Recycling rules for Telford and Wrekin
Based on Telford and Wrekin published guidance · Last verified October 2026
Under Simpler Recycling, councils across England are standardising collections. Here's what currently goes in each bin in Telford and Wrekin.
Search what goes in your bins →Quick answers for Telford and Wrekin
Polystyrene: Not accepted in Telford and Wrekin's paper & card bin
Cannot be recycled with cardboard. Red top bin.
Cardboard: Goes in your paper & card bin
Glass bottles and jars: Goes in your recycling bin
Lids included.
Food waste: Telford and Wrekin has a separate food waste collection
Takes food cooked and uncooked, cheese, eggs and egg shells and more.
Shredded paper: Goes in your paper & card bin
Tins and cans: Goes in your recycling bin
Your bins in Telford and Wrekin, by colour
Container colours as published by Telford and Wrekin. Some homes get a different container. See the notes.
Red bin
Rubbish
Red lid
What goes in each bin
Recycling
Accepted
Purple top bin, we can take::
- Food and liquid cartons
- Aerosols
- Food and drink cans
- Foil
- Foil containers
- Glass bottles and jars · Lids included
- Plastic bottles of all types · Lids included
- Food trays and pots · Including black plastic
- Tubs
- Fruit and vegetable punnets · please remove netting and film coverings
Not accepted
Purple top bin, we can't take::
- Gas cannisters
- Gas bottles
- Gas cartridges
- Nitrous gas bottles
- Butane cannisters
- Hard plastic such as toys, washing up bowls, buckets
- Bubble wrap
- Party plates and cups
- Plastic plant pots
- Polystyrene foam
- Plastic bags and cling film (wrap)
- Cardboard
- Paper
- Shredded paper
- Crisp packets
- Paints and thinners
- Food waste (including pizza take away boxes)
- Glass ornaments
- Glass windowpanes
- Pyrex glass
- Picture frame glass
Food Waste
Accepted
- Food cooked and uncooked
- Eggs and egg shells
- Tea (bagged or loose) and coffee grounds
- Mouldy or out of date food
- All uneaten food including plate scrapings
Your weekly food waste recycling service, yes please:
- Cheese
- Bones
- Meat and fish
- Fruit and vegetable
- Bread and pastries
- Coffee filters
- Pet food
Not accepted
- Liquids
- Packaging of any sort
- Cardboard and paper (please note: you can use a small amount of paper to line your caddy)
Your weekly food waste recycling service, no thanks:
- Oils and fats
- Plastic bags
- Nappies
- Plastic wrapping/cling film
- Animal bedding
- Animal waste/faeces
- Vegware
Garden Waste
Accepted
Top tips on managing your green waste, we take::
- Grass cuttings
- Dead flowers and plants
- Hedge clippings
- Leaves
- Pruning's and cuttings
- Real Christmas trees · Cut up, inside bin with lid down
- Small branches
Not accepted
Top tips on managing your green waste, we can't take::
- Dog and cat litter
- Animal bedding (including straw, hay, sawdust, wood shavings, paper)
- Food waste
- Old clothing
- Plastic
- Sacks or bin liners
- Soil and rubble
- Wood i.e. timber/fencing/posts/panels
- Turf
Paper & Card
Accepted
Blue bag, we take::
- Cardboard
- Catalogues
- Comics
- Greeting cards
- Junk mail
- Magazines
- Newspapers
- Phone directories
- Shredded paper
- Toilet/kitchen roll tubes
Not accepted
Blue bag, we can't take::
- Wallpaper
- Waxed cardboard (fruit juice/long life milk cartons)
- Pizza takeaway boxes
- Polystyrene · Cannot be recycled with cardboardInstead: Red top bin
When are bins collected in Telford and Wrekin?
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 Telford and Wrekin’s own words: “Your recycling and waste collection day will change over the festive period. This includes earlier, later and some same day collections, so please don't forget to make sure you check your revised collection day before presenting your containers for their scheduled collection.” See the council’s page →
No streets in Telford and Wrekin 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 polystyrene go in Telford and Wrekin?
In Telford and Wrekin, polystyrene can't go in your paper & card bin. Cannot be recycled with cardboard. Red top bin.
What bin does cardboard go in Telford and Wrekin?
In Telford and Wrekin, cardboard goes in your paper & card bin.
What bin do glass bottles and jars go in Telford and Wrekin?
In Telford and Wrekin, glass bottles and jars go in your recycling bin. Lids included.
What goes in the recycling bin in Telford and Wrekin?
Telford and Wrekin's recycling bin accepts food and liquid cartons, aerosols, food and drink cans, foil, foil containers, glass bottles and jars, and more. Lids included.
What goes in the food waste bin in Telford and Wrekin?
Telford and Wrekin's food waste bin accepts food cooked and uncooked, cheese, eggs and egg shells, bones, meat and fish, fruit and vegetable, and more.
What goes in the garden waste bin in Telford and Wrekin?
Telford and Wrekin's garden waste bin accepts grass cuttings, dead flowers and plants, hedge clippings, leaves, pruning's and cuttings, real christmas trees, and more. Cut up, inside bin with lid down.
What goes in the paper & card bin in Telford and Wrekin?
Telford and Wrekin's paper & card bin accepts cardboard, catalogues, comics, greeting cards, junk mail, magazines, and more.
What can't be recycled in Telford and Wrekin?
Items not accepted in Telford and Wrekin: gas cannisters, gas bottles, gas cartridges, nitrous gas bottles. Polystyrene — cannot be recycled with cardboard.
Helpful guides
Source: Telford and Wrekin council website. Check your council's site for the latest updates.
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