Recycling rules for Hackney
Based on Hackney published guidance · Last verified October 2026
Under Simpler Recycling, councils across England are standardising collections. Here's what currently goes in each bin in Hackney.
Search what goes in your bins →Quick answers for Hackney
Polystyrene: Usually general waste (UK-wide position)UK-wide, not council-specific
Across the UK, polystyrene is rarely collected at the kerbside and usually belongs in general waste. Hackney's published guidance we hold doesn't list it.
Glass bottles and jars: Goes in your recycling bin
Food waste: Hackney has a separate food waste collection
Takes fruit, vegetables and peelings, fish, meat and bones, bread, rice and pasta and more.
Aerosols: Goes in your recycling bin
Drink cartons: Goes in your recycling bin
Your bins in Hackney, by colour
Container colours as published by Hackney. Some homes get a different container. See the notes.
Brown bin
Garden waste
Availability: garden waste subscription
Permit sticker on the back
Brown bag
Garden waste
Availability: garden waste subscription
Permit tag tied to the handle
What goes in each bin
Recycling
Accepted
What to put in your recycling bin or bags:
- Glass bottles and jars
- Plastic bottles, pots and trays
- Paper and card, including egg cartons and Tetra Pak
- Cans, tins and aerosols
- Silver foil and foil trays
- Toothpaste pumps and tubes
Food Waste
Accepted
What to put in your food waste bin:
- Fruit, vegetables and peelings
- Fish, meat and bones
- Bread, rice and pasta
- Teabags and coffee granules
- Egg shells
- Plate scrapings
Not accepted
- Do not put plastic bags, garden waste or packaging in your food waste bin · even if the packaging says it can be composted
Garden Waste
Accepted
What garden waste we collect, we collect:
- Grass and leaves
- Twigs and small branches
- Cuttings
- Flowers
- Plants
- Weeds
- Christmas trees
Not accepted
What garden waste we collect, we do not collect:
- Turf cuttings and soil
- Stones, gravel and rubble
- Ash
- Large branches, logs and full-sized trees · apart from Christmas trees
- DIY wood
- Japanese knotweed and invasive weeds
- Food waste
- Pet waste like dog poo and cat litter
- Any kind of packaging
Neighbouring councils we have checked: City of London, Haringey, Islington, Newham, Tower Hamlets.
When are bins collected in Hackney?
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 Hackney on BinBosh yet: be the first to add yours, and your neighbours can adopt it instead of setting up their own.
How we checked this page
We read 2 pages of Hackney’s website on 29 October 2026 and checked each of the 31 facts on this page against the council’s own words before publishing it.
Source: Hackney council website. Check your council’s site for the latest updates.
Frequently asked questions
Where does glass go in Hackney?
Glass goes in the recycling bin in Hackney (“Glass bottles and jars”).
What goes in the recycling bin in Hackney?
Hackney’s recycling bin takes “Glass bottles and jars”, “Plastic bottles, pots and trays” and “Paper and card, including egg cartons and Tetra Pak”, among other things.
See the full recycling listWork for Hackney? See how BinBosh helps councils →
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