Recycling rules for Northumberland
Based on Northumberland published guidance · Last verified September 2026
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Here's what currently goes in each bin in Northumberland.
Search what goes in your bins →Quick answers for Northumberland
Polystyrene: Not accepted in Northumberland's recycling bin
Not recyclable kerbside. Goes in the general waste bin.
Cardboard: Goes in your recycling bin
Flatten first.
Glass bottles and jars: Needs specialist recycling, not your kerbside bins
Take to local tip.
Food waste: Goes in your general waste bin
No food in Northumberland garden bins.
Shredded paper: Not accepted in Northumberland's recycling bin
Goes in general waste bin.
Clothes: Not accepted in Northumberland's garden waste bin
Not compostable.
What goes in each bin
Recycling
Accepted
Paper & Card
- Clean paper and card · No shredded paper or paper towels
- Corrugated cardboard · Flatten first · Symbol guide
- Birthday and Christmas cards · Plain only — no glitter or bling
- Envelopes · Including window envelopes
- Plain gift wrap
- Newspapers and magazines · Includes catalogues, directories
- Junk mail
Metals
- Food and drinks tins · Rinsed
- Empty aerosol cans · UK basics
Plastics
- Plastic bottles · Washed, squashed — lids and pumps on · Symbol guide
Not accepted
- Shredded paper · Goes in general waste bin · UK basics
- Paper towels and tissues · Goes in general waste bin
- Glitter or bling cards · Goes in general waste bin
- Tin foil or foil trays · Goes in general waste bin · UK basics
- Plastic bags and carrier bags · Goes in general waste bin · UK basics
- Cling film · Goes in general waste bin · UK basics
- Yoghurt pots and food trays · Goes in general waste bin
- Margarine cartons · Goes in general waste bin
- Plant pots · Goes in general waste bin
- Bubble wrap · Goes in general waste bin
- Polystyrene · Not recyclable kerbside · UK basicsInstead: Goes in the general waste bin
- Tetra Paks · Take to local tip · Symbol guideInstead: Household Waste Recovery Centre
- Glass · Take to local tip · Symbol guide
- Bin liners · Goes in general waste bin
- Single use coffee cups · Goes in general waste bin
- Gloss photo paper · Goes in general waste bin
Common mistakes
- Foil and foil trays→ goes in General Waste · Not accepted in Northumberland recycling
- Glass bottles and jars · Take to local tip
- Tetra Pak cartons · Take to local tip
- Batteries · Household and vehicle batteries go to the tip · UK basics
- Electricals · Small electricals and white goods go to the tip · Symbol guide
- Clothes and textiles · Take to a Household Waste Recovery Centre (tip) · UK basics
Tips (12)
- • Only bottles, no other plastic
- • Wash and squash bottles
- • Lids and pumps can stay on
- • Rinse food tins first
- • Flatten cardboard
- • No shredded paper
- • No foil or foil trays
- • No glass — take to tip
- • No yoghurt pots or trays
- • No carrier bags or cling film
- • Plain gift wrap only
- • No excess in black bags
Garden Waste
Accepted
- Grass cuttings
- Shrubs
- Leaves
- Weeds
- Flowers and plants
- Hedge clippings
- Prunings
- Small branches
Not accepted
- Plastic bags or bin bags · Not compostable
- Plant pots or plastic trays · Not compostable
- Kitchen waste or food waste · Not accepted in garden bin
- Soil, bricks or rubble · Not organic waste
- Nappies · General waste only
- Paper, plastic or cardboard · Goes in recycling or general waste
- Textiles · Not compostable
- Animal waste · Not compostable
- Compostable bags · Not accepted
- Children's toys · General waste
- Garden ornaments · General waste or bulky collection
- Ragwort · Not accepted
Common mistakes
- Food waste→ goes in General Waste · No food in Northumberland garden bins
Tips (8)
- • Bin out by 7am
- • No food waste in garden bin
- • No plastic bags
- • No compostable bags
- • No soil or rubble
- • No animal waste
- • No ragwort
- • Take bin in after emptying
How Northumberland compares
- Northumberland’s lists say plastic pots, tubs and trays do not go in its recycling (“Yoghurt pots and food trays”). Of the 113 councils whose lists say either way, 108 take them.
