Recycling rules for Ealing
Based on Ealing published guidance · Last verified October 2026
Under Simpler Recycling, councils across England are standardising collections. Here's what currently goes in each bin in Ealing.
Search what goes in your bins →Quick answers for Ealing
Polystyrene: Not accepted in Ealing's recycling bin
Put in your rubbish bin or bag.
Cardboard: Goes in your recycling bin
Flatten cardboard.
Glass bottles and jars: Goes in your recycling bin
Food waste: Ealing has a separate food waste collection
Takes bread and pastries, dairy, fish and egg shells, fruit and vegetable peelings and more.
Tins and cans: Goes in your recycling bin
Clothes: Not accepted in Ealing's recycling bin
Your bins in Ealing, by colour
Container colours as published by Ealing. Some homes get a different container. See the notes.
Blue bin
Mixed recycling
Availability: Homes with outside space at the front
Green box
Mixed recycling
Availability: Homes without space for wheelie bins
Black bin
Household rubbish
Green bin (garden)
Garden waste
Availability: signed up and paid for this service
What goes in each bin
Recycling
Accepted
You can recycle in your blue wheeled bin or communal recycling bin:
- Cardboard and thin card · Flatten cardboard
- Paper and envelopes
- Newspapers and magazines
- Plastic bottles, pots and tubs · Including non-black plastic plant pots
- Plastic tubes such as toothpaste tubes
- Metal tins and cans
- Aerosol cans
- Glass bottles and jars
- Food and drink cartons
Yes, please - put in your clear sacks:
- Junk mail · Clear sacks
Not accepted
Clear sack recycling service, no, thank you:
- Soft plastics (plastic bags, bread bags, crisp packets)Instead: Many supermarkets collect soft plastics
- PolystyreneInstead: Put in your rubbish bin or bag
- Broken glass
- NappiesInstead: Put in your rubbish bin or bag
- Garden wasteInstead: Garden waste service or recycling centre
- Clothes and textiles
- Batteries · Can cause fires if crushedInstead: Supermarket and shop collection points
Food Waste
Accepted
Food waste recycling, yes please:
- Bread and pastries
- Dairy, fish and egg shells
- Fruit and vegetable peelings
- Leftovers and plate scrapings
- Meat and bones
- Tea bags and coffee grounds
- Vegetables
Not accepted
Food waste recycling, no thanks:
- Cardboard and thin card
- Carrier bags, black sacks and cling film
- Liquids
- Nappies
- Packaging (any)
- Pet litter
- Tissue and kitchen roll
We don't have checked garden waste guidance for Ealing yet.
See Ealing's own guidanceWhen are bins collected in Ealing?
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.
Check with the council over bank holidays. See the council’s page →
No streets in Ealing 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 Ealing?
In Ealing, polystyrene can't go in your recycling bin. Put in your rubbish bin or bag.
What bin does cardboard go in Ealing?
In Ealing, cardboard and thin card goes in your recycling bin. Flatten cardboard.
What bin do glass bottles and jars go in Ealing?
In Ealing, glass bottles and jars go in your recycling bin.
What bin does food waste go in Ealing?
In Ealing, food waste goes in your food waste bin. It takes bread and pastries, dairy, fish and egg shells, fruit and vegetable peelings and more.
What bin do tins and cans go in Ealing?
In Ealing, metal tins and cans go in your recycling bin.
What goes in the recycling bin in Ealing?
Ealing's recycling bin accepts cardboard and thin card, paper and envelopes, newspapers and magazines, plastic bottles, pots and tubs, plastic tubes such as toothpaste tubes, metal tins and cans, and more. Flatten cardboard.
What goes in the food waste bin in Ealing?
Ealing's food waste bin accepts bread and pastries, dairy, fish and egg shells, fruit and vegetable peelings, leftovers and plate scrapings, meat and bones, tea bags and coffee grounds, and more.
What can't be recycled in Ealing?
Items not accepted in Ealing: soft plastics (plastic bags, bread bags, crisp packets), polystyrene, broken glass, nappies. Batteries — can cause fires if crushed.
Helpful guides
Source: Ealing council website. Check your council's site for the latest updates.
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