Recycling rules for Stevenage
Based on Stevenage published guidance · Last verified October 2026
Under Simpler Recycling, councils across England are standardising collections. Here's what currently goes in each bin in Stevenage.
Search what goes in your bins →Quick answers for Stevenage
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. Stevenage's published guidance we hold doesn't list it.
Cardboard: Goes in your recycling bin
Blue container or bag.
Food waste: Stevenage has a separate food waste collection
Takes vegetable and fruit peelings, leftover food and plate scrapings, bread, cakes and pastries and more.
Shredded paper: Goes in your recycling bin
Blue container or bag.
Tins and cans: Goes in your recycling bin
Black container or bag.
Aerosols: Goes in your recycling bin
Black container or bag.
Your bins in Stevenage, by colour
Container colours as published by Stevenage. Some homes get a different container. See the notes.
Black bin
Waste that cannot be recycled
Brown bin
Garden waste
Black bag (recycling)
Plastic bottles, pots, tubs, trays and metals
Black containers being replaced with 65 litre bags
Blue bag
Paper and card
Blue containers being replaced with 65 litre bags
Red box
Glass bottles and jars
What goes in each bin
Recycling
Accepted
You can recycle the following in your black container or bag:
- Plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays · Black container or bag
- Drink bottles · Black container or bag
- Cleaner and detergent bottles · Black container or bag
- Toiletries and bathroom bottles · Black container or bag
- Yoghurt and soup pots · Black container or bag
- Margarine and ice cream tubs · Black container or bag
- Trays and punnets (including black plastic) · Black container or bag
- Chocolate and biscuit tubs and trays · Black container or bag
- Drink cans · Black container or bag
- Food tins · Black container or bag
- Metal lids and tops · Black container or bag
- Biscuit/chocolate tins · Including lids; black container or bag
- Aluminium foil · Black container or bag
- Foil trays · Black container or bag
- Aerosols · Black container or bag
- Food and juice cartons (Tetra Pak) · Black container or bag
You can recycle the following in your blue container or bag:
- Newspaper and magazines · Blue container or bag
- White paper · Blue container or bag
- Envelopes (including windows) · Blue container or bag
- Junk mail · Blue container or bag
- Shredded paper · Blue container or bag
- Brown paper and envelopes · Blue container or bag
- Cardboard boxes · Blue container or bag
- Corrugated cardboard · Blue container or bag
- Cardboard egg boxes · Blue container or bag
- Plain greeting cards · Blue container or bag
- Cardboard sleeves · Blue container or bag
- Cardboard tubes · Blue container or bag
- Cardboard sandwich boxes · Blue container or bag
Not accepted
- Batteries
Food Waste
Accepted
Green food caddy:
- Vegetable and fruit peelings
- Leftover food and plate scrapings
- Bread, cakes and pastries
- Dairy products, cheese and eggs
- Tea bags and coffee grounds
- Meat and fish, including bones
- Rice, beans and pasta
- Pet food
You can use any bag, liner or newspaper for your food waste, including:
- Compostable caddy liners
We don't have checked garden waste guidance for Stevenage yet.
See Stevenage's own guidanceWe don't have checked glass guidance for Stevenage yet.
See Stevenage's own guidanceWhen are bins collected in Stevenage?
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 →
No streets in Stevenage 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 Stevenage?
In Stevenage, cardboard boxes go in your recycling bin. Blue container or bag.
What bin does food waste go in Stevenage?
In Stevenage, food waste goes in your food waste bin. It takes vegetable and fruit peelings, leftover food and plate scrapings, bread, cakes and pastries and more.
What bin does shredded paper go in Stevenage?
In Stevenage, shredded paper goes in your recycling bin. Blue container or bag.
What bin do tins and cans go in Stevenage?
In Stevenage, drink cans go in your recycling bin. Black container or bag.
What bin do aerosols go in Stevenage?
In Stevenage, aerosols go in your recycling bin. Black container or bag.
What goes in the recycling bin in Stevenage?
Stevenage's recycling bin accepts plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays, drink bottles, cleaner and detergent bottles, toiletries and bathroom bottles, yoghurt and soup pots, margarine and ice cream tubs, and more. Black container or bag.
What goes in the food waste bin in Stevenage?
Stevenage's food waste bin accepts vegetable and fruit peelings, leftover food and plate scrapings, bread, cakes and pastries, dairy products, cheese and eggs, tea bags and coffee grounds, meat and fish, including bones, and more.
What can't be recycled in Stevenage?
Items not accepted in Stevenage: batteries.
Helpful guides
Source: Stevenage council website. Check your council's site for the latest updates.
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