Recycling rules for Camden
Based on Camden published guidance · Last verified September 2026
Something wrong or out of date? Tell us
Here's what currently goes in each bin in Camden.
Search what goes in your bins →Quick answers for Camden
Polystyrene: Not accepted in Camden's recycling bin
Not recyclable kerbside.
Cardboard: Goes in your recycling bin
Flatten — includes cereal and egg boxes.
Glass bottles and jars: Goes in your recycling bin
Remove lids — lids go separately.
Food waste: Camden has a separate food waste collection
Takes fruit and vegetables, meat, fish and bones, tea bags and coffee grounds and more.
Tins and cans: Goes in your recycling bin
Rinse and empty.
Clothes: Not accepted in Camden's recycling bin
Not recyclable kerbside.
Your bins in Camden, by colour
Brown caddy
Food waste
Brown is the food waste colour in 21 of the 58 councils with a checked food waste colour.
Availability: A house or a house divided into flats
Outdoor caddy; estates and blocks of flats use a communal food waste bin
Green caddy
Food waste
Kitchen caddy; emptied into the brown outdoor caddy or a communal food waste bin
White bag
Garden waste
Availability: Paid subscription
Three reusable bags, the alternative to a brown bin
Brown bin
Garden waste
Availability: Paid subscription
One bin, the alternative to three white bags
What goes in each bin
Recycling
Accepted
Plastics
- Plastic bottles · Lids on, rinse first · Symbol guide
- Plastic pots, tubs and trays · Remove film lids
- Plastic cartons
- Carrier bags · Empty and untied · UK basics
Paper & Card
- Newspapers and magazines · Symbol guide
- Paper and letters
- Cardboard · Flatten — includes cereal and egg boxes
Metals
- Tins and cans · Rinse and empty · Symbol guide
- Aerosol cans · UK basics
- Aluminium foil · UK basics
- Bottle tops
Glass
- Glass bottles and jars · Remove lids — lids go separately · Symbol guide
Not accepted
- Black bin bags · Contaminates recycling
- Textiles · Not recyclable kerbside · UK basics
- Electrical items · Hazardous · Symbol guideInstead: Separate collection or Regis Road centre
- Nappies · General waste onlyInstead: Ask Veolia for a separate nappy collection
- Food waste · Goes in food caddy
- Cling film · Not recyclable kerbside · UK basics
- Cellophane · Not recyclable kerbside
- Crisp packets · Not recyclable kerbside · UK basics
- Polystyrene · Not recyclable kerbside · UK basics
- Sanitary products · General waste only
Common mistakes
- Vapes · Take to Regis Road Reuse and Recycling Centre
- Lithium batteries · Fire risk — take to recycling centre
- Household batteries · Supermarkets or Regis Road; houses may order a Veolia battery bag · UK basics
- Gas canisters · Take to recycling centre
- Broken glass→ goes in General Waste · Wrap carefully before putting in bin
- Car batteries · Hazardous: garage, scrap metal site or Regis Road
Tips (12)
- • Rinse all containers
- • Remove lids from glass jars
- • Keep lids on plastic bottles
- • Remove film lids from pots
- • Flatten cardboard boxes
- • No black bin bags
- • No food in recycling
- • No nappies in recycling
- • Carrier bags: empty, untied
- • Extra goes in clear bags
- • No electricals in bins
- • No vapes or batteries
Food Waste
Accepted
- Fruit and vegetables
- Meat, fish and bones
- Tea bags and coffee grounds
- Bread and pastries
- Dairy products
- Rice, pasta and beans
- Eggs and eggshells
- Cooked and leftover food
Not accepted
- Black bin bags · Do not use as caddy liners
- Packaging · Not accepted in food waste
Tips (8)
- • All cooked food accepted
- • Meat and bones are fine
- • Use compostable liners
- • Tea bags go in food bin
- • Egg shells are accepted
- • No black bin bag liners
- • No packaging of any kind
- • Line with old newspaper
Garden Waste
Accepted
- Grass cuttings
- Weeds
- Dead flowers
- Garden prunings
- Leaves and bark
Not accepted
- Soil or rubble
- Plant pots
- Stones
- Large tree cuttings
- Food wasteInstead: Food waste caddy
- Any other general rubbish
Common mistakes
- Christmas trees→ goes in Garden Waste · Accepted if cut to fit your garden waste bin or bags
Tips (10)
- • 9 or 12 month subscription
- • White bags or brown bin
- • Out by 7am on collection day
- • Within 1m of front entrance
- • No soil, rubble or stones
- • No plant pots
- • No large tree cuttings
- • No food waste in garden bin
- • Christmas trees if cut to fit
- • Overflow won't be collected
How Camden compares
- Camden takes plastic bags at the kerbside (“Carrier bags”). Of the 119 councils whose lists say either way, 93 do not.
Food waste in Camden
In Camden’s own words (checked September 2026): “Many homes in Camden are eligible for our weekly food waste recycling service.” “Food waste recycling has been introduced as a trial for some flats at Belsize Village, Camden Road and Malden Road.”
21 of the 179 councils whose food waste guidance we have checked say only some homes have it.
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 Camden
- Postcode districts all or nearly all in Camden: N1C, NW3, NW5, WC1B, WC1E, WC1H, WC1N and WC1R.
- Postcode districts mostly in Camden: EC1N and WC1V (shared with City of London); NW1, W1T, WC2B and WC2H (shared with Westminster); NW1W; NW6 (shared with Brent); WC1A and WC1X (shared with Islington); WC2A (shared with City of London, Westminster).
- Postcode districts partly in Camden: EC1M and EC1R (shared with Islington); N6 (shared with Haringey); NW2 (shared with Barnet, Brent); NW8 (shared with Westminster).
Built-up area (ONS) with the most postcodes in Camden: Camden.
Shares count each district’s live postcodes; a district is listed where Camden 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
On bank holidays, that week’s collections move a day later in Camden; in City of London, only a collection that falls on the bank holiday moves. Plastic bags go in the recycling in Camden but not in City of London.
Plastic bags go in the recycling in Camden but not in Brent.
On bank holidays, that week’s collections move a day later in Camden; in Westminster, collections stay on the usual day.
Neighbouring councils we have checked: City of London, Brent, Haringey, Islington, Westminster.
When are bins collected in Camden?
Camden sets collection days by street: find your bin day, or browse neighbours’ schedules by postcode.
In Camden, 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 Camden streets on BinBosh yet: add yours for neighbours to adopt.
How we checked this page
We checked this guidance against Camden’s website in September 2026.
Source: Camden 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 Camden?
In Camden the food waste caddy is brown. Camden also lists a green caddy for food waste, a white bag for garden waste (availability: Paid subscription), and a brown bin for garden waste (availability: Paid subscription). Brown is the food waste colour in 21 of the 58 councils with a checked food waste colour.
Where does glass go in Camden?
Glass goes in the recycling bin in Camden (“Glass bottles and jars”).
Does Camden collect food waste, and how often?
In Camden’s own words (checked September 2026): “Many homes in Camden are eligible for our weekly food waste recycling service.” “Food waste recycling has been introduced as a trial for some flats at Belsize Village, Camden Road and Malden Road.”
Do bin collections change on bank holidays in Camden?
In Camden, 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 Camden?
Camden’s recycling bin takes “Plastic bottles”, “Plastic pots, tubs and trays” and “Plastic cartons”, among other things.
See the full recycling listWork for Camden? See how BinBosh helps councils →
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