Recycling rules for Cheshire East
Based on Cheshire East published guidance · Last verified September 2026
Something wrong or out of date? Tell us
Here's what currently goes in each bin in Cheshire East.
Search what goes in your bins →Quick answers for Cheshire East
Polystyrene: Not accepted in Cheshire East's recycling bin
Cardboard: Goes in your recycling bin
Glass bottles and jars: Goes in your recycling bin
Food waste: Cheshire East has a separate food waste collection
Takes meat and fish, fruit and vegetables, uneaten food from plates and dishes and more.
Aerosols: Goes in your recycling bin
Empty and undamaged, e.g. hairspray, deodorant.
Drink cartons: Goes in your recycling bin
Must be empty.
Your bins in Cheshire East, by colour
Black bin
General household waste
Black is the general rubbish colour in 58 of the 100 councils with a checked general rubbish colour.
Homes on bagged collections (due to space issues) use black bags instead of a wheelie bin
Brown or green bin
Garden and food waste
Only collected if you have a garden waste subscription
Grey bin
Items that can be recycled
Grey is the recycling colour in 6 of the 91 councils with a checked recycling colour.
The council calls it the silver (grey) bin
What goes in each bin
Recycling
Accepted
Metals
- Non-hazardous aerosols · Empty and undamaged, e.g. hairspray, deodorant
- Food and drinks cans · Must be empty · Symbol guide
- Biscuit tins
- Takeaway containers · Listed by the council under tins, cans and foil
- Foil · Must be clean · UK basics
Paper & Card
- Cardboard · Symbol guide
- Paper, newspapers and magazines
- Window envelopes
- Directories and catalogues
Other
- Juice, food and milk cartons · Must be empty · Symbol guide
Glass
- Glass bottles and jars · Symbol guide
Plastics
- Plastic bags and polythene · UK basics
- Plastic bottles · Empty drinks, detergent, bleach and toiletry bottles · Symbol guide
- Plastic containers and trays · Empty, e.g. yoghurt, cream, soup and sauce pots
- Margarine and ice cream tubs
- Fruit and vegetable punnets
Not accepted
- Tied bin bags or carrier bags
- Food wasteInstead: Garden bin if you subscribe, otherwise black bin or compost at home; outdoor food caddy from late autumn 2026
- Polystyrene and hard plastics · UK basics
- NappiesInstead: Black bin, in a tied bag where possible
- Electrical items · Symbol guide
- Clothing and textiles · UK basicsInstead: Charity shop or textile bank; worn out: black bin
- Carpets and duvets
- AsbestosInstead: Small quantities of bonded asbestos: special skips at Pyms Lane (Crewe) and Danes Moss (Macclesfield) centres - phone first
- Fluorescent tubesInstead: Household waste recycling centre
- Gas canistersInstead: Return them to the supplier
- Knives and sharp objectsInstead: Knives: in a metal container to a recycling centre
- PaintInstead: Use it, donate it or take it to a recycling centre
- Rubble or bricksInstead: Household Waste and Recycling Centre (you may be charged for rubble)
- Soil or large branches
- Syringes or needlesInstead: Sharps box; return full boxes to your GP or pharmacy
Common mistakes
- General waste → goes in General Waste · Black bin; section 46 notice will allow fixed penalties
- Batteries · Small: HWRC or participating shops; large: HWRC · UK basics
- Lithium-ion batteries · Not accepted in the silver or black bin
- Vapes (e-cigarettes) · Return to shops or take to a recycling centre
- Paint sprays and hazardous aerosols · Take to a household waste recycling centre
- Damaged or non-empty aerosols · Take to a household waste recycling centre
- Contaminated pizza boxes → goes in General Waste · Recycle only the parts free from grease and food
- Crisp packets and sweet wrappers · Some shops and supermarkets take them · UK basics
- Glass cookware (Pyrex) → goes in General Waste · Donate it if in good condition, otherwise black bin
- Bubble wrap → goes in General Waste · Reuse or donate it, otherwise black bin
- Small domestic appliances · Take-back schemes, reuse apps or a recycling centre
- Engine oil · Sealed container, to a recycling centre
- Weed killer · Recycling centre; ask a member of staff
Tips (15)
- • Leave recycling loose
- • No tied bin or carrier bags
- • Recycling must be clean & dry
- • Aerosols: empty and undamaged
- • No hazardous aerosols
- • Empty cartons are accepted
- • Glass bottles and jars go in
- • Clean foil is accepted
- • Window envelopes are fine
- • No polystyrene or hard plastic
- • No food waste in silver bin
- • No batteries or electricals
- • No vapes or lithium batteries
- • No clothing or textiles
- • Collected every 2 weeks
Food Waste
Accepted
- Meat and fish · Raw and cooked, including bones
- Fruit and vegetables · Raw and cooked, including peelings
- Uneaten food from plates and dishes
- Bread, cakes and pastries · Including stale bread and crusts
- Rice, pasta and beans
- Dairy products and eggs
- Egg shells
- Tea bags and coffee grounds · Plastic-free tea bags only
- Leftover solid fats
- Cat and dog food
- Stones from fruit · For example prune stones
- Compostable caddy liners · Must meet the EN13432 standard
Not accepted
- Plastic bags
- Packaging of any sort
- Liquids, including oil or liquid fats
- Nappy bags
- Foil or food wrap
- Coffee filters and non-compostable tea bags
- Cat litter
- Garden wasteInstead: Garden bin if you subscribe, or free at household waste recycling centres
Common mistakes
- Cardboard or paper → goes in Recycling · Silver recycling bin
- Animal waste → goes in General Waste · Black household waste bin
