Recycling rules for South Lanarkshire
Based on South Lanarkshire published guidance · Last verified October 2026
Here's what currently goes in each bin in South Lanarkshire.
Search what goes in your bins →Quick answers for South Lanarkshire
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 Lanarkshire's published guidance we hold doesn't list it.
Glass bottles and jars: Goes in your recycling bin
Light grey bin.
Food waste: South Lanarkshire has a separate food waste collection
Takes dairy products that are not liquid, meat and bones, eggs and eggshells and more.
Tins and cans: Goes in your recycling bin
Light grey bin.
Aerosols: Goes in your recycling bin
Light grey bin.
Your bins in South Lanarkshire, by colour
Container colours as published by South Lanarkshire. Some homes get a different container. See the notes.
Blue bin
Clean, dry paper and card
Blue is the paper and card colour in 14 of the 28 councils with a checked paper and card colour.
Grey bin
Glass, metal cans and plastics
Grey is the recycling colour in 4 of the 66 councils with a checked recycling colour.
Grey is the glass colour in 1 of the 16 councils with a checked glass colour.
Light grey bin
Black or green bin
Waste that cannot be recycled
What goes in each bin
Recycling
Accepted
Glass you can place in your light grey bin:
- Glass bottles and jars from food and drink · Light grey bin
- Plastic and metal lids · Light grey bin
Metal you place in your light grey bin:
- Food and drink tins and cans · Light grey bin
- Aerosols · Light grey bin
- Clean aluminium foil · Light grey bin; scrunch small pieces into a ball
Plastics you can place in your light grey bin:
- Empty drinks bottles and caps · Light grey bin
- Bottles from toiletries and cleaning products · Light grey bin
- Clean food and drink pots, tubs and trays (including black trays, washed clean)
Food Waste
Accepted
All cooked and uncooked food can go in your kitchen caddy and burgundy bin, including:
- Dairy products that are not liquid
- Meat and bones
- Eggs and eggshells
- Fruit and vegetables, including peelings
- Bread and cakes
- Fish, including bones and shells
- Rice and pasta
- Tea bags and coffee grounds
- Natural cork
We don't have checked garden waste guidance for South Lanarkshire yet.
See South Lanarkshire's own guidancePaper and card go in the blue bin (see your bins by colour). We don't have a checked list of what goes in it yet.
See South Lanarkshire's own guidanceHow South Lanarkshire compares
- Paper and card have their own container in South Lanarkshire, as in 53 of the 182 councils we have checked.
Next door
In Scottish Borders the recycling bin is blue (grey here).
In North Lanarkshire the recycling bin is green (grey here).
Neighbouring councils we have checked: Dumfries and Galloway, East Ayrshire, Scottish Borders, West Lothian, Glasgow, North Lanarkshire.
When are bins collected in South Lanarkshire?
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.
Check with the council over bank holidays. See the council’s page →
In South Lanarkshire’s own words: “Collections take place every two weeks and help reduce the amount sent to our energy from waste facility.”
Garden waste collections pause over Christmas.
No streets in South Lanarkshire 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 8 pages of South Lanarkshire’s website on 29 October 2026 and checked each of the 22 facts on this page against the council’s own words before publishing it.
One fact on this page names a date; we check it again by 31 March 2027.
Source: South Lanarkshire council website. Check your council’s site for the latest updates.
Frequently asked questions
What colour are the bins in South Lanarkshire?
In South Lanarkshire the recycling and glass bin is grey and the paper and card bin is blue. South Lanarkshire also lists a black or green bin for waste that cannot be recycled. Grey is the recycling colour in 4 of the 66 councils with a checked recycling colour.
Is garden waste collected all year in South Lanarkshire?
Garden waste collections pause over Christmas.
What goes in the recycling bin in South Lanarkshire?
South Lanarkshire’s recycling bin takes “Glass bottles and jars from food and drink”, “Plastic and metal lids” and “Food and drink tins and cans”, among other things.
See the full recycling listWork for South Lanarkshire? See how BinBosh helps councils →
Never guess which bin
Get free reminders the night before your bins go out.