Recycling rules for Leeds
Based on Leeds published guidance · Last verified March 2026
Under Simpler Recycling, councils across England are standardising collections. Here's what currently goes in each bin in Leeds.
Search what goes in your bins →Recycling
Accepted
Metals
- Aluminium cans — Rinse and squash
- Aerosol cans
- Metal food cans — Rinse
- Foil and foil trays — Rinse, scrunch foil into ball
Paper & Card
- Cardboard — Flatten boxes
- Paper
Plastics
- Carrier bags — Clean and dry
- Plastic bottles — Rinse, squash with lid on
- Plastic film and wrap — Clean — bread bags, pasta bags
- Plastic pots, tubs and trays — Rinse — types 1, 2, 4, 5
- Plastic pouches — Detergent/cleaning — no foil
- Bubble wrap — Clean and dry
- Cling film — Clean and dry
Glass
- Glass bottles and jars — Rinse
Other
- Cartons and Tetra Paks — Rinse
Not accepted
- Black plastic trays — Cannot be detected by sorting
- Black bin bags — Contaminates recycling stream
- Compostable or biodegradable plastic — Not recyclable kerbside
- Drinking glasses — Different glass type to bottles
- Electrical items — Contains hazardous partsInstead: Take to recycling centre
- Food waste — Contaminates clean recyclables
- Garden waste — Use brown bin or compost
- Light bulbs — Contains hazardous materialsInstead: Take to recycling centre
- Polystyrene — Not recyclable kerbside
- Syringes or needles — Hazardous wasteInstead: Return to pharmacy
- Wood or timber — Not recyclable kerbsideInstead: Take to recycling centre
Common mistakes
- Shredded paper→ goes in General Waste — Causes machinery problems
- Batteries — Take to a battery recycling point
- Nappies→ goes in General Waste
- Pyrex and ceramics→ goes in General Waste — Different melting point to glass
- Paint tins — Take to recycling centre, must be empty
Tips (12)
- • Recycling must be clean & dry
- • Squash bottles with lids on
- • Flatten all cardboard boxes
- • Rinse pots, tubs and trays
- • No black plastic trays
- • No food waste in recycling
- • Clean foil can be recycled
- • Carrier bags go in green bin
- • Bubble wrap is recyclable
- • No polystyrene packaging
- • Glass bottles — rinse first
- • Extra recycling in clear bags
Helpful Guides
Source: Leeds council website. Check your council's site for the latest updates.
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