Recycling rules for South Gloucestershire
Based on South Gloucestershire published guidance · Last verified October 2026
Under Simpler Recycling, councils across England are standardising collections. Here's what currently goes in each bin in South Gloucestershire.
Search what goes in your bins →Quick answers for South Gloucestershire
Polystyrene: Usually general waste (UK-wide position)UK-wide, not council-specific
Across the UK, polystyrene is rarely collected at the kerbside and usually belongs in general waste. South Gloucestershire's published guidance we hold doesn't list it.
Food waste: South Gloucestershire has a separate food waste collection
Takes tea bags, coffee grounds, egg shells and more.
Tins and cans: Goes in your recycling bin
White recycling bag.
Aerosols: Goes in your recycling bin
White recycling bag.
Drink cartons: Goes in your recycling bin
White recycling bag.
Your bins in South Gloucestershire, by colour
Container colours as published by South Gloucestershire. Some homes get a different container. See the notes.
Black bin
General waste
Black is the general rubbish colour in 40 of the 78 councils with a checked general rubbish colour.
Green bin
Garden waste
Green is the garden waste colour in 45 of the 114 councils with a checked garden waste colour.
Availability: subscription
What goes in each bin
Recycling
Accepted
White recycling bag:
- Plastic bottles, tubs and trays · White recycling bag
- Tins and cans · White recycling bag
- Cartons (Tetra Paks) · White recycling bag
- Empty aerosols · White recycling bag
- Aluminium foil · White recycling bag
Blue bags for soft plastics:
- Plastic bags and wrappers · Blue bags for soft plastics
- Pouches · Blue bags for soft plastics
- Sachets · Blue bags for soft plastics
- Clingfilm · Blue bags for soft plastics
- Removable film lids · Blue bags for soft plastics
Food Waste
Accepted
What goes in your food bin, what you can put in:
- Tea bags
- Coffee grounds
- Egg shells
- Pet food
- Food that has gone off
We don't have checked garden waste guidance for South Gloucestershire yet.
See South Gloucestershire's own guidanceWe don't have checked paper and card guidance for South Gloucestershire yet.
See South Gloucestershire's own guidanceWe don't have checked glass guidance for South Gloucestershire yet.
See South Gloucestershire's own guidanceHow South Gloucestershire compares
- South Gloucestershire takes plastic bags at the kerbside (“Plastic bags and wrappers”). Of the 119 councils whose lists say either way, 93 do not.
- South Gloucestershire takes plastic film at the kerbside (“Clingfilm”). Of the 102 councils whose lists say either way, 84 do not.
Next door
Plastic bags go in the recycling in South Gloucestershire but not in Bristol. Plastic film goes in the recycling in South Gloucestershire but not in Bristol.
Plastic film goes in the recycling in South Gloucestershire but not in Cotswold.
When are bins collected in South Gloucestershire?
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.
Bank holidays, in South Gloucestershire’s own words: “Our teams are out collecting every day of the year including bank holidays, except for Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.” See the council’s page →
No streets in South Gloucestershire on BinBosh yet: be the first to add yours, and your neighbours can adopt it instead of setting up their own.
How we checked this page
We read 5 pages of South Gloucestershire’s website on 29 October 2026 and checked each of the 20 facts on this page against the council’s own words before publishing it.
Source: South Gloucestershire council website. Check your council’s site for the latest updates.
Frequently asked questions
What colour are the bins in South Gloucestershire?
In South Gloucestershire the garden waste bin is green and the general rubbish bin is black. South Gloucestershire also lists a white bag for plastic bottles, tins, cans and cartons, and a blue bag for soft plastics. Green is the garden waste colour in 45 of the 114 councils with a checked garden waste colour.
What goes in the recycling bin in South Gloucestershire?
South Gloucestershire’s recycling bin takes “Plastic bottles, tubs and trays”, “Tins and cans” and “Cartons (Tetra Paks)”, among other things.
See the full recycling listWork for South Gloucestershire? See how BinBosh helps councils →
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