Recycling rules for City of Edinburgh
Based on City of Edinburgh published guidance · Last verified September 2026
Under Simpler Recycling, councils across England are standardising collections. Here's what currently goes in each bin in City of Edinburgh.
Search what goes in your bins →Quick answers for City of Edinburgh
Polystyrene: Not accepted in City of Edinburgh's recycling bin
Not accepted in communal recycling bins. Expanded polystyrene: household waste recycling centres.
Cardboard: Goes in your recycling bin
Glass bottles and jars: Not accepted in City of Edinburgh's recycling bin
Not accepted in the green bin. Kerbside recycling box, or communal purple-lidded bin.
Food waste: City of Edinburgh has a separate food waste collection
Takes beans, pasta, rice and bread, cakes and bakery items, dairy items and eggs and more.
Your bins in City of Edinburgh, by colour
Container colours as published by City of Edinburgh. Some homes get a different container — see the notes.
Green bin
Mixed recycling
Kerbside; communal paper goes in blue-lidded bins; some World Heritage Site streets use green sacks
Grey bin
Non recyclable waste
Kerbside; communal bins have black lids; some World Heritage Site streets use black sacks
Grey caddy
Cooked and uncooked food
Grey kitchen caddy plus grey kerbside food bin; communal bin hubs use a black metal food unit
Brown bin
Gardening waste
Paid permit service (£45 a year), collected every two weeks; paused over the festive period
Purple bin
Glass recycling
Purple lid, communal bins only; kerbside homes use a recycling box whose colour might vary
Blue bin
Paper recycling
Blue lid, communal bins only; kerbside homes put paper and card in the green wheelie bin
Black bin
Items you cannot recycle
Black lid, communal bins only; kerbside homes have a grey bin
Black sack
Non-recyclable waste
Gull proof sack, some World Heritage Site streets only; waste must be bagged inside it
Green sack
Dry mixed recycling
Gull proof sack, some World Heritage Site streets only; recycling in clear bags inside it
What goes in each bin
Recycling
Accepted
Paper & Card
- Paper and unwanted mail
- Cardboard
- Envelopes
Other
- Drinks cartons — Tetrapak type
Plastics
- Plastic bottles — Clean, with tops; remove pump sprays
- Plastic pots, tubs and trays — Clean; wash any food off
- Shampoo, shower gel and cleaner bottles — Rinse; tear off any plastic sleeve
Metals
- Cans and tins — Clean
- Foil — Clean
- Empty aerosols
Not accepted
- Plastic bags, wrappers, crisp bags and clingfilm — Not accepted in the green binInstead: Larger supermarkets take plastic bags and wrappers
- Paper towels — Not accepted in the green bin
- Plastic plant pots and toys — Not accepted in the green bin
- Glass — Not accepted in the green binInstead: Kerbside recycling box, or communal purple-lidded bin
- Batteries and small electrical items — Not accepted in the green binInstead: Clear bag on top of, or beside, your recycling box
- Plastic bottle sleeves — Made from a different plasticInstead: Tear off and put in the non-recyclable waste bin
- Polystyrene — Not accepted in communal recycling binsInstead: Expanded polystyrene: household waste recycling centres
Common mistakes
- Glass bottles and jars→ goes in Glass — Kerbside recycling box; communal purple-lidded bin
- Batteries — Clear bag on top of your recycling box; libraries take AA, AAA and hearing aid batteries
- Small electrical items — On top of or next to your recycling box, smaller than a microwave
- Vapes — Never in any bin: recycling centres, vape stores and some supermarkets
- Clothing, towels, sheets and shoes — In a plastic bag with your kerbside recycling box
- Plastic bags and wrappers — Larger supermarkets
Tips (16)
- • Bin out by 6am on the day
- • Rinse plastics, cans and tins
- • Leave bottle tops on
- • Remove pump sprays first
- • Tear off bottle sleeves
- • Shampoo bottles recycle too
- • Cartons like Tetrapak ok
- • Empty aerosols and foil ok
- • No bags, wrappers or clingfilm
- • No paper towels
