Recycling rules for Newcastle upon Tyne
Based on Newcastle upon Tyne published guidance · Last verified March 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
Helpful Guides
Source: Newcastle upon Tyne council website. Check your council's site for the latest updates.
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