- Biodegradable face wipes → goes in General Waste · Don't break down fast enough for composting
Tips (14)
- • Weekly from late autumn 2026
- • No sign-up, no extra cost
- • Bones are accepted
- • Plastic-free tea bags only
- • Leftover solid fats are OK
- • No liquids, oil or liquid fat
- • No packaging of any sort
- • Liners optional, EN 13432 only
- • No garden waste in the caddy
- • Put caddy out by 6.30am
- • Leave the handle upright
- • Kitchen caddy isn't collected
- • Keep the lid closed
- • Subscribers: garden bin is OK
Garden Waste
Accepted
- Flowers and plants
- Grass cuttings
- Hedge clippings
- Leaves
- Twigs and small branches
- Hay, straw and wood shavings · Not used for pet bedding
- Leftover food and food waste · Incl. egg shells, peelings, meat and fish with bones
- Pet food · Dog and cat food
- Tea bags, tea and coffee grounds · Plastic-free tea bags only
- Compostable caddy liners · Must meet the EN13432 standard
Not accepted
- Plastic bags
- Plastic, glass and metals
- Packaging of any sort
- Coffee filters
- Non-compostable tea bags
- Liquid cooking fat or oil
- Foil or food wrap
- Nappy bags
- Disposable nappies
- Cat litter
- Plant pots and containers
- Porcelain and plaster
- Leather, textiles and feathers
- Vacuum cleaner contents
- Pharmaceuticals and cosmetics
- Dyestuffs
- Household or garden chemicals
- Rubble and stone
- Soil, compost or large amounts of turf
Common mistakes
- Paper and cardboard → goes in Recycling · Silver recycling bin
- Animal waste → goes in General Waste · Black household waste bin
- Ash → goes in General Waste · Bagged and cold, in the black household bin
- Biodegradable face wipes → goes in General Waste · Don't break down fast enough for composting
- Batteries · Small: HWRC or participating shops; large: HWRC
Tips (14)
- • Garden waste subscription only
- • Annual: January to December
- • Collected every 2 weeks
- • Paused mid-Dec to mid-Jan
- • Food waste can go in too
- • Plastic-free tea bags only
- • No biodegradable plastic bags
- • EN13432 compostable liners OK
- • Twigs and small branches OK
- • No soil, rubble or stone
- • No liquid fat or cooking oil
- • No coffee filters
- • No animal waste or cat litter
- • Free to drop off at HWRCs
Food waste in Cheshire East
In Cheshire East’s own words (checked September 2026): “Weekly food collections and 3 weekly black bin collections start in late Autumn 2026.”
22 of the 181 councils whose food waste guidance we have checked say it is starting or being rolled out.
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 Cheshire East
- Postcode districts all or nearly all in Cheshire East: CW1, CW2, CW4, CW5, CW11, CW12, CW98, SK9, SK10, SK11 and SK12.
- Postcode districts mostly in Cheshire East: CW10 and WA16 (shared with Cheshire West and Chester).
- Postcode districts partly in Cheshire East: CW3 (shared with Shropshire, Newcastle-under-Lyme); CW6 (shared with Cheshire West and Chester); ST7 (shared with Newcastle-under-Lyme); SY13 (shared with Shropshire, Wrexham); SY14 (shared with Cheshire West and Chester, Wrexham); WA14 (shared with Trafford).
Built-up areas (ONS) with the most postcodes in Cheshire East: Crewe, Macclesfield, Congleton, Wilmslow, Nantwich, Knutsford, Alsager, Middlewich, Sandbach, Poynton, Handforth, Elworth.
Shares count each district’s live postcodes; a district is listed where Cheshire East 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 High Peak the recycling bin is brown; here the recycling bin is grey.
On bank holidays, collections stay on the usual day in Cheshire East; in Manchester, that week’s collections move a day later.
In Trafford the recycling bin is black and the general rubbish bin is grey; here the recycling bin is grey and the general rubbish bin is black.
Neighbouring councils we have checked: Cheshire West and Chester, High Peak, Manchester, Trafford.
When are bins collected in Cheshire East?
Cheshire East sets collection days by street: find your bin day, or browse neighbours’ schedules by postcode.
Cheshire East 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.
Garden waste collections pause over Christmas.
No Cheshire East streets on BinBosh yet: add yours for neighbours to adopt.
How we checked this page
We checked this guidance against Cheshire East’s website in September 2026.
Source: Cheshire East 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 Cheshire East?
In Cheshire East the recycling bin is grey and the general rubbish bin is black. Cheshire East also lists a brown or green bin for garden and food waste. Grey is the recycling colour in 6 of the 91 councils with a checked recycling colour.
Where does glass go in Cheshire East?
Glass goes in the grey recycling bin in Cheshire East (“Glass bottles and jars”).
Does Cheshire East collect food waste, and how often?
In Cheshire East’s own words (checked September 2026): “Weekly food collections and 3 weekly black bin collections start in late Autumn 2026.”
Is garden waste collected all year in Cheshire East?
Garden waste collections pause over Christmas.
Do bin collections change on bank holidays in Cheshire East?
Cheshire East 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 Cheshire East?
Cheshire East’s recycling bin takes “Non-hazardous aerosols”, “Cardboard” and “Paper, newspapers and magazines”, among other things.
See the full recycling listWork for Cheshire East? See how BinBosh helps councils →
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