Bins and recycling in Enfield

Your bins in Enfield

• Black or grey-lidded rubbish bin

  Collected fortnightly Things you can't reuse, repair or recycle. 140 litre (a 240 litre bin on request if you meet the council's criteria), collected every two weeks on the opposite week to your recycling bin. Homes that can't have a bin use grey rubbish sacks, collected weekly.

• Blue-lidded recycling bin

  Collected fortnightly Mixed dry recycling in one bin: paper, card, cartons, plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays, toothpaste tubes, food tins and drink cans, empty aerosols, scrunched foil and glass bottles and jars. Rinse, flatten and put lids back on bottles and jars. 240 litre (140 litre on request), collected every two weeks. No food, textiles, plastic bags or wrapping, crisp packets, polystyrene, ceramics, electricals, batteries, hard plastics, light bulbs, paint tins, wood or rubble. Homes that can't have a bin use free blue recycling sacks, collected weekly.

• Brown food waste bin (with silver kitchen caddy)

  Collected weekly Cooked and uncooked food, including meat, fish and bones, egg shells, tea bags and coffee grounds, in the 23 litre brown outdoor bin. Collect it in the 5 litre silver kitchen caddy, lined with a 100% compostable liner, newspaper or a compostable paper bag, then empty it into the outdoor bin. No packaging, liquids such as oil or milk, pet waste, garden waste or non-compostable plastic bags.

• Green garden waste bin (paid subscription)

  Collected fortnightly Garden waste, for homes that pay for the service. It costs £100 a year for a 240- or 140-litre green bin, collected every two weeks.

Flat with shared bins or sacks: Flats share rubbish and recycling bins where there is room, and some blocks have a shared food waste bin. Most flats above shops and some blocks have no room for recycling bins and use free blue recycling sacks, collected with the grey rubbish sacks that are delivered twice a year.

Source: London Borough of Enfield's website.

Bin days in Enfield

Check your collection day with London Borough of Enfield's bin day lookup, or use Bin days on this site.

Garden waste and bulky items

Free collection of up to 6 non-electrical bulky items per booking, or choose your own day for £22; free British Heart Foundation collection of furniture in good condition; free AnyJunk collection of large electrical items; paid council electrical collection (£54 for one item, £60 for two, £66 for three). Cancelling an electrical collection with less than 3 working days' notice costs £24. Book or check prices with London Borough of Enfield.

Recycling centres for Enfield

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

• Barrowell Green Reuse and Recycling Centre

  Barrowell Green, Winchmore Hill, London N21 3AU

  Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday 8am to 4pm; closed Mondays and Easter Monday.

  Booking: Book an appointment to come in by vehicle. Vans, trailers and pick-ups also need a permit. No appointment needed on foot.

  Enfield's page lists asbestos, corrosive products, chemicals, paint, gas bottles, hazardous waste and tyres as not accepted here, and printer cartridges aren't on its accepted list; Edmonton EcoPark takes gas bottles and cartridges. Revive ReUse Shop on site, open Tuesday to Saturday 8am to 4pm (no electricals). Phone 020 8379 1000.

  Source: nlwa.gov.uk

• Edmonton EcoPark Reuse and Recycling Centre

  1 Lee Park Way, Edmonton EcoPark, London N18 3BJ

  Opening hours: Monday to Sunday and bank holidays, 8am to 8pm; gates close 15 minutes before. Closed 25 and 26 December and 1 January.

  Booking: No booking for cars. Vans, trailers and vehicles without back seats must book through NLWA's van booking system.

  Water-based paint taken for reuse; solvent-based paint, household and garden chemicals and asbestos are not accepted (the City of London collects hazardous waste free, 020 7332 3433). No tyres. DIY waste such as rubble, soil and bricks is limited to two 50-litre bags, four times in four weeks. Height barrier 1.75m. Phone 07917 849616. Fridges and freezers: NLWA's fridge page (checked 2026-10-12) lists Barrowell Green but not this site, so use Barrowell Green.

