)
- Sandwell: blue bin for glass, cans, tins and plastics
- Sheffield: blue bin for paper and card
- Somerset: blue bag for plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays
- South Cambridgeshire: blue bin for recyclable materials (every home)
- Southwark: blue bin for recycling
Blue for paper and card: 11 councils
- Bexley: blue bin for paper and cardboard
- Brent: blue sack for paper and cardboard
- Bromley: blue bin for paper and card
- City of Edinburgh: blue bin for paper recycling
- Hounslow: blue box for card and paper (every home)
- Merton: blue bin for paper and card
- North Lanarkshire: blue bin for paper, card and cardboard (every home)
- Richmond upon Thames: blue box for mixed paper and cardboard
- Rochdale: blue bin for paper and cardboard (every home)
- Sandwell: blue bag for paper, cardboard and cartons
- Tameside: blue bin for paper, cardboard and drinks cartons (every home)
Blue for glass: 1 council
- East Hampshire: blue bin for glass (shared accommodation only)
Blue for general rubbish: 1 council
- Lewisham: black or blue bin for rubbish that can't be recycled
What goes in a brown bin?
In the 49 councils we have checked that state their bin colours, brown is used for garden waste in 20, food waste in 9, recycling in 4 and general rubbish in 1.
Brown for garden waste: 20 councils
- Bexley: brown bin for garden waste (every home)
- Cheshire East: brown or green bin for garden and food waste
- City of Edinburgh: brown bin for gardening waste (every home)
- Coventry: brown bin for garden waste (every home)
- Derby: brown bin for garden waste (every home)
- East Hampshire: brown bin for garden waste (every home)
- Glasgow: brown bin for garden and food waste (every home)
- Hounslow: brown bin for garden waste (every home)
- Islington: green or brown sack for garden waste
- Leeds: brown bin for garden waste (every home)
- Lewisham: brown bin for garden waste (every home)
- Merton: brown bin for garden waste
- Newcastle upon Tyne: brown bin for garden waste (every home)
- North Lanarkshire: brown bin for food and garden waste (every home)
- Nottingham: brown bin (brown lid) for garden waste (every home)
- Portsmouth: brown bin for garden waste (every home)
- Rochdale: brown bin for food and garden waste (every home)
- Southwark: brown bin for garden waste (every home)
- Tameside: brown bin for food and garden waste (every home)
- Wakefield: brown bin (garden) for garden waste (every home)
Brown for food waste: 9 councils
- Bexley: brown box for food waste
- Bristol: brown bin for food waste (every home)
- Glasgow: brown bin for garden and food waste (every home)
- North Lanarkshire: brown bin for food and garden waste (every home)
- Rochdale: brown bin for food and garden waste (every home)
- Sandwell: brown bin for food waste
- Somerset: brown bin for food waste
- Somerset: brown caddy for food waste
- Southwark: brown caddy for food waste
- Tameside: brown bin for food and garden waste (every home)
Brown for recycling: 4 councils
- Manchester: brown bin for metal, glass and hard plastic containers
- Nottingham: brown bin (grey lid) for recycling (every home)
- Sheffield: brown bin for glass, cans, plastics, cartons and aerosols
- Wakefield: brown bin (recycling) for plastic, cans, cartons, glass, paper and card (every home)
Brown for general rubbish: 1 council
- Plymouth: brown bin for general waste
What goes in a grey bin?
In the 49 councils we have checked that state their bin colours, grey is used for general rubbish in 8, food waste in 5 and recycling in 2.
Grey for general rubbish: 8 councils
- Birmingham: grey bin for household waste
- Bolton: grey bin for general waste (every home)
- Brent: grey bin for general rubbish
- City of Edinburgh: grey bin for non recyclable waste
- Manchester: grey or black bin for general waste
- North Lanarkshire: grey bin for waste that cannot be recycled (every home)
- Reading: grey bin for general rubbish
- Sandwell: grey bin for non-recycling
Grey for food waste: 5 councils
- City of Edinburgh: grey caddy for cooked and uncooked food
- County Durham: grey caddy for food waste
- Derby: grey caddy for kitchen food waste
- Lewisham: grey bin for food waste (every home)
- Plymouth: grey caddy for food waste
Grey for recycling: 2 councils
- Glasgow: grey bin for plastics, metals, cartons and film
- North Tyneside: grey bin for recycling
What goes in a red bin?