- • No plant pots or toys
- • Glass goes in your box
- • Batteries: clear bag on box
- • Small electricals by the box
- • Never bin vapes
- • Communal bins: recycle loose
Food Waste
Accepted
- Beans, pasta, rice and bread
- Cakes and bakery items
- Dairy items and eggs
- Fruit and vegetables — Including peelings
- Meat and fish — Including bones
- Fast food — For example chips and pizzas
- Tea bags and coffee grounds
Not accepted
- Liquids including milk and cooking oil — Not accepted in the food bin
- Food packaging — Not accepted in the food bin
Common mistakes
- Uncooked peelings, coffee grounds and teabags in the garden bin→ goes in Food Waste — The council cannot collect them with garden waste; home compost them or use the food bin
Tips (15)
- • Collected every week
- • Bag all food waste
- • Any small plastic bag is fine
- • Compostable liners ok
- • Liners £1 a roll at libraries
- • Or wrap it in newspaper
- • Caddy to kerbside food bin
- • Kerbside food bin has a lock
- • Cooked and uncooked food ok
- • Meat, fish and bones ok
- • Dairy and eggs accepted
- • No liquids, milk or oil
- • No food packaging
- • Not in the garden bin
- • Free caddy and food bin
Garden Waste
Accepted
- Flowers
- Plants
- Weeds
- Grass cuttings
- Leaves
- Hedge clippings
- Twigs and small branches
Not accepted
- Animal waste and bedding — The bin cannot be emptied
- Plant pots — The bin cannot be emptied
- Soil or turf — The bin cannot be emptied
- Any other types of waste — The bin cannot be emptied
- Uncooked peelings, coffee grounds and teabags — Cannot be collected with garden wasteInstead: Food bin, or home compost
Common mistakes
- Food waste→ goes in Food Waste — Even peelings and teabags: the council cannot collect them together
Tips (12)
- • Paid permit: £45 a year
- • Register in the sign-up window
- • Permit sticker must be visible
- • Collected every two weeks
- • Paused 14 Dec to 10 Jan
- • Service year starts November
- • No animal waste or bedding
- • No plant pots
- • No soil or turf
- • No peelings or teabags
- • Christmas tree: beside the bin
- • Cut trees over 7ft in half
When are bins collected in City of Edinburgh?
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.
City of Edinburgh 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.
No streets in City of Edinburgh 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 City of Edinburgh?
In City of Edinburgh, polystyrene can't go in your recycling bin. Not accepted in communal recycling bins. Expanded polystyrene: household waste recycling centres.
What bin does cardboard go in City of Edinburgh?
In City of Edinburgh, cardboard goes in your recycling bin.
What bin does glass go in City of Edinburgh?
In City of Edinburgh, glass can't go in your recycling bin. Not accepted in the green bin. Kerbside recycling box, or communal purple-lidded bin.
What bin does food waste go in City of Edinburgh?
In City of Edinburgh, food waste goes in your food waste bin. Even peelings and teabags: the council cannot collect them together.
What goes in the recycling bin in City of Edinburgh?
City of Edinburgh's recycling bin accepts paper and unwanted mail, cardboard, envelopes, drinks cartons, plastic bottles, plastic pots, tubs and trays, and more. Tetrapak type.
What goes in the food waste bin in City of Edinburgh?
City of Edinburgh's food waste bin accepts beans, pasta, rice and bread, cakes and bakery items, dairy items and eggs, fruit and vegetables, meat and fish, fast food, and more. Including peelings.
What goes in the garden waste bin in City of Edinburgh?
City of Edinburgh's garden waste bin accepts flowers, plants, weeds, grass cuttings, leaves, hedge clippings, and more.
What bin do glass bottles and jars go in City of Edinburgh?
In City of Edinburgh, glass bottles and jars go in your glass bin. Kerbside recycling box; communal purple-lidded bin.
Helpful Guides
Source: City of Edinburgh council website. Check your council's site for the latest updates.
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