Recycling rules for Portsmouth
Based on Portsmouth published guidance · Last verified May 2026
Under Simpler Recycling, councils across England are standardising collections. Here's what currently goes in each bin in Portsmouth.
Search what goes in your bins →Quick answers for Portsmouth
Polystyrene: Not accepted in Portsmouth's recycling bin
Contamination; plastic banks can't take it either.
Cardboard: Goes in your recycling bin
Glass bottles and jars: Not accepted in Portsmouth's recycling bin
Not collected kerbside. Take to a glass recycling bank.
Food waste: Portsmouth has a separate food waste collection
Takes uneaten food, tea bags, coffee grounds and more.
Shredded paper: Not accepted in Portsmouth's recycling bin
Tins and cans: Goes in your recycling bin
Your bins in Portsmouth, by colour
Container colours as published by Portsmouth. Some homes get a different container. See the notes.
Green bin
Recycling
Some homes have a recycling box; flats use shared bins
Black bin
Rubbish
Flat-fronted homes put out bags of rubbish instead
Brown bin
Garden waste
Paid 'Leaf it Out' service; garden waste sacks also collected
What goes in each bin
Recycling
Accepted
Paper & Card
- Paper
- Cardboard
- Magazines
- Newspapers
- Window envelopes
- Catalogues
- Writing paper
- Cardboard boxes
- Cereal boxes
- Loo roll inserts
- Cardboard egg boxes
Plastics
- Plastic bottles only · Drinks, cleaning and shampoo bottles
Metals
- Food tins and drinks cans
- Empty aerosols · Air fresheners, deodorant, hairspray
- Biscuit and sweet tins
Not accepted
- Glass · Not collected kerbsideInstead: Take to a glass recycling bank
- Plastic bags and film · Contamination in the kerbside bin
- Tetra Pak cartons · Not accepted in Portsmouth recycling
- Aluminium foil · Not accepted in the recycling bin
- Shredded paper
- Tissues · Not recyclable
- Dirty or greasy paper and card · Contaminates the load
- Bottles with liquids still in · Empty them first
- Food wrappers and packets · Contamination
- Takeaway cups · Contamination
- Greasy takeaway containers · Contamination
- Polystyrene · Contamination; plastic banks can't take it either
Common mistakes
- Plastic pots, tubs and trays · Not bottle-shaped, so not kerbside — plastic banks accept pots, tubs and trays
- Food waste→ goes in Food Waste · Use your food waste bin if you have one
- Batteries · Clear bag on top of the rubbish bin; communal: supermarket
Tips (10)
- • Only plastic bottles, no pots
- • Squash bottles, lids back on
- • No glass — use bottle banks
- • No plastic bags or film
- • No Tetra Pak cartons
- • No foil in recycling
- • Keep paper clean and dry
- • Loose lids are too small
- • No tissues or shredded paper
- • Put items in clean and loose
Food Waste
Accepted
- Uneaten food · Including plate scrapings
- Tea bags · Biodegradable and non-biodegradable
- Coffee grounds
- Out of date or mouldy food
- Raw and cooked meat · Including bones
- Raw and cooked fish · Including skin and bones
- Shellfish and seafood shells
- Dairy products · Such as cheese
- Eggs and egg shells
- Rice, pasta and beans
- Baked goods · Such as bread, cakes and pastries
- Fruit and vegetables · Including raw, cooked and peelings
- Pet food waste
Not accepted
- Packaging of any kind · Except a compostable bag to line the caddy
- Plastic bags · A caddy with plastic bags in it is not emptied
- Glass · Not accepted in the caddies
- Liquids such as milk · May leak during transport
- Cat litter or animal faeces · Not accepted in the caddies
- Compostable cutlery · Not accepted in the caddies
- Compostable packaging · Not accepted in the caddies
Common mistakes
- Garden waste→ goes in Garden Waste · Compost it at home or use the garden waste service
Tips (12)
- • No plastic bags in the caddy
- • Liners must be compostable
- • Newspaper works as a liner
- • Liners are not compulsory
- • Wash the caddy regularly
- • Put the large caddy out by 6am
- • Handle straight up or forward
- • Keep caddy easy to see
- • Collected every week
- • No packaging of any kind
- • No milk or other liquids
- • Request a new caddy online
When are bins collected in Portsmouth?
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.
Portsmouth doesn't move bin collections for bank holidays, so your usual day stands. Christmas and New Year weeks can still differ, so check the council's site for those. Your neighbours can vote on the actual day on BinBosh if it changes.
No streets in Portsmouth 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 Portsmouth?
In Portsmouth, polystyrene can't go in your recycling bin. Contamination; plastic banks can't take it either.
What bin does cardboard go in Portsmouth?
In Portsmouth, cardboard goes in your recycling bin.
What bin do glass bottles and jars go in Portsmouth?
In Portsmouth, glass can't go in your recycling bin. Not collected kerbside. Take to a glass recycling bank.
What bin does food waste go in Portsmouth?
In Portsmouth, food waste goes in your food waste bin. It takes uneaten food, tea bags, coffee grounds and more.
What bin does shredded paper go in Portsmouth?
In Portsmouth, shredded paper can't go in your recycling bin.
What goes in the recycling bin in Portsmouth?
Portsmouth's recycling bin accepts paper, cardboard, plastic bottles only, food tins and drinks cans, empty aerosols, magazines, and more. Drinks, cleaning and shampoo bottles.
What goes in the food waste bin in Portsmouth?
Portsmouth's food waste bin accepts uneaten food, tea bags, coffee grounds, out of date or mouldy food, raw and cooked meat, raw and cooked fish, and more. Including plate scrapings.
What can't be recycled in Portsmouth?
Items not accepted in Portsmouth: glass, plastic bags and film, tetra pak cartons, aluminium foil. Glass — not collected kerbside.
Helpful guides
Source: Portsmouth council website. Check your council's site for the latest updates.
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