Bins and recycling in Hillingdon

Your bins in Hillingdon

• Clear recycling bag

  Collected weekly All mixed together, clean, dry and empty: paper, newspapers, magazines, junk mail, envelopes, shredded paper, wrapping paper (not the foil type), books, cardboard, cartons, glass bottles and jars, food and drink cans, empty aerosols, clean foil and foil trays, plastic bottles with their lids, yoghurt pots, butter and margarine tubs and plastic trays. No batteries, bubble wrap, crisp packets, shopping bags, takeaway cups, polystyrene, hard plastics, plastic toys, pet food packaging, light bulbs, textiles, wood or food. The council gives out the bags free and you can put out as many as you like. Flatten large cardboard, tie or tape it and put it under your bags.

• Black rubbish sacks (your own)

  Collected weekly Rubbish that can't be recycled, such as nappies, pet waste, sanitary products, tissues and wet wipes, polystyrene, broken crockery and hard plastics, in tied black bags that you buy yourself. Wrap broken glass or anything sharp. No batteries, electricals, light bulbs, food, garden waste, textiles, chemicals, gas canisters or recyclable items. The council suggests keeping bags in a dustbin of up to 90 litres (not a wheelie bin) until collection day to keep foxes out.

• Food waste bin (with kitchen caddy)

  Collected weekly All food: plate scrapings, raw and cooked meat and fish with skin and bones, dairy, eggs and eggshells, bread, cakes, fruit and veg peelings, rice, pasta, tea bags, coffee grounds and pet food, plus paper kitchen towels. Free, but you have to sign up; you then get a kitchen caddy, a roll of liners and an outdoor food bin. Tie full liners and put them in the outdoor bin, out by 6am on your collection day.

• Garden waste sack with tag (paid subscription)

  Collected weekly March to November, fortnightly December to February Grass cuttings, hedge clippings, leaves, twigs and branches (no more than 2 inches thick and 2 feet long), dead flowers and weeds. No large amounts of soil. The 2026/27 subscription costs £77 and runs from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027. It includes 3 sacks and tags, and you can ask for up to 3 more. Each sack needs this year's tag with your address on it. No collections from 21 December to 3 January.

Source: London Borough of Hillingdon's website.

Bin days in Hillingdon

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

Garden waste and bulky items

Garden waste collection: £77 a year. £77.00 for the 2026/27 term (1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027) for 3 or 6 reusable 90 litre garden waste sacks; you can join at any time up to 31 December 2026 but the fee is paid in full with no pro rata; non-refundable; American Express isn't accepted. (source)

£53 for residents, £39 for over-65s, £94 for landlords, for up to 6 items such as beds, mattresses, sofas, wardrobes and washing machines. 3 black bags of smaller items can stand in for 1 item. Collections are Monday to Friday from 6am. Not fridges or freezers (at the moment), DIY waste, doors, sheds, rubble, soil, tiles, paint, gas canisters, garden waste, textiles, duvets and pillows, car parts or tyres. Book or check prices with London Borough of Hillingdon.

Recycling centres for Hillingdon

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

• Harefield Civic Amenity Site

  New Years Green Lane, Harefield, UB9 6LX

  Opening hours: Every day 8am to 4pm; last entry for residents 3.45pm. Closed Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day.

  Booking: No booking. Cars need a HillingdonFirst card, or a driving licence and a household bill. Vans need photo ID and a household bill from the last 3 months, and are limited to 12 visits a year.

  Vehicles only, no pedestrians. No gas cylinders, fire extinguishers or asbestos; helium canisters must be handed to staff. Harden paint before you bring it. DIY waste is free up to 5 black bags or 4 single items a day. There is a reuse centre on site for furniture and household items (no textiles or electricals). Queues can reach an hour and a half; Wednesdays and Thursdays are quieter. Map position is the postcode centre.

  Source: pre.hillingdon.gov.uk

• Space Waye Reuse and Recycling Centre (Hounslow)

  North Feltham Trading Estate, Pier Road (off Faggs Road), Feltham TW14 0TH

  Opening hours: Every day, 8am to 3.30pm.

  Booking: Monday to Thursday: no booking needed (trial), but bring proof of address. Friday, Saturday, Sunday and bank holidays: book a slot online, up to 2 weeks ahead.

  The Monday to Thursday no-booking trial runs until the end of October 2026 (Hounslow gives no exact date): recheck after 31 Oct 2026 in case booking returns for every day. What it takes is on Hounslow's list: hounslow.gov.uk/reuse-recycling-centre/can-bring-reuse-recycling-centre. Hours and booking source: https://www.hounslow.gov.uk/reuse-recycling-centre/book-visit-reuse-recycling-centre. Map position is the postcode centre.

  Source: hounslow.gov.uk

• West Drayton waste weekends

  Railway Sidings, Tavistock Road, West Drayton, UB7 7QT

  Opening hours: Saturday and Sunday 9am to 4pm. Closed Monday to Friday and on bank holidays.

