Recycling rules for South Oxfordshire
Based on South Oxfordshire 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 Oxfordshire.
Search what goes in your bins →Quick answers for South Oxfordshire
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 Oxfordshire's published guidance we hold doesn't list it.
Cardboard: Goes in your recycling bin
Food waste: South Oxfordshire has a separate food waste collection
Takes meat and fish including bones, dairy products, vegetables and fruit and more.
Shredded paper: Goes in your recycling bin
Tins and cans: Goes in your recycling bin
Aerosols: Goes in your recycling bin
Your bins in South Oxfordshire, by colour
Container colours as published by South Oxfordshire. Some homes get a different container. See the notes.
Black bin
Rubbish we can’t recycle
Brown bin
Garden waste
Availability: annual fee
What goes in each bin
Recycling
Accepted
Here’s a list of the things you can put in your green recycling wheelie bin or sack.:
- Cleaning and beauty product bottles · Including the trigger
- Drinks bottles · With the tops on
- Food and drink cartons
- Food trays · Including black trays
- Toothpaste tubes
- Ice cream tubs
- Large sweet tubs
- Margarine tubs
- Plastic milk cartons and bottles
- Yoghurt pots
- Catalogues
- Phone directories
- Cereal boxes
- Cardboard and cardboard boxes
- Envelopes · Including envelopes with plastic windows
- Greeting cards · No glitter
- Junk mail
- Magazines and newspapers
- Shredded paper
- Tissue boxes
- Toilet roll tubes
- Writing paper
- Bottles · any colour, with the lids on
- Jars · any colour
- Perfume bottles
- Aerosols
- Clean foil
- Food tins and cans including pet food
- Steel and aluminium food and drink cans · Please wash them first
- Metal lids · Bottle and jar lids
Not accepted
- Food waste, black bags, nappies and textiles
Food Waste
Accepted
All your raw and cooked food waste such as leftovers and spoilt food, and including:
- Meat and fish including bones · Raw and cooked
- Dairy products
- Vegetables and fruit · Raw and cooked
- Bread, cakes and pastries
- Rice, pasta and beans
- Tea bags and coffee grounds
We don't have checked garden waste guidance for South Oxfordshire yet.
See South Oxfordshire's own guidanceWhen are bins collected in South Oxfordshire?
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 Oxfordshire’s own words: “Our crews will be around to empty your bins on a different day whenever there’s a bank holiday and during Christmas and New Year.” See the council’s page →
In South Oxfordshire’s own words: “We collect recycling and non-recyclables fortnightly – recycling from your green wheelie bin one week, non-recyclables from your black wheelie bin the next.”
No streets in South Oxfordshire 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 cardboard go in South Oxfordshire?
In South Oxfordshire, cereal boxes go in your recycling bin.
What bin does food waste go in South Oxfordshire?
In South Oxfordshire, food waste goes in your food waste bin. It takes meat and fish including bones, dairy products, vegetables and fruit and more.
What bin does shredded paper go in South Oxfordshire?
In South Oxfordshire, shredded paper goes in your recycling bin.
What bin do tins and cans go in South Oxfordshire?
In South Oxfordshire, food tins and cans including pet food goes in your recycling bin.
What bin do aerosols go in South Oxfordshire?
In South Oxfordshire, aerosols go in your recycling bin.
What goes in the recycling bin in South Oxfordshire?
South Oxfordshire's recycling bin accepts cleaning and beauty product bottles, drinks bottles, food and drink cartons, food trays, toothpaste tubes, ice cream tubs, and more. Including the trigger.
What goes in the food waste bin in South Oxfordshire?
South Oxfordshire's food waste bin accepts meat and fish including bones, dairy products, vegetables and fruit, bread, cakes and pastries, rice, pasta and beans, tea bags and coffee grounds, and more. Raw and cooked.
What can't be recycled in South Oxfordshire?
Items not accepted in South Oxfordshire: food waste, black bags, nappies and textiles.
Helpful guides
Source: South Oxfordshire council website. Check your council's site for the latest updates.
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