  Source: nlwa.gov.uk

Where common items go in Enfield

• Pizza boxYes. Put it in your Blue-lidded recycling bin. Source: London Borough of Enfield
• Plastic carrier bagNot in your home bins. Take it to a drop-off point. Source: London Borough of Enfield
• Crisp packetNot in your home bins. Take it to a drop-off point. Source: London Borough of Enfield
• Black plastic ready-meal trayThis can't be recycled here. Put it in your Black or grey-lidded rubbish bin. Source: London Borough of Enfield
• Paper coffee cupThis can't be recycled here. Put it in your Black or grey-lidded rubbish bin. Source: London Borough of Enfield
• Wine bottleYes. Put it in your Blue-lidded recycling bin. Source: London Borough of Enfield
• Glass jarYes. Put it in your Blue-lidded recycling bin. Source: London Borough of Enfield
• Kitchen foilYes. Put it in your Blue-lidded recycling bin. Source: London Borough of Enfield
• Food scraps and leftoversYes. Put it in your Brown food waste bin (with silver kitchen caddy). Source: London Borough of Enfield
• Tea bagYes. Put it in your Brown food waste bin (with silver kitchen caddy). Source: London Borough of Enfield
• ClothesNot in your home bins. Take it to a drop-off point. Source: London Borough of Enfield
• Battery (not sure which type)Not in any home bin. Take it to a household waste recycling centre. Source: London Borough of Enfield
• Disposable vapeNot in any home bin. Take it to a household waste recycling centre. Source: London Borough of Enfield
• Light bulb (not sure which type)Not in any home bin. Take it to a household waste recycling centre. Source: London Borough of Enfield
• Small household applianceNot in any home bin. Take it to a household waste recycling centre. Source: London Borough of Enfield
• Paint tinNot in any home bin. Take it to a household waste recycling centre. Source: London Borough of Enfield
• Real Christmas treeYes. Put it in your Green garden waste bin (paid subscription). Source: London Borough of Enfield
• Cardboard boxYes. Put it in your Blue-lidded recycling bin. Source: London Borough of Enfield
• Food cartonYes. Put it in your Blue-lidded recycling bin. Source: London Borough of Enfield
• Plastic drinks bottleYes. Put it in your Blue-lidded recycling bin. Source: London Borough of Enfield
• Till receiptThis can't be recycled here. Put it in your Black or grey-lidded rubbish bin. Source: London Borough of Enfield

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

Common questions

What goes in the black or grey-lidded rubbish bin in Enfield?

Things you can't reuse, repair or recycle. 140 litre (a 240 litre bin on request if you meet the council's criteria), collected every two weeks on the opposite week to your recycling bin. Homes that can't have a bin use grey rubbish sacks, collected weekly.

What goes in the blue-lidded recycling bin in Enfield?

Mixed dry recycling in one bin: paper, card, cartons, plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays, toothpaste tubes, food tins and drink cans, empty aerosols, scrunched foil and glass bottles and jars. Rinse, flatten and put lids back on bottles and jars. 240 litre (140 litre on request), collected every two weeks. No food, textiles, plastic bags or wrapping, crisp packets, polystyrene, ceramics, electricals, batteries, hard plastics, light bulbs, paint tins, wood or rubble. Homes that can't have a bin use free blue recycling sacks, collected weekly.

What goes in the brown food waste bin (with silver kitchen caddy) in Enfield?

Cooked and uncooked food, including meat, fish and bones, egg shells, tea bags and coffee grounds, in the 23 litre brown outdoor bin. Collect it in the 5 litre silver kitchen caddy, lined with a 100% compostable liner, newspaper or a compostable paper bag, then empty it into the outdoor bin. No packaging, liquids such as oil or milk, pet waste, garden waste or non-compostable plastic bags.

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

Garden waste, for homes that pay for the service. It costs £100 a year for a 240- or 140-litre green bin, collected every two weeks.

When is my bin day in Enfield?

It depends on your street. Enter your address in London Borough of Enfield's bin day lookup (enfield.gov.uk), or use Bin days on Recycle This.