Bins and recycling in Bristol

Your bins in Bristol

• Black wheelie bin

  Collected fortnightly Only rubbish that can't be recycled, in one 180-litre bin with the lid closed. Bag nappies and pads first. No extra bags beside the bin are collected. Homes that can't have a wheelie bin put out up to three rubbish sacks instead.

• Black recycling box

  Collected weekly Glass bottles and jars (lids go in the red bag), household batteries in a small clear untied bag, and small electricals, including undamaged vapes, in an untied carrier bag. No drinking glasses, window glass, Pyrex, light bulbs, paper or card. Extra recycling can go out in untied carrier bags sorted by material.

• Red recycling bag (was the green box)

  Collected weekly Plastics and cans: plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays (not black plastic), bottle tops and lids, rinsed and squashed food and drink cans, foil and foil trays, and empty aerosols without their lids. No plastic bags or film, crisp packets, cling film, bubble wrap, polystyrene, hard plastics or cardboard. Green boxes are being swapped for this bag between September and November 2026; keep using the green box until yours is swapped.

• Blue recycling bag (paper and card)

  Collected weekly Paper, cardboard, brown paper, clean food and drink cartons (including Tetra Pak) and shredded paper in a paper bag or envelope. Remove tape and fold card so it fits: extra card left outside the bag isn't collected. No greasy pizza boxes, paper cups or other recycling. One bag per home.

• Brown food waste bin (and kitchen caddy)

  Collected weekly All food: cooked and raw, meat, fish and bones, dairy and eggshells, bread, pasta and rice, peelings, plate scrapings, tea bags and coffee grounds. Line the kitchen caddy with newspaper or any plastic carrier or bread bag if you like, then empty it into the brown outdoor bin and lock the handle.

• Green garden waste bin (paid subscription)

  Collected fortnightly Loose grass, leaves, flowers, plants, weeds, hedge prunings and branches up to 5cm thick, plus vegetarian pet bedding. No bags, food, soil, turf, rubble, treated wood, plant pots, pet litter or Japanese knotweed. Costs £59 a year (£56 by Direct Debit), with concessions; paused for a month over Christmas.

Flat with a Mini Recycling Centre: Blocks with 15 or more flats usually share a Mini Recycling Centre: large bins for rubbish, paper and card, plastics and cans, glass and food. There's no kerbside collection of batteries, small electricals or garden waste, and your landlord or agent looks after the bin store.

Source: Bristol City Council's website.

Bin days in Bristol

Check your collection day with Bristol City Council's bin day lookup, or use Bin days on this site.

Garden waste and bulky items

Garden waste collection: £59 a year. From 6 May 2026: £59 for collection only or £81 with a new bin; £56 and £78 if paid by Direct Debit; concessionary £28 (£38.50 with a bin), or £25 (£35.50 with a bin) by Direct Debit; the page says its online forms were still being updated to the new prices. (source)

£27 for up to 3 items or £52 for 4 to 6 (fridges, beds, mattresses, electricals, furniture). Sofas and armchairs are booked separately: £26.50 for one, £41.50 for two, £52 for three. Put items on the kerb by 7am. No DIY waste, tyres, car parts, paint or garden waste. Cancel 5 working days ahead for a refund. Charities such as SOFA Project and Emmaus collect reusable furniture free. Book or check prices with Bristol City Council.

Recycling centres for Bristol

Household waste recycling centres take what your bins can't. Some need a booking: check before you go.

• Avonmouth Reuse and Recycling Centre

  Kings Weston Lane, Avonmouth, Bristol BS11 0YS

  Opening hours: Open Monday, Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Weekdays 9am to 5pm, weekends 8am to 4pm. Closed 25 and 26 December and 1 January.

  Booking: You need to book a slot to drive in, online up to 2 weeks ahead or 1 hour before if slots remain (recyclingcentrebooking.bristol.gov.uk), or call 0117 922 2100. No booking needed on a bike, or on foot at Hartcliffe Way. Bring photo ID and proof of a Bristol address.

  Bristol residents only. Free DIY allowance per visit: 100 litres of soil and rubble, or 1 sheet of plasterboard or asbestos, or 1 item of sanitary ware; more is charged. Tyres up to 4 free. No vehicles over 2.4m high. Takes medicines with household hazardous waste (council hazardous waste page, checked 2026-10-12).

  Source: bristol.gov.uk

• Hartcliffe Way Reuse and Recycling Centre

  83 Hartcliffe Way, Bristol BS3 5RN

  Opening hours: Open Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Weekdays 9am to 5pm, weekends 8am to 4pm. Closed 25 and 26 December and 1 January.

  Booking: You need to book a slot to drive in, online up to 2 weeks ahead or 1 hour before if slots remain (recyclingcentrebooking.bristol.gov.uk), or call 0117 922 2100. No booking needed on a bike, or on foot at Hartcliffe Way. Bring photo ID and proof of a Bristol address.

  Bristol residents only. Free DIY allowance per visit: 100 litres of soil and rubble, or 1 sheet of plasterboard or asbestos, or 1 item of sanitary ware; more is charged. Tyres up to 4 free. The only Bristol site for vehicles over 2.4m high; you can also walk in without booking. Takes medicines with household hazardous waste (council hazardous waste page, checked 2026-10-12).