In the 49 councils we have checked that state their bin colours, red is used for recycling in 3, general rubbish in 2 and paper and card in 1.
Red for recycling: 3 councils
- Hounslow: red box for plastic and metal cans (every home)
- North Somerset: red bag for plastic bottles, tubs, cans, foil
- Reading: red bin for recycling
Red for paper and card: 1 council
- Milton Keynes: red bin for paper and cardboard
What goes in a purple bin?
In the 49 councils we have checked that state their bin colours, purple is used for recycling in 3, general rubbish in 2, glass in 1 and paper and card in 1.
Purple for recycling: 3 councils
- Glasgow: purple bin for glass bottles and jars
- Merton: purple bag for recycling, paper and card
- Tower Hamlets: purple bin for recycling
Purple for general rubbish: 2 councils
Purple for glass: 1 council
- City of Edinburgh: purple bin for glass recycling
Purple for paper and card: 1 council
- Merton: purple bag for recycling, paper and card
What goes in a orange bin?
In the 49 councils we have checked that state their bin colours, orange is used for recycling in 4 and general rubbish in 1.
Orange for recycling: 4 councils
- Central Bedfordshire: orange bin for dry recycling
- Havering: orange sack for recycling
- Leicester: orange bag for recycling
- Newham: orange bag for recycling
Orange for general rubbish: 1 council
- Lewisham: orange sack for general household waste
How to read these lists
A council is listed under a colour when its own guidance describes a container of that colour for that kind of waste. “Every home” marks the one container the council gives every home for the whole of that kind of waste. Without it, the guidance does not tie that waste to one container of one colour for every home: the council may use more than one container for it, give some homes a different one, or describe the bin as one of two colours. Check its page for your home. Containers with no colour we can show, such as clear sacks, are not listed.
The guidance we checked for Camden and Northumberland does not state a container colour, so those councils are not in the lists.
These are the councils BinBosh has checked, not the whole UK. If yours is not here, its own website is the place to look, and the councils we cover are listed on our recycling page. For what can be recycled at all, whatever the colour, see what can I recycle.
Find out which bin goes out, and when
Enter your postcode to see your street's collection days and get a reminder the night before.
Frequently asked questions
Are bin colours the same everywhere in the UK?
No. The same colour holds different things in different councils. In the 49 councils we have checked that state their bin colours, green is used for garden waste in 18, recycling in 17, food waste in 11, general rubbish in 10, glass in 1 and paper and card in 1. Check your own council's guidance before you sort.
What goes in a green bin?
It depends on your council. In the 49 councils we have checked that state their bin colours, green is used for garden waste in 18, recycling in 17, food waste in 11, general rubbish in 10, glass in 1 and paper and card in 1. Find your council in the green list on this page to see what its green container holds.
What goes in a brown bin?
It depends on your council. In the 49 councils we have checked that state their bin colours, brown is used for garden waste in 20, food waste in 9, recycling in 4 and general rubbish in 1. Find your council in the brown list on this page to see what its brown container holds.
What goes in a blue bin?
It depends on your council. In the 49 councils we have checked that state their bin colours, blue is used for recycling in 20, paper and card in 11, glass in 1 and general rubbish in 1. Find your council in the blue list on this page to see what its blue container holds.
What goes in a black bin?
It depends on your council. In the 49 councils we have checked that state their bin colours, black is used for general rubbish in 23, recycling in 7, paper and card in 2, food waste in 1 and garden waste in 1. Find your council in the black list on this page to see what its black container holds.
What goes in a grey bin?
It depends on your council. In the 49 councils we have checked that state their bin colours, grey is used for general rubbish in 8, food waste in 5 and recycling in 2. Find your council in the grey list on this page to see what its grey container holds.
What colour is the general rubbish bin?
There is no single colour. In the 49 councils we have checked that state their bin colours, the general rubbish container is black in 23, green in 10, grey in 8, red in 2, purple in 2, blue in 1, brown in 1 and orange in 1. A council that uses more than one colour for it is counted under each.
What colour is the recycling bin?
There is no single colour. In the 49 councils we have checked that state their bin colours, the recycling container is blue in 20, green in 17, black in 7, brown in 4, orange in 4, red in 3, purple in 3 and grey in 2. A council that uses more than one colour for it is counted under each.
Written by Dan Dadovic, founder of BinBosh and a PhD candidate in Information Sciences at the Faculty of Organization and Informatics, University of Zagreb.
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