Recycling rules for Newcastle upon Tyne
Based on Newcastle upon Tyne published guidance · Last verified May 2026
Under Simpler Recycling, councils across England are standardising collections. Here's what currently goes in each bin in Newcastle upon Tyne.
Search what goes in your bins →Recycling
Accepted
Glass
- Glass bottles and jars — Lids on
Metals
- Food and drink cans — Rinse
- Empty aerosol cans
- Aluminium foil — Scrunch into a ball
- Foil trays — Rinse before recycling
- Biscuit tins
Plastics
- Plastic bottles — Leave lids on
- Plastic pots, tubs and trays — Rinse — includes yoghurt pots
- Plastic chocolate tubs — Rinse
Paper & Card
- Cardboard — Flatten boxes
- Newspapers and magazines
- Paper
- Envelopes — Window envelopes are fine
Other
- Beverage cartons — Rinse, includes Tetra Paks
Not accepted
- Compostable plastics — Not recyclable kerbsideInstead: Put in green (general waste) bin
- Compostable cutlery and plates — Not recyclable kerbside
- Small electrical items — Contains hazardous partsInstead: Book free council collection or take to recycling centre
- Nappies — General waste onlyInstead: Put in green (general waste) bin
- Food waste — Contaminates clean recyclables
- Plastic bags — Jams sorting machineryInstead: Take to supermarket collection point
- Polystyrene — Not recyclable kerbside
- Black plastic trays — Cannot be detected by sorting equipment
Common mistakes
- Shredded paper→ goes in General Waste — Too small for sorting machinery
- Batteries — Take to a battery recycling point
- Textiles and clothes — Donate to charity or textile bank
- Pyrex and ceramics→ goes in General Waste — Different melting point to glass
- Soft plastics and cling film→ goes in General Waste — Take to supermarket collection
Tips (12)
- • Items must be clean and dry
- • Leave lids on bottles
- • Scrunch foil into a ball
- • Flatten cardboard boxes
- • Rinse pots, tubs and trays
- • No plastic bags in the bin
- • No food waste in recycling
- • Squash bottles to save space
- • No nappies — general waste
- • Window envelopes are fine
- • No compostable plastics
- • Aerosol cans are recyclable
When are bins collected in Newcastle upon Tyne?
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.
Helpful Guides
Source: Newcastle upon Tyne council website. Check your council's site for the latest updates.
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