  Source: bristol.gov.uk

• St Philips Reuse and Recycling Centre

  Folly Lane, off Days Road, St Philips, Bristol BS2 0QS

  Opening hours: Open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. Weekdays 9am to 5pm, weekends 8am to 4pm. Closed 25 and 26 December and 1 January.

  Booking: You need to book a slot to drive in, online up to 2 weeks ahead or 1 hour before if slots remain (recyclingcentrebooking.bristol.gov.uk), or call 0117 922 2100. No booking needed on a bike, or on foot at Hartcliffe Way. Bring photo ID and proof of a Bristol address.

  Bristol residents only. Free DIY allowance per visit: 100 litres of soil and rubble, or 1 sheet of plasterboard or asbestos, or 1 item of sanitary ware; more is charged. Tyres up to 4 free. No vehicles over 2.4m high. Has a Little Reuse Shop (book a slot to visit). Takes medicines with household hazardous waste (council hazardous waste page, checked 2026-10-12).

  Source: bristol.gov.uk

Where common items go in Bristol

• Pizza boxThis can't be recycled here. Put it in your Black wheelie bin. Source: Bristol City Council
• Plastic carrier bagNot in your home bins. Take it to a drop-off point. Source: Bristol City Council
• Crisp packetThis can't be recycled here. Put it in your Black wheelie bin. Source: Bristol City Council
• Black plastic ready-meal trayThis can't be recycled here. Put it in your Black wheelie bin. Source: Bristol City Council
• Paper coffee cupThis can't be recycled here. Put it in your Black wheelie bin. Source: Bristol City Council
• Wine bottleYes. Put it in your Black recycling box. Source: Bristol City Council
• Glass jarYes. Put it in your Black recycling box. Source: Bristol City Council
• Kitchen foilYes. Put it in your Red recycling bag (was the green box). Source: Bristol City Council
• Food scraps and leftoversYes. Put it in your Brown food waste bin (and kitchen caddy). Source: Bristol City Council
• Tea bagYes. Put it in your Brown food waste bin (and kitchen caddy). Source: Bristol City Council
• ClothesNot in any home bin. Take it to a household waste recycling centre. Source: Bristol City Council
• Battery (not sure which type)Yes. Put it in your Black recycling box. Source: Bristol City Council
• Disposable vapeYes. Put it in your Black recycling box. Source: Bristol City Council
• Light bulb (not sure which type)Not in any home bin. Take it to a household waste recycling centre. Source: Bristol City Council
• Small household applianceYes. Put it in your Black recycling box. Source: Bristol City Council
• Paint tinNot in any home bin. Take it to a household waste recycling centre. Source: Bristol City Council
• Real Christmas treeYes. Put it in your Green garden waste bin (paid subscription). Source: Bristol City Council
• Cardboard boxYes. Put it in your Blue recycling bag (paper and card). Source: Bristol City Council
• Food cartonYes. Put it in your Blue recycling bag (paper and card). Source: Bristol City Council
• Plastic drinks bottleYes. Put it in your Red recycling bag (was the green box). Source: Bristol City Council
• Till receiptThis can't be recycled here. Put it in your Black wheelie bin. Source: Bristol City Council

Something else? Search any item and choose Bristol as your council.

Common questions

What goes in the black wheelie bin in Bristol?

Only rubbish that can't be recycled, in one 180-litre bin with the lid closed. Bag nappies and pads first. No extra bags beside the bin are collected. Homes that can't have a wheelie bin put out up to three rubbish sacks instead.

What goes in the black recycling box in Bristol?

Glass bottles and jars (lids go in the red bag), household batteries in a small clear untied bag, and small electricals, including undamaged vapes, in an untied carrier bag. No drinking glasses, window glass, Pyrex, light bulbs, paper or card. Extra recycling can go out in untied carrier bags sorted by material.

What goes in the red recycling bag (was the green box) in Bristol?

Plastics and cans: plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays (not black plastic), bottle tops and lids, rinsed and squashed food and drink cans, foil and foil trays, and empty aerosols without their lids. No plastic bags or film, crisp packets, cling film, bubble wrap, polystyrene, hard plastics or cardboard. Green boxes are being swapped for this bag between September and November 2026; keep using the green box until yours is swapped.

What goes in the blue recycling bag (paper and card) in Bristol?

Paper, cardboard, brown paper, clean food and drink cartons (including Tetra Pak) and shredded paper in a paper bag or envelope. Remove tape and fold card so it fits: extra card left outside the bag isn't collected. No greasy pizza boxes, paper cups or other recycling. One bag per home.

What goes in the brown food waste bin (and kitchen caddy) in Bristol?

All food: cooked and raw, meat, fish and bones, dairy and eggshells, bread, pasta and rice, peelings, plate scrapings, tea bags and coffee grounds. Line the kitchen caddy with newspaper or any plastic carrier or bread bag if you like, then empty it into the brown outdoor bin and lock the handle.

What goes in the green garden waste bin (paid subscription) in Bristol?

Loose grass, leaves, flowers, plants, weeds, hedge prunings and branches up to 5cm thick, plus vegetarian pet bedding. No bags, food, soil, turf, rubble, treated wood, plant pots, pet litter or Japanese knotweed. Costs £59 a year (£56 by Direct Debit), with concessions; paused for a month over Christmas.

When is my bin day in Bristol?

It depends on your street. Enter your address in Bristol City Council's bin day lookup (waste.bristol.gov.uk), or use Bin days on Recycle This.