Recycling rules for Lewisham
Based on Lewisham published guidance · Last verified September 2026
Under Simpler Recycling, councils across England are standardising collections. Here's what currently goes in each bin in Lewisham.
Search what goes in your bins →Quick answers for Lewisham
Polystyrene: Goes in your general waste bin
Rubbish bin, or Landmann Way Reuse and Recycling Centre.
Cardboard: Goes in your recycling bin
Remove plastic padding.
Glass bottles and jars: Goes in your recycling bin
Leave lids on.
Food waste: Lewisham has a separate food waste collection
Takes vegetable and fruit waste, food scraps, cooked and uncooked, bread and more.
Tins and cans: Goes in your recycling bin
Clean out first.
Clothes: Needs specialist recycling, not your kerbside bins
Donate to charity or textile bank.
Your bins in Lewisham, by colour
Container colours as published by Lewisham. Some homes get a different container. See the notes.
Green bin
Recycling
Or clear sacks; estates and blocks of flats have communal recycling bins
Grey bin
Food waste
Houses and converted flats; food waste is not currently collected from estates
Black or blue bin
Rubbish that can't be recycled
Black bins for houses; blue communal bins on estates; flats above shops get orange sacks
Orange sack
General household waste
Flats above shops only; delivered quarterly
What goes in each bin
Recycling
Accepted
Paper & Card
- Paper, magazines and newspapers
- Envelopes and junk mail
- Non-metallic wrapping paper · No plastic or metallic wrapping
- Flattened cardboard and food boxes · Remove plastic padding
- Egg cartons and cereal boxes · Flatten
- Kitchen and toilet roll tubes
Glass
- Glass bottles and jars · Leave lids on
Metals
- Food tins and drinks cans · Clean out first
- Aerosols · Deodorant, furniture polish, air fresheners, hair spray
Plastics
- Plastic drinks bottles · Keep lids on, do not flatten
- Plastic shampoo and cleaning bottles
- Cleaned plastic food containers · Yoghurt pots, fruit punnets, tubs
Other
- Cartons · Soft drinks, milk, juice and soup — wash, squash, lids on
Not accepted
- Black bin bag rubbish · General waste only
- Nappies · General waste only
- Cat litter or dog poo · General waste only
- Food waste · Use grey food waste bin
- Garden waste · Use brown garden waste bin
- Tissues · Contaminated paper product
- Plastic bags, cling film and bubble wrap · Not recyclable kerbside
- Wet or dirty paper or cardboard · Contaminates clean recyclables
- Laminated or waxed paper · Not recyclable kerbside
- Crisp packets and sweet wrappers · Not recyclable kerbside
- Hard plastics like Tupperware · Not recyclable kerbside
- Soiled food trays or tins · Must be cleaned first
- Soiled pizza boxes · Food contaminates cardboard
- Textiles, clothes and shoes · Not recyclable kerbsideInstead: Take to charity shop or textile bank
- Window glass, broken glass and light bulbs · Different glass typesInstead: Take to recycling centre
- Pyrex and ceramics · Not recyclable; Pyrex is heat-treated glass
- Masks and disposable gloves · General waste only
- Coat hangers · Not recyclable kerbside
- Small electrical items and batteries · Contains hazardous partsInstead: Take to recycling bank
- Polystyrene · Not recyclableInstead: Rubbish bin, or Landmann Way Reuse and Recycling Centre
- Black plastic food trays · Optical sorters can't pick up carbon black pigment
Common mistakes
- Crisp packets→ goes in General Waste · Foil-like films — they need to go in your rubbish bin
- Plastic bags→ goes in General Waste · Take to supermarket collection point
- Pyrex→ goes in General Waste · Heat-treated glass — wrap broken Pyrex and put it in your rubbish bin; donate dishes in good condition
- Textiles and clothes · Donate to charity or textile bank
- Batteries · Take to a recycling bank
- Ceramics→ goes in General Waste · Broken china in your rubbish bin; tiles to the Waldo centre in Bromley
Tips (12)
- • Leave lids on glass jars
- • Keep lids on bottles
- • Do not flatten bottles
- • Flatten all cardboard
- • No plastic bags at all
- • No food waste in recycling
- • No tissues in recycling
- • Clean containers first
- • No crisp packets
- • No nappies — general waste
- • No broken or window glass
- • No cling film or wrap
Food Waste
Accepted
- Vegetable and fruit waste
- Food scraps, cooked and uncooked
- Bread
- Cheese
- Egg shells
