Recycling rules for Lambeth
Based on Lambeth published guidance · Last verified September 2026
Something wrong or out of date? Tell us
Here's what currently goes in each bin in Lambeth.
Search what goes in your bins →Quick answers for Lambeth
Polystyrene: Not accepted in Lambeth's recycling bin
Rubbish bin.
Cardboard: Goes in your recycling bin
Glass bottles and jars: Goes in your recycling bin
Rinse; put metal lids in separately.
Food waste: Lambeth has a separate food waste collection
Takes meat and fish, fruit and vegetables, dairy products and more.
Shredded paper: Not accepted in Lambeth's recycling bin
Tins and cans: Goes in your recycling bin
Rinse.
Your bins in Lambeth, by colour
Green bin
Paper, card, glass, plastic, cans and cartons
Green is the recycling colour in 26 of the 91 councils with a checked recycling colour.
Availability: Not street collections in timed areas (sacks)
Some homes use recycling sacks (colour not stated); shared blocks of flats use shared bins
Black bin
Rubbish
Black is the general rubbish colour in 58 of the 100 councils with a checked general rubbish colour.
Availability: Not street collections in timed areas (sacks)
Timed areas must use sacks if collected from the street; shared blocks of flats use shared bins
What goes in each bin
Recycling
Accepted
Paper & Card
- Newspapers and magazines · Symbol guide
- Card and cardboard
- Toilet and kitchen roll tubes
- Egg boxes
- Junk mail
- Catalogues
Plastics
- Plastic bottles · Rinse; leave the lids on · Symbol guide
- Plastic pots, tubs and food trays · Rinse; not plastic film
Glass
- Glass jars and bottles · Rinse; put metal lids in separately · Symbol guide
Metals
- Food and drink cans and tins · Rinse · Symbol guide
- Metal foil sheet and foil trays · E.g. takeaway containers; must be clean · UK basics
Other
- Food and drink cartons · Liquid food and drink cartons (Tetra-pak); rinse · Symbol guide
Not accepted
- Black bin bags
- Broken glass
- Pyrex
- Window glass
- Light bulbsInstead: Lambeth reuse and recycling centre (Vale Street)
- Polystyrene · UK basicsInstead: Rubbish bin
- Plastic film · UK basicsInstead: Rubbish bin (plastic bags and film)
- Food-soiled boxesInstead: Rubbish bin (food-soiled cardboard)
- NappiesInstead: Rubbish bin, in a securely tied nappy bag
- Foil or paper yoghurt pot lids
- Shredded paper · UK basics
- Chemical containers
- DIY and building waste
- Hazardous wasteInstead: See the council's hazardous waste advice
- FoodInstead: Food waste bin, if available at your address
Common mistakes
- Aerosol spray cans → goes in General Waste · Not recycling: the rubbish bin takes aerosols · UK basics
- Batteries · Undamaged: tied carrier bag on top of the green bin · UK basics
- Car batteries · Not in the battery bag; Vale Street centre takes them
- Small electrical items · Toaster-size max; tied bag on top of the green bin · Symbol guide
- Textiles · Not in rubbish either; Vale Street takes clothes, shoes · UK basics
- Garden waste → goes in Garden Waste · Paid garden waste service; not in rubbish either
Tips (19)
- • Rinse food and drink packaging
- • Leave lids on plastic bottles
- • Put metal lids in separately
- • Clean foil and foil trays ok
- • Cartons are accepted
- • Egg boxes and junk mail ok
- • No black bin bags
- • Aerosols go in the rubbish bin
- • No plastic film
- • No polystyrene
- • No shredded paper
- • No foil or paper yoghurt lids
- • No food-soiled boxes
- • No broken glass or Pyrex
- • No window glass or light bulbs
- • No nappies or textiles
- • Batteries: bag on top of bin
- • Small electricals: bag on top
- • No car/lithium-ion batteries
Food Waste
Accepted
- Meat and fish · Including bones
- Fruit and vegetables
- Dairy products · Including cheese, eggs and eggshells
- Bread, cakes and pastries
- Rice, pasta, grains and cereals
- Tea bags, tea leaves and coffee grounds
- Used kitchen paper towels
Common mistakes
- Food waste in the black rubbish bin → goes in Food Waste · It might start to smell before it's collected
- Food in the recycling → goes in Food Waste · Food is on the council's not-for-recycling list
Tips (13)
- • Food waste collected weekly
- • Check your home is eligible
- • Bones are accepted
- • Cheese, eggs and shells ok
- • Bread, cakes, pastries ok
- • Rice, pasta and grains ok
- • Tea bags and coffee grounds ok
