Recycling rules for Bristol, City of
Based on Bristol, City of published guidance · Last verified September 2026
Here's what currently goes in each bin in Bristol, City of.
Search what goes in your bins →Quick answers for Bristol, City of
Polystyrene: Not accepted in Bristol's recycling bin
Not recyclable kerbside. Put in black wheelie bin.
Cardboard: Goes in your recycling bin
Blue bag — remove tape, fold to fit.
Glass bottles and jars: Goes in your recycling bin
Rinse — black box, lids in green box.
Food waste: Bristol has a separate food waste collection
Takes bread, pasta, cereal and rice, cooked and uncooked food, dairy products and egg shells and more.
Shredded paper: Goes in your recycling bin
In a paper bag or envelope inside your blue bag.
Tins and cans: Goes in your recycling bin
Rinse and squash — green box.
Your bins in Bristol, by colour
Container colours as published by Bristol, City of. Some homes get a different container. See the notes.
Black box
Glass, batteries and small electrical items
Paper moved to the blue bag on 28 May 2026
Blue bag
Cardboard, paper and cartons
Paper joined cardboard here on 28 May 2026
Brown bin
Food waste
Brown is the food waste colour in 15 of the 49 councils with a checked food waste colour.
Put out for collection every week
Black bin
Household rubbish
If you can't have a wheelie bin, you can put out up to three waste sacks
Green bin
Garden waste
Green is the garden waste colour in 45 of the 114 councils with a checked garden waste colour.
Garden waste sacks can be bought instead
What goes in each bin
Recycling
Accepted
Glass
- Glass bottles and jars · Rinse — black box, lids in green box
Paper & Card
- Paper · Blue bag since 28 May 2026
- Shredded paper · In a paper bag or envelope inside your blue bag
- Cardboard · Blue bag — remove tape, fold to fit
- 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 yogurt pots, ice cream and margarine tubs · Rinsed — 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
Collected in a separate bag
- Batteries, including household rechargeable, they must be in a small clear untied bag
- Small electrical items, must be put in an untied plastic bag
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
- Food-contaminated cardboard, e.g. pizza boxes · Heavily contaminated with food
- Paper cups · Coated with plastic and not recyclable
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 · Unusable rags and shoes go to the recycling centre
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
Garden Waste
Accepted
- Branches · Up to 10cm or 4 inches in thickness
- Flowers
- Grass cuttings
- Hedge prunings
- Leaves and bark
- Plants
- Straw or sawdust pet bedding · From vegetarian pets such as rabbits
- Twigs
- Weeds · No Japanese knotweed
Not accepted
- CardboardInstead: Put in your blue bag
- Cat, dog or other pet litter
- Compost
- Cooked and uncooked foodInstead: Put in your brown food bin
- Japanese knotweed
- Nappies
- Plant pots
- Plastic bags or packaging · Contaminates the compost
- Soil and turf
- Stone or rubble
- Treated wood
- Vacuum cleaner contents
Tips (10)
- • Loose only, no plastic bags
- • Normally every 2 weeks
- • Wrong items = not emptied
- • Branches up to 10cm thick
- • No food: use the brown bin
- • No soil, turf, stone or rubble
- • No Japanese knotweed
- • No pet litter or nappies
- • No treated wood
- • Only council-logo paper sacks
How Bristol compares
- Bristol’s lists say wrapping paper does not go in its recycling (“Wrapping paper”). Of the 42 councils whose lists say either way, 32 take it.
- Bristol takes batteries at the kerbside (“Batteries, including household rechargeable, they must be in a small clear untied bag”). Of the 77 councils whose lists say either way, 64 do not.
- Bristol takes small electricals at the kerbside (“Small electrical items, must be put in an untied plastic bag”). Of the 55 councils whose lists say either way, 44 do not.
Food waste in Bristol
In Bristol’s own words (checked September 2026): “This is the food waste bin you put out on your collection day every week.”
The government’s rule for England: “by 31 March 2026, local authorities will be required to collect the core recyclable waste streams from all households in England. This includes introducing weekly food waste collections for most homes, unless a transitional arrangement applies” Read it on gov.uk
Which councils collect food waste weeklyNext door
On bank holidays, that week’s collections move a day later in Bristol; in North Somerset, collections stay on the usual day. Plastic bags go in the recycling in North Somerset but not in Bristol. Plastic film goes in the recycling in North Somerset but not in Bristol.
Plastic bags go in the recycling in South Gloucestershire but not in Bristol. Plastic film goes in the recycling in South Gloucestershire but not in Bristol.
Neighbouring councils we have checked: North Somerset, South Gloucestershire.
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.
In Bristol, a bank holiday pushes that week's collections back by a day: after a Monday holiday, Monday's bins go out on Tuesday, Tuesday's on Wednesday, and so on. BinBosh adjusts your dates automatically, and your neighbours can vote on the actual day if it differs.
No streets in Bristol on BinBosh yet: be the first to add yours, and your neighbours can adopt it instead of setting up their own.
How we checked this page
We checked this guidance against Bristol’s website in September 2026.
Source: Bristol, City of council website. Check your council’s site for the latest updates.
Frequently asked questions
What colour are the bins in Bristol?
In Bristol the food waste bin is brown and the garden waste bin is green. Bristol also lists a black box for glass, batteries and small electrical items, a green box for plastic, cans and foil, a blue bag for cardboard, paper and cartons, and a black bin for household rubbish. Brown is the food waste colour in 15 of the 49 councils with a checked food waste colour.
Where does glass go in Bristol?
Glass goes in the recycling bin in Bristol (“Glass bottles and jars”).
Does Bristol collect food waste, and how often?
In Bristol’s own words (checked September 2026): “This is the food waste bin you put out on your collection day every week.”
Do bin collections change on bank holidays in Bristol?
In Bristol, a bank holiday pushes that week's collections back by a day: after a Monday holiday, Monday's bins go out on Tuesday, Tuesday's on Wednesday, and so on. BinBosh adjusts your dates automatically, and your neighbours can vote on the actual day if it differs.
What goes in the recycling bin in Bristol?
Bristol’s recycling bin takes “Glass bottles and jars”, “Paper” and “Shredded paper”, among other things.
See the full recycling listWork for Bristol, City of? See how BinBosh helps councils →
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