Recycling rules for Westminster
Based on Westminster published guidance · Last verified October 2026
Under Simpler Recycling, councils across England are standardising collections. Here's what currently goes in each bin in Westminster.
Search what goes in your bins →Quick answers for Westminster
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. Westminster's published guidance we hold doesn't list it.
Cardboard: Goes in your recycling bin
Glass bottles and jars: Goes in your recycling bin
Food waste: Westminster has a separate food waste collection
Takes plate scrapings and mouldy food, fish, meat and bones, dairy foods and eggshells and more.
Tins and cans: Goes in your recycling bin
Aerosols: Goes in your recycling bin
Empty and not crushed.
Your bins in Westminster, by colour
Container colours as published by Westminster. Some homes get a different container. See the notes.
Blue bin
Mixed recycling
Availability: Suitable properties in selected northern wards
Bagged in clear recycling bags
Black bag
Rubbish
What goes in each bin
Recycling
Accepted
Put the following in your mixed recycling:
- Paper and cardboard
- Food tins and drinks cans
- Mixed glass bottles and jars
- Cartons
- Plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays
- Aerosol cans · Empty and not crushed
- Aluminium foil · Washed and squashed
- Plastic egg boxes
Not accepted
- Blister packsInstead: Household rubbish
- Disposable coffee cupsInstead: Household rubbish
- Put any cardboard with grease or food on it, such as pizza boxes or sandwich containers, in the general rubbishInstead: General rubbish
- Cling film
Food Waste
Accepted
Items you can place in your food bin:
- Plate scrapings and mouldy food
- Fish, meat and bones
- Dairy foods and eggshells
- Tea bags and coffee grounds
- Rice, pasta and beans
- Bread and pastries
- Fruits and vegetables
Not accepted
Please do not put these in your food bins:
- Packaging, including compostable
- Black plastic bags
- Liquids such as milk
- Oil and liquid fat
We don't have checked garden waste guidance for Westminster yet.
See Westminster's own guidanceNext door
On bank holidays, collections stay on the usual day in Westminster; in City of London, only a collection that falls on the bank holiday moves.
On bank holidays, collections stay on the usual day in Westminster; in Camden, that week’s collections move a day later.
Neighbouring councils we have checked: City of London, Brent, Camden.
When are bins collected in Westminster?
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.
Westminster 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.
In Westminster’s own words: “Every residential property in Westminster, including individual houses or blocks of flats receives, at least one mixed recycling collection per week.”
No streets in Westminster on BinBosh yet: be the first to add yours, and your neighbours can adopt it instead of setting up their own.
How we checked this page
We read 7 pages of Westminster’s website on 29 October 2026 and checked each of the 27 facts on this page against the council’s own words before publishing it.
Source: Westminster council website. Check your council’s site for the latest updates.
Frequently asked questions
Do bin collections change on bank holidays in Westminster?
Westminster 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.
What goes in the recycling bin in Westminster?
Westminster’s recycling bin takes “Paper and cardboard”, “Food tins and drinks cans” and “Mixed glass bottles and jars”, among other things.
See the full recycling listWork for Westminster? See how BinBosh helps councils →
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