Recycling rules for Tunbridge Wells
Based on Tunbridge Wells published guidance · Last verified October 2026
Under Simpler Recycling, councils across England are standardising collections. Here's what currently goes in each bin in Tunbridge Wells.
Search what goes in your bins →Quick answers for Tunbridge Wells
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. Tunbridge Wells's published guidance we hold doesn't list it.
Cardboard: Goes in your recycling bin
Green box.
Glass bottles and jars: Goes in your recycling bin
Food waste: Tunbridge Wells has a separate food waste collection
Takes dairy products (e.g. cheese), eggshells, tea bags and coffee grounds and more.
Tins and cans: Goes in your recycling bin
Drink cartons: Goes in your recycling bin
Your bins in Tunbridge Wells, by colour
Container colours as published by Tunbridge Wells. Some homes get a different container. See the notes.
Green bin
Household rubbish
Black sack
Same waste as green refuse bins
Availability: properties without space for a refuse bin
What goes in each bin
Recycling
Accepted
Recycling bin, ✔ What can go in the bin?:
- Glass bottles and jars
- Clear or coloured plastic bottles
- Food tins
- Plastic pots & tubs
- Plastic food trays & punnets
- Sweet / biscuit tins
- Aluminium foil / foil food trays
- Cans
- Tetra Pak cartons
Green box, ✔ What can go in the box?:
- Newspapers, magazines, brochures, catalogues, leaflets · Green box
- Cardboard (cereal, egg and shoe boxes) · Green box
- White paper · Green box
- Envelopes & greeting cards · Green box
- Gift wrap (non-metallic) · Green box
- Corrugated cardboard · Green box
Not accepted
Recycling bin, ✖ What cannot go in the bin?:
- Plastic bags
- Black plastic
- Flower pots
- Plastic egg boxes
- Crisp and biscuit packets
- Bread bags
- Coat hangers
- Other glass (pyrex, drinking glasses, window glass)
- Cat and dog food pouches
- Gas canisters or cylinders
Food Waste
Accepted
How to use your food waste bins, ✔ What can go in the bins?:
- Dairy products (e.g. cheese)
- Eggshells
- Tea bags and coffee grounds
- Meat, fish and bones
- Bread, cakes and pastries
- Rice, pasta and beans
- Leftovers, including pet food
- Fruit and vegetables
Not accepted
How to use your food waste bins, ✖ What cannot go in the bins?:
- Oil or liquid fat
- Liquids
- Packaging
- Plastic bags or wrapping
Garden Waste
Accepted
Garden waste bin, ✔ What can go in the bin?:
- Grass cuttings
- Plants and flowers
- Hedge trimmings
- Leaves
- Windfall fruit
- Small branches · Up to 5cm diameter
Not accepted
Garden waste bin, ✖ What cannot go in the bin?:
- Black sacks
- Soil or turf
- Stones
- Cat and dog litter
- Animal bedding
- Plastic plant pots
- Compostable or cornstarch bags
- Fence panels and posts
- Treated wood
- Japanese knotweed
- Glass
- Fake Christmas trees
- Ash
When are bins collected in Tunbridge Wells?
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 Tunbridge Wells’s own words: “We collect on all bank holidays except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day. For these collections, please check the bins and recycling section of the website.” See the council’s page →
In Tunbridge Wells’s own words: “You receive weekly collections of food waste and alternating fortnightly collections of recycling and household waste.”
No streets in Tunbridge Wells 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 Tunbridge Wells?
In Tunbridge Wells, cardboard (cereal, egg and shoe boxes) goes in your recycling bin. Green box.
What bin do glass bottles and jars go in Tunbridge Wells?
In Tunbridge Wells, glass bottles and jars go in your recycling bin.
What bin does food waste go in Tunbridge Wells?
In Tunbridge Wells, food waste goes in your food waste bin. It takes dairy products (e.g. cheese), eggshells, tea bags and coffee grounds and more.
What bin do tins and cans go in Tunbridge Wells?
In Tunbridge Wells, food tins go in your recycling bin.
What goes in the recycling bin in Tunbridge Wells?
Tunbridge Wells's recycling bin accepts glass bottles and jars, clear or coloured plastic bottles, food tins, plastic pots & tubs, plastic food trays & punnets, sweet / biscuit tins, and more.
What goes in the food waste bin in Tunbridge Wells?
Tunbridge Wells's food waste bin accepts dairy products (e.g. cheese), eggshells, tea bags and coffee grounds, meat, fish and bones, bread, cakes and pastries, rice, pasta and beans, and more.
What goes in the garden waste bin in Tunbridge Wells?
Tunbridge Wells's garden waste bin accepts grass cuttings, plants and flowers, hedge trimmings, leaves, windfall fruit, small branches, and more. Up to 5cm diameter.
What can't be recycled in Tunbridge Wells?
Items not accepted in Tunbridge Wells: plastic bags, black plastic, flower pots, plastic egg boxes.
Helpful guides
Source: Tunbridge Wells council website. Check your council's site for the latest updates.
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