- Tea bags and coffee grounds
Not accepted
- Nappies · General waste only
- Garden waste or soil · Use brown garden waste bin
- Household waste · Use black or blue rubbish bin
- Packaging and food cartons · Use green recycling bin
- Liquids like milk, oil or fat · Not accepted in food bin
- Plastics including bin liners · Not compostable
- Kitchen towel or tissue · Not accepted in food bin
- Cat litter and dog poo · Use general waste bin
Common mistakes
- Kitchen towel→ goes in General Waste · Not accepted in Lewisham food bin
- Bin liners→ goes in General Waste · Use clear bag or newspaper instead
Tips (10)
- • Line caddy with clear bag
- • All cooked food accepted
- • No packaging of any kind
- • Egg shells go in food bin
- • Keep food bin lid locked
- • No liquids in food bin
- • No plastics of any kind
- • Tea bags go in food bin
- • No kitchen towel
- • Tie liner before putting out
Garden Waste
Accepted
- Grass clippings and leaves
- Plants and prunings
- Garden weeds
- Small tree branches · Up to 10cm thick and 50cm long
- Hedge trimmings
- Fallen fruit · Small amounts
- Twigs
- Flowers
- House flowers
Not accepted
- Household waste
- Food waste
- Bricks, stone or rubble
- Soil
- Plastic, including plant and flower pots and bags
- Nappies
- Cat litter
- Ceramics
- Dog poo
- Garden furniture
- Hosepipes
- Timber
- Polystyrene
- Potting mix
- Non-garden waste
- Japanese knotweed · Invasive; disposing of it via garden waste is illegal
Common mistakes
- Polystyrene→ goes in General Waste · Rubbish bin, or Landmann Way Reuse and Recycling Centre
- Garden furniture · Charity shop, the Reuse and Recycling Centre, or a bulky waste collection
- Hosepipes · Charity shop or Landmann Way Reuse and Recycling Centre
- Disposable nappies→ goes in General Waste · Rubbish bin; cloth nappies can go to a textile bank
- Cat litter and dog poo→ goes in General Waste · Rubbish bin
Tips (10)
- • Bin out by 6am
- • Max 20kg per bin
- • Branches under 10cm thick
- • No Japanese knotweed
- • Weekly, all year round
- • Show your permit sticker
- • Don't overfill the bin
- • Bin at property edge
- • Keep bin in good condition
- • Paid annual subscription
When are bins collected in Lewisham?
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.
In Lewisham, a bank holiday pushes that week's collections back by a day: after a Monday holiday, Monday's bins go out on Tuesday, Tuesday's on Wednesday, and so on. BinBosh adjusts your dates automatically, and your neighbours can vote on the actual day if it differs.
In Lewisham’s own words: “we collect recycling, food waste and garden waste every week and general household rubbish every two weeks”
No streets in Lewisham 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 Lewisham?
In Lewisham, polystyrene goes in your general waste bin. Rubbish bin, or Landmann Way Reuse and Recycling Centre.
What bin does cardboard go in Lewisham?
In Lewisham, flattened cardboard and food boxes go in your recycling bin. Remove plastic padding.
What bin do glass bottles and jars go in Lewisham?
In Lewisham, glass bottles and jars go in your recycling bin. Leave lids on.
What bin does food waste go in Lewisham?
In Lewisham, food waste goes in your food waste bin. It takes vegetable and fruit waste, food scraps, cooked and uncooked, bread and more.
What goes in the recycling bin in Lewisham?
Lewisham's recycling bin accepts paper, magazines and newspapers, envelopes and junk mail, non-metallic wrapping paper, glass bottles and jars, food tins and drinks cans, flattened cardboard and food boxes, and more. No plastic or metallic wrapping.
What goes in the food waste bin in Lewisham?
Lewisham's food waste bin accepts vegetable and fruit waste, food scraps, cooked and uncooked, bread, cheese, egg shells, tea bags and coffee grounds, and more.
What goes in the garden waste bin in Lewisham?
Lewisham's garden waste bin accepts grass clippings and leaves, plants and prunings, garden weeds, small tree branches, hedge trimmings, fallen fruit, and more. Up to 10cm thick and 50cm long.
What can't be recycled in Lewisham?
Items not accepted in Lewisham: black bin bag rubbish, nappies, cat litter or dog poo, food waste. Black bin bag rubbish — general waste only.
Helpful guides
Source: Lewisham council website. Check your council's site for the latest updates.
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