Recycling rules for Stafford
Based on Stafford published guidance · Last verified October 2026
Under Simpler Recycling, councils across England are standardising collections. Here's what currently goes in each bin in Stafford.
Search what goes in your bins →Quick answers for Stafford
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. Stafford's published guidance we hold doesn't list it.
Cardboard: Goes in your recycling bin
Blue bag.
Glass bottles and jars: Goes in your recycling bin
Food waste: Stafford has a separate food waste collection
Takes bread, cake, pastries, pies and biscuits, dairy products and eggs, fruit and vegetables and more.
Tins and cans: Goes in your recycling bin
Blue bin.
Aerosols: Goes in your recycling bin
Blue bin.
Your bins in Stafford, by colour
Container colours as published by Stafford. Some homes get a different container. See the notes.
Blue bin
Mixed recycling: cans, glass and plastic
Paper and card go in the blue bag
Grey bin (blue lids)
Paper and card
Availability: flats with bin store or communal point
Green bin
General waste
What goes in each bin
Recycling
Accepted
Blue Bin - Recycling:
- Glass bottles and jars
- Plastic bottles
- Plastic pots, tubs and trays · Blue bin; no black plastic or plant pots
- Food tins · Blue bin
- Drink cans · Blue bin
- Tin foil and foil containers · Blue bin
- Aerosols · Blue bin
Blue Bag - Recycling (Paper and Cardboard):
- Newspapers and magazines · Blue bag
- Letters and envelopes · Blue bag; no need to remove windows from envelopes
- Junk mail · Blue bag
- Phone books and catalogues · Blue bag
- Card packaging · Blue bag
- Cardboard boxes · Blue bag
- Egg cartons · Blue bag
- Plain greetings cards · Blue bag
Common mistakes
- Paper and cardboard in blue bin→ goes in Recycling
Food Waste
Accepted
What can go in your food caddy, yes please:
- Bread, cake, pastries, pies and biscuits
- Dairy products and eggs
- Fruit and vegetables · Including peelings
- Meat or fish · Including bones
- Rice, pasta, noodles, beans and pulses
- Plate scrapings and mouldy food
- Takeaway and ready meal leftovers
- Tea bags and coffee grounds
- Domestic pet food · not pet waste or pet bedding
Not accepted
What can go in your food caddy, no thanks:
- Containers or food packaging
- Garden waste
- Liquids, oils or fats
- Non-food waste
Garden Waste
Accepted
Please use the brown bin for the following items only::
- Leaves
- Small branches, twigs and bark
- Grass cuttings
- Cut flowers
- Plants and weeds · Excess soil shaken off
- Hedge clippings
Not accepted
Please do not put these items in the brown bin::
- Soil, turf, rubble or stones
- Biodegradable or compostable items
- Food waste · Cannot be composted by current methodInstead: Home compost bin
- Plant pots, garden tools, toys, ornaments · Not classed as garden waste
When are bins collected in Stafford?
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 Stafford’s own words: “For the majority of households we provide a 3 bin and a blue bag system collected on an alternate weekly collection: Green bin one week, the blue bin and bag and brown bin the next.”
No streets in Stafford 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 Stafford?
In Stafford, cardboard boxes go in your recycling bin. Blue bag.
What bin do glass bottles and jars go in Stafford?
In Stafford, glass bottles and jars go in your recycling bin.
What bin does food waste go in Stafford?
In Stafford, food waste goes in your food waste bin. It takes bread, cake, pastries, pies and biscuits, dairy products and eggs, fruit and vegetables and more.
What bin do tins and cans go in Stafford?
In Stafford, food tins go in your recycling bin. Blue bin.
What goes in the recycling bin in Stafford?
Stafford's recycling bin accepts glass bottles and jars, plastic bottles, plastic pots, tubs and trays, food tins, drink cans, tin foil and foil containers, and more. Blue bin; no black plastic or plant pots.
What goes in the food waste bin in Stafford?
Stafford's food waste bin accepts bread, cake, pastries, pies and biscuits, dairy products and eggs, fruit and vegetables, meat or fish, rice, pasta, noodles, beans and pulses, plate scrapings and mouldy food, and more. Including peelings.
What goes in the garden waste bin in Stafford?
Stafford's garden waste bin accepts leaves, small branches, twigs and bark, grass cuttings, cut flowers, plants and weeds, hedge clippings, and more. Excess soil shaken off.
What can't be recycled in Stafford?
Items not accepted in Stafford: containers or food packaging, garden waste, liquids, oils or fats, non-food waste. Food waste — cannot be composted by current method.
Helpful guides
Source: Stafford council website. Check your council's site for the latest updates.
Work for Stafford? See how BinBosh helps councils →
Never guess which bin
Get free reminders the night before your bins go out.