Bins and recycling in Sunderland

What goes in each of Sunderland's bins, and where to take the things they don't collect. This page uses Sunderland City Council's own published information, checked 10 Oct 2026.

Recycle This is independent: it isn't run by Sunderland City Council. If anything here differs from Sunderland City Council's website, the council is right.

Your bins in Sunderland

  • Green household waste bin

    Collected fortnightly Rubbish that can't be recycled: nappies, plastic film and crisp packets, hard plastic such as toys and kitchenware, polystyrene, tissue, wallpaper, wrapping paper and glittery cards, pizza boxes, old textiles, light bulbs wrapped in paper and non-infectious medical waste. No batteries, vapes, electricals, gas bottles, hazardous waste such as poison and chemicals, inhalers, asbestos, car parts, rubble, soil, large branches, commercial waste or infectious clinical waste such as used needles. Collected on the opposite week to your blue bin. In Sunderland the green bin is for rubbish, not garden waste.

  • Blue recycling bin

    Collected fortnightly All dry recycling loose together, not in bags: paper (including shredded paper), cardboard, cartons, glass bottles and jars, plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays, cans and tins, clean foil, empty aerosols, clean empty toothpaste tubes and greeting cards without glitter. The old black paper caddy is no longer needed. No plastic film, hard plastic, textiles, food, garden waste, batteries or electricals.

  • Brown garden waste bin (paid subscription)

    Collected fortnightly, late March to mid-November Grass, weeds, dead plants, leaves, hedge clippings, shrub prunings, twigs and small branches, cut flowers and houseplants, put in loose. No food, plastic or plant pots, wood, turf, soil, rubble or large branches. It costs £40 a bin for 2026, and only bins with this year's sticker are emptied.

Source: Sunderland City Council's website.

Bin days in Sunderland

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

Get the app

Snap a photo instead of typing, and get a reminder the evening before bin day.

Get it on Google PlayiPhone: coming soon

Garden waste and bulky items

Garden waste collection: £40 a year. £40 per bin for the 2026 season, a fixed charge whatever month you join; up to four bins per property, each with its own subscription and sticker; no concessions; subscriptions run January to the end of August and online ones auto-renew; the 2027 price is not published yet and 2027 sign-up opens in early 2027. Season: Mar–Nov. (source)

Free for Sunderland homes: up to six items per collection, booked through the council's My Account. Each ward has a set collection day. Book or check prices with Sunderland City Council.

Recycling centres for Sunderland

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

  • Campground Household Waste and Recycling Centre

    Springwell Road, Wrekenton, Gateshead NE9 7XW

    Opening hours: Open seven days a week, all year except Christmas Day. Summer (1 April to 30 September): every day 9am to 6pm. Winter (1 October to 31 March): Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, Saturday and Sunday 9am to 6pm.

    Booking: Booking required: book a 30-minute slot online (available up to two weeks ahead; you can book as many slots as you need). Arrive any time in your slot and show the booking reference email (without email, staff can find you by name and vehicle registration). Cancel a slot you can't use. If your vehicle needs a permit (vans and trailers), apply for the permit before booking. The last slot of each day is for cars, motorcycles and bikes only. You may be asked for a driving licence or proof of address. Vehicles must be under 2.3 metres high (height barrier; ask the site attendant to open it if you are over).

    Open to Gateshead and Sunderland residents. Limits per visit: rubble up to six bin bags, tiles (ceramic or porcelain) up to six bin bags, plasterboard five bags or three sheets, engine and vegetable oil five litres, four tyres. Batteries and vapes go in the dedicated battery and vape bins, not the general waste skip. Football boots have a designated bin (Re:Play Football). Sofas and other upholstered furniture may contain POPs and are kept separate. Gas cylinders, empty paint cans, car batteries and carpets are listed in Gateshead's A to Z of recycling. Address, hours, booking and accepted items are from Gateshead Council's pages (read 2026-10-10 in a browser). Checked 2026-10-12: Gateshead Council (which shares this site) says waste brought to its recycling centres must not be hazardous (asbestos, garden pesticides, chemicals and flammable solvents are its examples), that asbestos cannot be deposited, and that only empty paint cans are taken (part-empty paint goes to reuse schemes). Engine oil is taken, up to 5 litres.

    Source: gateshead.gov.uk

  • Pallion Household Waste and Recycling Centre

    Pallion Industrial Estate, European Way, Sunderland SR4 6SN

    Opening hours: Winter (1 October to 31 March): Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm, Saturday and Sunday 8am to 6pm. Summer (1 April to 30 September): every day 8am to 6pm. Closed Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

    Booking: Free appointment needed, booked through the council's My Account. Vehicles only, no pedestrians. Cars, vans and single-axle trailers up to 3m; maximum vehicle length 5m; no vans with trailers.

    Sunderland residents only. Up to six bags of rubble or soil and four tyres (off the rim) a visit. Small household fridges only. No acid, asbestos or trade waste. The council's recycling centre page lists hazardous waste such as acid and asbestos as not accepted, but its bulky waste page (https://www.sunderland.gov.uk/bulky-waste) says other hazardous items can go to Pallion or Campground, so check with the council before bringing chemicals or solvents (pages checked 2026-10-12). The St Vincent's Revive reuse shop is on site. Map position is the postcode centre.

    Source: sunderland.gov.uk

Where common items go in Sunderland

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

How Sunderland compares

As of 24 Oct 2026. See all the council rankings.

Common questions

What goes in the green household waste bin in Sunderland?

Rubbish that can't be recycled: nappies, plastic film and crisp packets, hard plastic such as toys and kitchenware, polystyrene, tissue, wallpaper, wrapping paper and glittery cards, pizza boxes, old textiles, light bulbs wrapped in paper and non-infectious medical waste. No batteries, vapes, electricals, gas bottles, hazardous waste such as poison and chemicals, inhalers, asbestos, car parts, rubble, soil, large branches, commercial waste or infectious clinical waste such as used needles. Collected on the opposite week to your blue bin. In Sunderland the green bin is for rubbish, not garden waste.

What goes in the blue recycling bin in Sunderland?

All dry recycling loose together, not in bags: paper (including shredded paper), cardboard, cartons, glass bottles and jars, plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays, cans and tins, clean foil, empty aerosols, clean empty toothpaste tubes and greeting cards without glitter. The old black paper caddy is no longer needed. No plastic film, hard plastic, textiles, food, garden waste, batteries or electricals.

What goes in the brown garden waste bin (paid subscription) in Sunderland?

Grass, weeds, dead plants, leaves, hedge clippings, shrub prunings, twigs and small branches, cut flowers and houseplants, put in loose. No food, plastic or plant pots, wood, turf, soil, rubble or large branches. It costs £40 a bin for 2026, and only bins with this year's sticker are emptied.

When is my bin day in Sunderland?

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

Official sources