Recycling rules for Bolton
Based on Bolton published guidance · Last verified September 2026
Something wrong or out of date? Tell us
Here's what currently goes in each bin in Bolton.
Search what goes in your bins →Quick answers for Bolton
Polystyrene: Not accepted in Bolton's paper & card bin
Cardboard: Goes in your paper & card bin
Extra: neatly folded, next to your full bin.
Glass bottles and jars: Goes in your recycling bin
No lids.
Food waste: Bolton has a separate food waste collection
Takes raw and cooked meat and fish, raw and cooked fruit and vegetables, leftovers from your plate and more.
Tins and cans: Goes in your recycling bin
Aerosols: Goes in your recycling bin
Your bins in Bolton, by colour
Green bin
Food and garden waste
Green is the food waste colour in 23 of the 74 councils with a checked food waste colour.
Green is the garden waste colour in 58 of the 141 councils with a checked garden waste colour.
Food may go in a green food waste container instead (collected weekly)
What goes in the food waste bin →What goes in the garden waste bin →
Grey bin
General waste
Grey is the general rubbish colour in 22 of the 100 councils with a checked general rubbish colour.
Extra capacity: request a waste audit; £36 charge if approved
What goes in each bin
Recycling
Accepted
Plastics
- Plastic pots · E.g. yoghurt, soup, cosmetics · Symbol guide
- Plastic tubs · E.g. margarine, laundry powder, chocolates
- Plastic trays, including black plastic trays · E.g. raw and cooked meat, fruit and veg punnets
- Plastic bottles · E.g. milk, pop, bleach, shampoo, trigger sprays
Glass
- Glass bottles and jars · No lids · Symbol guide
Metals
- Food tins and drinks cans · Symbol guide
- Metal tubes · E.g. tomato puree, personal care tubes
- Aerosols · UK basics
- Foil · UK basics
Not accepted
Common mistakes
- Food and drink cartons (Tetra Pak) → goes in Paper & Card · Listed for the beige bin (paper and card) · Symbol guide
Tips (14)
- • Collected every two weeks
- • Out by 7am on collection day
- • Rinse items before binning
- • No lids on glass jars/bottles
- • Black plastic trays accepted
- • Trigger spray bottles accepted
- • Foil and aerosols accepted
- • No crisp packets
- • No plastic film or bags
- • No pet food pouches
- • Lid must be closed
- • No side bags: not collected
- • Extra? Add after bin emptied
- • Cartons go in the beige bin
Food Waste
Accepted
- Raw and cooked meat and fish · Including bones
- Raw and cooked fruit and vegetables
- Leftovers from your plate
- Rice, pasta and beans
- Bread, cake and pastries
- Cheese and eggs · Including egg shells
- Tea bags and coffee grounds
Not accepted
- Liquids such as milk and cooking oils
- Plastic bags
- Plastic food packaging
- Glass
- Rubble
- Turf and ash
- Soil and stone
- Dog and cat faeces
- Cat litter
- Rubbish and recycling meant for other bins
Tips (13)
- • Container collected weekly
- • Green bin or food container
- • Out by 7am on collection day
- • Lid must be closed
- • Raw and cooked meat accepted
- • Bones are accepted
- • Egg shells are accepted
- • Plate leftovers accepted
- • Tea bags and coffee grounds ok
- • No liquids, milk or oil
- • No plastic bags
- • No plastic food packaging
- • Made into compost in 6 weeks
Garden Waste
Accepted
- Flowers and plants
- Leaves from the garden
- Grass cuttings and hedge clippings
- Twigs and small branches
- Hay and straw pet bedding · E.g. rabbits and guinea pigs
Not accepted
- Liquids such as milk and cooking oils
- Plastic bags
- Plastic food packaging
- Glass
- Rubble
- Turf and ash
- Soil and stone
- Dog and cat faeces
- Cat litter
- Rubbish and recycling meant for other bins
Tips (14)
- • Collected every two weeks
- • Out by 7am on collection day
- • Lid must be closed
- • No side bags: not collected
- • Food waste goes in it too
- • Grass and hedge clippings ok
- • Twigs and small branches ok
- • Hay/straw pet bedding ok
- • No turf, soil or stones
- • No rubble, glass or ash
- • No dog or cat faeces
- • No cat litter
- • No plastic bags
- • Extra green bin: annual fee
Paper & Card
Accepted
Paper & Card
- Paper and newspapers · Symbol guide
- Magazines and catalogues
- Books
- Cardboard · Extra: neatly folded, next to your full bin
- Card packaging
- Greetings cards
- Wrapping paper · Not foil based
- Envelopes and mail
- Junk mail
Other
- Food and drink cartons (Tetra Pak)
Not accepted
- Plastic bags
- Polystyrene · UK basics
- Wrapping film
- Paper tissues and paper towels
- Rubbish and recycling meant for other bins
Common mistakes
- Glass bottles and jars → goes in Recycling · Burgundy bin (no lids), not the beige bin
- Food and drink cans → goes in Recycling · Burgundy bin (food tins and drinks cans)
- Garden waste → goes in Garden Waste · Green bin, not the beige bin
- Food waste → goes in Food Waste · Green bin or green food waste container
Tips (15)
- • Collected every four weeks
- • Out by 7am on collection day
- • Lid must be closed
- • Fold extra card by full bin
- • Side card: not bagged/wrapped
- • Side card must fit in the bin
- • Keep side card dry and secure
- • Cartons (Tetra Pak) accepted
- • Books are accepted
- • No foil wrapping paper
- • No tissues or paper towels
- • No plastic bags or film
- • No polystyrene
- • No glass or cans: burgundy
- • Full? Ask for a waste audit
How Bolton compares
- Paper and card have their own container in Bolton, as in 53 of the 182 councils we have checked.