- • Used paper towels accepted
- • Fruit and veg accepted
- • No food in the rubbish bin
- • No food in the recycling
- • Home-compost plant-based food
- • Discounted compost bins
Garden Waste
Accepted
- Grass cuttings
- Leaves and twigs
- Weeds, shrubs, plants and flowers
- Hedge trimmings
- Fruit fallen from trees and bushes
- Branches · Up to 10cm diameter
- Pet bedding · Plant-eating animals only, e.g. rabbits, guinea pigs
Not accepted
- Branches over 10cm diameter
- Bedding from other animals
Common mistakes
- Garden waste in rubbish or recycling → goes in Garden Waste · Neither takes it; use the paid garden waste service
Tips (14)
- • Garden waste is a paid service
- • Use your garden waste sacks
- • Grass cuttings accepted
- • Leaves and twigs accepted
- • Hedge trimmings accepted
- • Weeds and shrubs accepted
- • Plants and flowers accepted
- • Fallen fruit accepted
- • Branches up to 10cm diameter
- • Rabbit/guinea pig bedding ok
- • Bedding: plant-eaters only
- • Not in rubbish or recycling
- • Vale Street takes garden waste
- • No logs at Vale Street
How Lambeth compares
- Lambeth’s lists say aerosols do not go in its recycling (“Aerosol spray cans”). Of the 159 councils whose lists say either way, 158 take them.
- Lambeth’s lists say shredded paper does not go in its recycling (“Shredded paper”). Of the 79 councils whose lists say either way, 56 take it.
Food waste in Lambeth
In Lambeth’s own words (checked September 2026): “it’s so important for everyone to use their food waste collection service, which will remain weekly.”
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 Lambeth
- Postcode districts all or nearly all in Lambeth: SE27, SW2, SW4 and SW9.
- Postcode districts mostly in Lambeth: SE11 and SE24 (shared with Southwark); SW8 (shared with Wandsworth); SW16 (shared with Croydon, Merton, Wandsworth).
- Postcode districts partly in Lambeth: SE1, SE5 and SE21 (shared with Southwark); SE19 (shared with Bromley, Croydon, Southwark); SW12 (shared with Wandsworth).
Built-up areas (ONS) with the most postcodes in Lambeth: Lambeth, Southwark, Wandsworth.
Shares count each district’s live postcodes; a district is listed where Lambeth 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, collections stay on the usual day in Lambeth; in Bromley, that week’s collections move a day later. Aerosols go in the recycling in Bromley but not in Lambeth. Shredded paper goes in the recycling in Bromley but not in Lambeth.
Aerosols go in the recycling in Merton but not in Lambeth. Shredded paper goes in the recycling in Merton but not in Lambeth.
On bank holidays, collections stay on the usual day in Lambeth; in Southwark, that week’s collections move a day later. Aerosols go in the recycling in Southwark but not in Lambeth.
Neighbouring councils we have checked: Bromley, Merton, Southwark.
When are bins collected in Lambeth?
Lambeth sets collection days by street: find your bin day, or browse neighbours’ schedules by postcode.
Lambeth 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 Lambeth streets on BinBosh yet: add yours for neighbours to adopt.
How we checked this page
We checked this guidance against Lambeth’s website in September 2026.
Source: Lambeth 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 Lambeth?
In Lambeth the recycling bin is green (availability: Not street collections in timed areas (sacks)) and the general rubbish bin is black (availability: Not street collections in timed areas (sacks)). Green is the recycling colour in 26 of the 91 councils with a checked recycling colour.
Where does glass go in Lambeth?
Glass goes in the green recycling bin (availability: Not street collections in timed areas (sacks)) in Lambeth (“Glass jars and bottles”).
Does Lambeth collect food waste, and how often?
In Lambeth’s own words (checked September 2026): “it’s so important for everyone to use their food waste collection service, which will remain weekly.”
Do bin collections change on bank holidays in Lambeth?
Lambeth 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 Lambeth?
Lambeth’s recycling bin takes “Newspapers and magazines”, “Card and cardboard” and “Toilet and kitchen roll tubes”, among other things.
See the full recycling listWork for Lambeth? See how BinBosh helps councils →
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