- Northumberland’s lists say foil does not go in its recycling (“Tin foil or foil trays”). Of the 150 councils whose lists say either way, 143 take it.
- Northumberland’s lists say food and drink cartons do not go in its recycling (“Tetra Paks”). Of the 146 councils whose lists say either way, 136 take them.
- Northumberland’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 Northumberland
23 of the 179 councils whose food waste guidance we have checked say it is starting or being rolled out.
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 Northumberland
- Postcode districts all or nearly all in Northumberland: NE18, NE19, NE20, NE22, NE24, NE42, NE43, NE44, NE45, NE46, NE47, NE48, NE49, NE61, NE62, NE63, NE64, NE65, NE66, NE67, NE68, NE69, NE70 and NE71.
- Postcode districts mostly in Northumberland: NE23 (shared with North Tyneside); NE41 (shared with Gateshead); TD15 (shared with Scottish Borders).
- Postcode districts partly in Northumberland: CA8 (shared with Cumberland); DH8 (shared with County Durham); NE15 (shared with Newcastle upon Tyne); NE25 and NE26 (shared with North Tyneside); TD12 (shared with Scottish Borders).
Built-up areas (ONS) with the most postcodes in Northumberland: Blyth, Cramlington, Ashington, Morpeth, Hexham, Bedlington, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Alnwick, Prudhoe, Ponteland, Stakeford, Amble.
Shares count each district’s live postcodes; a district is listed where Northumberland 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
Plastic pots, tubs and trays go in the recycling in County Durham but not in Northumberland. Food and drink cartons go in the recycling in County Durham but not in Northumberland.
Northumberland collects food waste separately; Westmorland and Furness says it does not. Plastic pots, tubs and trays go in the recycling in Westmorland and Furness but not in Northumberland. Foil goes in the recycling in Westmorland and Furness but not in Northumberland.
Plastic pots, tubs and trays go in the recycling in Newcastle upon Tyne but not in Northumberland. Foil goes in the recycling in Newcastle upon Tyne but not in Northumberland.
On bank holidays, that week’s collections move a day later in Northumberland; in North Tyneside, collections stay on the usual day. Plastic pots, tubs and trays go in the recycling in North Tyneside but not in Northumberland. Foil goes in the recycling in North Tyneside but not in Northumberland.
Plastic pots, tubs and trays go in the recycling in Scottish Borders but not in Northumberland. Foil goes in the recycling in Scottish Borders but not in Northumberland.
Neighbouring councils we have checked: County Durham, Westmorland and Furness, Newcastle upon Tyne, North Tyneside, Scottish Borders.
When are bins collected in Northumberland?
Northumberland sets collection days by street: find your bin day, or browse neighbours’ schedules by postcode.
In Northumberland, 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.
Northumberland does not collect garden waste in December, January and February.
BinBosh reminders skip these weeks, and a missed check-in in them does not break your streak.
1 street in Northumberland has a bin schedule on BinBosh, 1 confirmed by neighbours.
Add your street for neighbours to adopt.
Streets in Northumberland on BinBosh
- NE47 5EB1 street
How we checked this page
We checked this guidance against Northumberland’s website in September 2026.
Source: Northumberland council website, which has the latest updates.
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
Is garden waste collected all year in Northumberland?
Northumberland does not collect garden waste in December, January and February.
Do bin collections change on bank holidays in Northumberland?
In Northumberland, 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.
What goes in the recycling bin in Northumberland?
Northumberland’s recycling bin takes “Clean paper and card”, “Corrugated cardboard” and “Birthday and Christmas cards”, among other things.
See the full recycling listWork for Northumberland? See how BinBosh helps councils →
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