Food waste in Bolton
In Bolton’s own words (checked September 2026): “Food waste containers are collected once a week, and green bins are collected every two weeks.”
The government’s rule for England requires “weekly food waste collections for most homes, unless a transitional arrangement applies”. Read it on gov.uk
Which councils collect food waste weeklyAreas covered by Bolton
- Postcode districts all or nearly all in Bolton: BL1, BL3, BL4, BL5, BL6, BL11 and BL78.
- Postcode districts mostly in Bolton: BL2 (shared with Bury); BL7 (shared with Blackburn with Darwen).
- Postcode districts partly in Bolton: M26 (shared with Bury).
Built-up areas (ONS) with the most postcodes in Bolton: Bolton, Farnworth, Horwich, Westhoughton, Kearsley, Little Lever, Blackrod, Atherton, Wingates, Bottom o' th' Moor, Hunger Hill.
Shares count each district’s live postcodes; a district is listed where Bolton has at least 5% of them or 50. Built-up areas are ONS statistical areas, not a list from the council.
Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2025. Contains Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right 2025. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v.3.0. Council homepages: GOV.UK, Open Government Licence v3.0.
Next door
In Chorley the general rubbish bin is green and the garden waste bin is grey (availability: chargeable service); here the general rubbish bin is grey and the garden waste bin is green.
In Bury the garden waste and food waste bin is brown; here the garden waste and food waste bin is green.
In Salford the general rubbish bin is black; here the general rubbish bin is grey.
Neighbouring councils we have checked: Chorley, Bury, Salford.
When are bins collected in Bolton?
Bolton sets collection days by street: find your bin day, or browse neighbours’ schedules by postcode.
Bolton doesn't move bin collections for bank holidays, so your usual day stands. Christmas and New Year weeks can still differ, so check the council's site for those. Your neighbours can vote on the actual day on BinBosh if it changes.
No Bolton streets on BinBosh yet: add yours for neighbours to adopt.
How we checked this page
We checked this guidance against Bolton’s website in September 2026.
Source: Bolton council website, which has the latest updates. Bin colours are as the council publishes them; some homes get a different container.
Something wrong or out of date? Tell us
Every report goes to BinBosh’s owner, who checks it against the council’s own page.
Frequently asked questions
What colour are the bins in Bolton?
In Bolton the food waste and garden waste bin is green and the general rubbish bin is grey. Green is the food waste colour in 23 of the 74 councils with a checked food waste colour.
Where does glass go in Bolton?
Glass goes in the recycling bin in Bolton (“Glass bottles and jars”).
Does Bolton collect food waste, and how often?
In Bolton’s own words (checked September 2026): “Food waste containers are collected once a week, and green bins are collected every two weeks.”
Do bin collections change on bank holidays in Bolton?
Bolton doesn't move bin collections for bank holidays, so your usual day stands. Christmas and New Year weeks can still differ, so check the council's site for those.
What goes in the recycling bin in Bolton?
Bolton’s recycling bin takes “Plastic pots”, “Plastic tubs” and “Plastic trays, including black plastic trays”, among other things.
See the full recycling listWork for Bolton? See how BinBosh helps councils →
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