Recycling rules for Wakefield
Based on Wakefield published guidance · Last verified September 2026
Under Simpler Recycling, councils across England are standardising collections. Here's what currently goes in each bin in Wakefield.
Search what goes in your bins →Quick answers for Wakefield
Polystyrene: Goes in your general waste bin
Green household waste bin.
Cardboard: Goes in your recycling bin
Squash them to save space.
Glass bottles and jars: Goes in your recycling bin
Rinse, then always put the lids back on.
Your bins in Wakefield, by colour
Container colours as published by Wakefield. Some homes get a different container — see the notes.
Green bin
General household waste
Food waste also goes in this bin
Brown bin
Plastic, cans, cartons, glass, paper and card
One of two brown bins - the other brown bin is for garden waste
What goes in each bin
Recycling
Accepted
Plastics
- Plastic bottles
- Plastic pots and tubs — Including yoghurt pots and margarine tubs
- Plastic trays — Including food packaging
- Fruit or vegetable punnets
- Non-black plastic plant pots
Other
- Empty toothpaste tubes
- Cartons for food, drink and other liquids — Including juice or milk substitute cartons
Metals
- Steel cans — Soup, beans, dog food and so on
- Aluminium drinks cans
- Clean foil
- Empty aerosol cans — E.g. deodorant, air fresheners, furniture polish
Paper & Card
- Paper and card
- Paperback books
- Newspapers and magazines
- Envelopes
- Cardboard boxes — Squash them to save space
Glass
- Glass bottles and jars — Rinse, then always put the lids back on
Not accepted
- Soft plastic packaging — Not accepted in the brown recycling binInstead: Green household waste bin
- Plastic bags inside the bin — Do not put plastic bags inside your binInstead: Green household waste bin
- Windowpane glass — Not accepted in the brown recycling bin
- Drinking glasses — Not accepted in the brown recycling bin
- Pyrex dishes — Not accepted in the brown recycling bin
- Broken glass and crockery — Not accepted in the brown recycling binInstead: Green household waste bin
- Shredded paper — Not accepted in the brown recycling bin
- Waxed paper — Not accepted in the brown recycling bin
- Greaseproof paper — Not accepted in the brown recycling bin
- Card with food on it — Not accepted, e.g. takeaway pizza boxesInstead: Green household waste bin
- Metal items other than cans and tins — Not accepted in the brown recycling bin
- Electrical items — Batteries in them can cause fires in bin wagonsInstead: Household Waste Recycling Centre
- Batteries — Can cause fires in bin wagons and waste sitesInstead: HWRC, bring site or supermarket battery point
Common mistakes
- Greasy food packaging→ goes in General Waste — Takeaway cartons and pizza boxes: green bin
- Polystyrene→ goes in General Waste — Green household waste bin
- Crisp packets and wrappers→ goes in General Waste — Green household waste bin
- Food leftovers→ goes in General Waste — Food goes in the green household waste bin
- Nappies, wipes and sanitary products→ goes in General Waste — Green household waste bin - never flush these
- Vapes — HWRC, WEEE bring site or library pink bin
- Textiles and clothes — HWRC, charity shop or clothing bank
- Paint and solvents — Not in any bin - take to a HWRC
- Wood, rubble or stone — Not in any bin - take to a HWRC
- Gas canisters — Dispose of safely at your local HWRC
- Recyclables in the green bin→ goes in Recycling — Anything that can be recycled: brown recycling bin
Tips (18)
- • Clean, free from food or drink
- • Rinse jars, put lids back on
- • Squash cardboard boxes
- • No plastic bags inside the bin
- • Extra: clear bags by the bin
- • Flatpack extra card in one box
- • Plant pots ok, not black ones
- • Empty aerosols are accepted
- • Clean foil is accepted
- • No soft plastic packaging
- • No shredded or waxed paper
- • No greaseproof paper
- • No card with food on it
- • No broken glass or crockery
- • No Pyrex or drinking glasses
- • No windowpane glass
- • No batteries or electricals
- • Out by 7am on collection day
Garden Waste
Accepted
- Flowers and plants
- Bark, twigs and branches — Not large branches
- Leaves
- Hedge trimmings and prunings
- Grass cuttings
- Weeds
Not accepted
- Food, fruit or vegetables — Not accepted in the brown garden binInstead: Green household waste bin
- Soil, turf or compost — Not accepted in the brown garden bin
- Pet waste and cat litter — Not accepted in the brown garden binInstead: Pet waste: green household waste bin
- Bones and eggshells — Not accepted in the brown garden binInstead: Eggshells: green household waste bin
- Vacuum contents and hair — Not accepted in the brown garden bin
- Planks of wood or large branches — Not accepted in the brown garden binInstead: Household Waste Recycling Centre
- Rubbish or recycling — Not accepted in the brown garden binInstead: Green bin or brown recycling bin
Common mistakes
- Garden waste in the green bin→ goes in Garden Waste — Garden waste does not belong in the green bin
- Extra garden waste bagged by the bin — Will not be taken - take it to a HWRC
Tips (15)
- • Collected March to November
- • Collected every fortnight
- • Out on your green bin day
- • Out by 7am on collection day
- • Grass, leaves and weeds are ok
- • Hedge trimmings accepted
- • No soil, turf or compost
- • No food, bones or eggshells
- • No pet waste or cat litter
- • No vacuum contents or hair
- • No planks or large branches
- • Bagged extras are not taken
- • Extra garden waste to a HWRC
- • Turned into soil improver
- • One garden bin per property
When are bins collected in Wakefield?
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.
Wakefield doesn't move bin collections for bank holidays, so your usual day stands. Christmas and New Year weeks can still differ, so check the council's site for those. Your neighbours can vote on the actual day on BinBosh if it changes.
No streets in Wakefield 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 Wakefield?
In Wakefield, polystyrene goes in your general waste bin. Green household waste bin.
What bin do cardboard boxes go in Wakefield?
In Wakefield, cardboard boxes go in your recycling bin. Squash them to save space.
What bin do glass bottles and jars go in Wakefield?
In Wakefield, glass bottles and jars go in your recycling bin. Rinse, then always put the lids back on.
What goes in the recycling bin in Wakefield?
Wakefield's recycling bin accepts plastic bottles, plastic pots and tubs, plastic trays, fruit or vegetable punnets, non-black plastic plant pots, empty toothpaste tubes, and more. Including yoghurt pots and margarine tubs.
What goes in the garden waste bin in Wakefield?
Wakefield's garden waste bin accepts flowers and plants, bark, twigs and branches, leaves, hedge trimmings and prunings, grass cuttings, weeds, and more. Not large branches.
What bin does greasy food packaging go in Wakefield?
In Wakefield, greasy food packaging goes in your general waste bin. Takeaway cartons and pizza boxes: green bin.
What bin does soft plastic packaging go in Wakefield?
In Wakefield, soft plastic packaging can't go in your recycling bin. Not accepted in the brown recycling bin. Green household waste bin.
What can't be recycled in Wakefield?
Items not accepted in Wakefield: soft plastic packaging, plastic bags inside the bin, windowpane glass, drinking glasses. Soft plastic packaging — not accepted in the brown recycling bin.
Helpful Guides
Source: Wakefield council website. Check your council's site for the latest updates.
Work for Wakefield? See how BinBosh helps councils →
Never guess which bin
Get free reminders the night before your bins go out.