  Booking: No booking. Bring a HillingdonFirst card, or a driving licence and a household bill. No vans or commercial vehicles.

  Weekends only. Takes car engine oil, plasterboard and hard plastics as well. No asbestos or trade waste. Staff can't help you unload, and children under 16 and pets must stay in the car. Map position is the postcode centre.

  Source: pre.hillingdon.gov.uk

Where common items go in Hillingdon

• Pizza boxYes. Put it in your Clear recycling bag. Source: London Borough of Hillingdon
• Plastic carrier bagNot in your home bins. Take it to a drop-off point. Source: London Borough of Hillingdon
• Crisp packetNot in your home bins. Take it to a drop-off point. Source: London Borough of Hillingdon
• Black plastic ready-meal trayThis can't be recycled here. Put it in your Black rubbish sacks (your own). Source: London Borough of Hillingdon
• Paper coffee cupThis can't be recycled here. Put it in your Black rubbish sacks (your own). Source: London Borough of Hillingdon
• Wine bottleYes. Put it in your Clear recycling bag. Source: London Borough of Hillingdon
• Glass jarYes. Put it in your Clear recycling bag. Source: London Borough of Hillingdon
• Kitchen foilYes. Put it in your Clear recycling bag. Source: London Borough of Hillingdon
• Food scraps and leftoversYes. Put it in your Food waste bin (with kitchen caddy). Source: London Borough of Hillingdon
• Tea bagYes. Put it in your Food waste bin (with kitchen caddy). Source: London Borough of Hillingdon
• ClothesYour council can collect this from home. Arrange it first. Source: London Borough of Hillingdon
• Battery (not sure which type)Not in your home bins. Take it to a drop-off point. Source: London Borough of Hillingdon
• Disposable vapeNot in your home bins. Take it to a drop-off point. Source: London Borough of Hillingdon
• Light bulb (not sure which type)Not in any home bin. Take it to a household waste recycling centre. Source: London Borough of Hillingdon
• Small household applianceNot in your home bins. Take it to a drop-off point. Source: London Borough of Hillingdon
• Paint tinNot in any home bin. Take it to a household waste recycling centre. Source: London Borough of Hillingdon
• Real Christmas treeYes. Put it in your Garden waste sack with tag (paid subscription). Source: London Borough of Hillingdon
• Cardboard boxYes. Put it in your Clear recycling bag. Source: London Borough of Hillingdon
• Food cartonYes. Put it in your Clear recycling bag. Source: London Borough of Hillingdon
• Plastic drinks bottleYes. Put it in your Clear recycling bag. Source: London Borough of Hillingdon
• Till receiptThis can't be recycled here. Put it in your Black rubbish sacks (your own). Source: London Borough of Hillingdon

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

Common questions

What goes in the clear recycling bag in Hillingdon?

All mixed together, clean, dry and empty: paper, newspapers, magazines, junk mail, envelopes, shredded paper, wrapping paper (not the foil type), books, cardboard, cartons, glass bottles and jars, food and drink cans, empty aerosols, clean foil and foil trays, plastic bottles with their lids, yoghurt pots, butter and margarine tubs and plastic trays. No batteries, bubble wrap, crisp packets, shopping bags, takeaway cups, polystyrene, hard plastics, plastic toys, pet food packaging, light bulbs, textiles, wood or food. The council gives out the bags free and you can put out as many as you like. Flatten large cardboard, tie or tape it and put it under your bags.

What goes in the black rubbish sacks (your own) in Hillingdon?

Rubbish that can't be recycled, such as nappies, pet waste, sanitary products, tissues and wet wipes, polystyrene, broken crockery and hard plastics, in tied black bags that you buy yourself. Wrap broken glass or anything sharp. No batteries, electricals, light bulbs, food, garden waste, textiles, chemicals, gas canisters or recyclable items. The council suggests keeping bags in a dustbin of up to 90 litres (not a wheelie bin) until collection day to keep foxes out.

What goes in the food waste bin (with kitchen caddy) in Hillingdon?

All food: plate scrapings, raw and cooked meat and fish with skin and bones, dairy, eggs and eggshells, bread, cakes, fruit and veg peelings, rice, pasta, tea bags, coffee grounds and pet food, plus paper kitchen towels. Free, but you have to sign up; you then get a kitchen caddy, a roll of liners and an outdoor food bin. Tie full liners and put them in the outdoor bin, out by 6am on your collection day.

What goes in the garden waste sack with tag (paid subscription) in Hillingdon?

Grass cuttings, hedge clippings, leaves, twigs and branches (no more than 2 inches thick and 2 feet long), dead flowers and weeds. No large amounts of soil. The 2026/27 subscription costs £77 and runs from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027. It includes 3 sacks and tags, and you can ask for up to 3 more. Each sack needs this year's tag with your address on it. No collections from 21 December to 3 January.

When is my bin day in Hillingdon?

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