Recycling rules for Bristol, City of
Based on Bristol, City of published guidance · Last verified September 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 →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
Black bin
Household rubbish
If you can't have a wheelie bin, you can put out up to three waste sacks
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
- Batteries · Black box — in a small clear untied bag
- Small electrical items · Black box — in an untied plastic bag
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
- 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
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.
Frequently asked questions
What bin does polystyrene go in Bristol?
In Bristol, polystyrene can't go in your recycling bin. Not recyclable kerbside. Put in black wheelie bin.
What bin does cardboard go in Bristol?
In Bristol, cardboard goes in your recycling bin. Blue bag — remove tape, fold to fit.
What bin do glass bottles and jars go in Bristol?
In Bristol, glass bottles and jars go in your recycling bin. Rinse — black box, lids in green box.
What bin does food waste go in Bristol?
In Bristol, food waste goes in your food waste bin. It takes bread, pasta, cereal and rice, cooked and uncooked food, dairy products and egg shells and more.
What goes in the recycling bin in Bristol?
Bristol's recycling bin accepts glass bottles and jars, paper, shredded paper, plastic drinks bottles, plastic toiletry bottles, plastic cleaning bottles, and more. Rinse — black box, lids in green box.
What goes in the food waste bin in Bristol?
Bristol's food waste bin accepts 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, and more.
What goes in the garden waste bin in Bristol?
Bristol's garden waste bin accepts branches, flowers, grass cuttings, hedge prunings, leaves and bark, plants, and more. Up to 10cm or 4 inches in thickness.
What can't be recycled in Bristol?
Items not accepted in Bristol: black plastic, bubble wrap, carrier bags and soft plastics, cling film. Black plastic — machines can't sort black plastic.
Helpful guides
Source: Bristol, City of council website. Check your council's site for the latest updates.
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