Recycling rules for Bristol, City of
Based on Bristol, City of published guidance · Last verified May 2026
Under Simpler Recycling, councils across England are standardising collections. Here's what currently goes in each bin in Bristol, City of.
Search what goes in your bins →Recycling
Accepted
Glass
- Glass bottles and jars — Rinse — black box, lids in green box
Paper & Card
- Newspapers and magazines — Black box
- Paper and envelopes — Black box — not wrapping paper
- Shredded paper — In untied carrier bag — black box
- Cardboard — Blue bag — flatten, remove tape
- Brown paper — Blue bag
Plastics
- Plastic drinks bottles — Green box
- Plastic toiletry bottles — Green box — shampoo, shower gel
- Plastic cleaning bottles — Green box — bleach, washing up liquid
- Plastic yoghurt pots and tubs — Rinse — green box
- Plastic trays — Green box — meat, fruit, biscuit
Other
- Bottle tops, lids and caps — Green box — metal and plastic
- Food and drink cartons — Blue bag — includes Tetra Pak
Metals
- Food and drink cans — Rinse and squash — green box
- Foil and takeaway containers — Rinse and squash — green box
- Empty aerosol cans — Green box — without lids
Not accepted
- Black plastic — Machines can't sort black plastic
- Bubble wrap — Not recyclable kerbsideInstead: Reuse or put in black wheelie bin
- Carrier bags and soft plastics — Not recyclable kerbsideInstead: Take to supermarket for recycling
- Cling film — Not recyclable kerbsideInstead: Put in black wheelie bin
- Cellophane — Not recyclable kerbsideInstead: Put in black wheelie bin
- Crisp packets — Not recyclable kerbsideInstead: Put in black wheelie bin
- Hard plastics — Not recyclable kerbsideInstead: Take to recycling centre or charity shop
- Light bulbs — Contains hazardous materialsInstead: Take to recycling centre
- Polystyrene — Not recyclable kerbsideInstead: Put in black wheelie bin
- Broken glass — Safety hazardInstead: Wrap in paper, bag and label, black bin
- Coffee pods or capsules — Mixed materials
- Wrapping paper — Often contains non-recyclable coatings
- Bin liners and black bags — Contaminates recycling stream
- Soiled pizza boxes — Food grease contaminates cardboard
Common mistakes
- Coffee pods→ goes in General Waste — Mixed materials, not recyclable
- Window and drinking glass→ goes in General Waste — Different glass type to bottles
- Pyrex glass→ goes in General Waste — Different melting point to glass
- Textiles and clothes — Clean, dry — in carrier bag for black box
- Small electrical items — In untied bag in black box
Tips (12)
- • Glass goes in black box
- • Cans go in green box
- • Cardboard in blue bag
- • No black plastic accepted
- • Rinse all containers first
- • No plastic bags in boxes
- • Squash cans to save space
- • Flatten cardboard for bag
- • Remove tape from cardboard
- • No cling film or wrap
- • No crisp packets
- • Remove lids from aerosols
Food Waste
Accepted
- Bread, pasta, cereal and rice
- Cooked and uncooked food
- Dairy products and egg shells
- Fruit and vegetable peelings
- Leftover food and plate scrapings
- Meat, fish and bones
- Tea bags and coffee grounds
Not accepted
- Glass — Put in black recycling box
- Metal — Put in green recycling box
- Plastic — Put in green recycling box
- Shredded paper — Put in black recycling box
- Cardboard — Put in blue recycling bag
- Any other household waste — Put in black wheelie bin
Common mistakes
- Packaging→ goes in Recycling — Remove all packaging before food bin
- Compostable packaging→ goes in General Waste — Not accepted in food waste
Tips (10)
- • All cooked food accepted
- • Meat and bones are fine
- • Line caddy with newspaper
- • Tea bags go in food bin
- • Egg shells are accepted
- • No packaging of any kind
- • Keep outside bin locked
- • Carrier bags ok as liners
- • No glass or metal
- • Empty caddy into big bin
When are bins collected in Bristol, City of?
This page covers what goes in each bin. Collection days are set by the council and vary by street — see how to find your bin collection day, or browse streets by postcode to see schedules your neighbours have added.
Helpful Guides
Source: Bristol, City of council website. Check your council's site for the latest updates.
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