Bins and recycling in Wandsworth

Your bins in Wandsworth

• Clear recycling sack

  Collected weekly Paper, card, glass bottles and jars, cans, aerosols, foil, plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays, and food and drink cartons, all mixed together. Any clear sack will do, tied and unsplit. Flatten large cardboard and put it beside the sacks.

• Rubbish sack or dustbin

  Collected weekly General rubbish in tied, unsplit sacks, or a dustbin with a clip-on lid. The council doesn't supply them and can't empty wheelie bins. Up to five bags of garden waste can go out with it.

• Large brown food waste caddy

  Collected weekly Food scraps only. It won't be emptied if it holds anything that can't be recycled. A compostable liner, newspaper or kitchen roll keeps it clean.

• Small electricals in a bag by your front door

  Collected weekly Small electricals up to 25cm by 25cm by 25cm, left by your front entrance with your sacks. A plastic bag helps keep leads together.

Flat with shared bins: Flats with large communal bins use orange-lidded communal recycling bins instead of clear sacks, and a communal bin for rubbish.

Source: London Borough of Wandsworth's website.

Bin days in Wandsworth

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

Garden waste and bulky items

Two free collections a year, each up to four items or 12 sacks; after that it's 24.90 pounds for up to four items and 11.10 pounds for each extra. DIY waste is a separate, dearer service. Book or check prices with London Borough of Wandsworth.

Recycling centres for Wandsworth

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

• Smugglers Way Household Waste and Recycling Centre

  Household Waste and Recycling Centre, Smugglers Way, Wandsworth, London SW18 1JS

  Opening hours: Mon to Fri 9am to 4pm; Sat 8am to 6pm; Sun 8am to 5pm. Closed Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day.

  Booking: Book a slot online if you arrive by car. Walkers and cyclists don't need one. No vans, trailers or cars over 2m high (vans use the Smugglers Way or Cringle Dock transfer stations, which need pre-registration and photo ID). Residents only. Gas bottles also need a booked slot.

  Map position is the postcode centre. Has dedicated bays for electricals, fridges, gas bottles, scrap metal, cooking oil and rigid plastics, plus a Rework reuse workshop for furniture, bikes, white goods and toys in good condition. Small amounts of bricks and soil only. Phone 020 8871 2788. Plasterboard: very small quantities only, check first (WRWA). WRWA says Smugglers Way is not licensed to receive hazardous waste and chemicals (https://wrwa.gov.uk/materials/chemicals/ and https://wrwa.gov.uk/materials/hazardous-waste/, checked 2026-10-12); it does take paint, engine oil, gas bottles and fire extinguishers.

  Source: wandsworth.gov.uk

Where common items go in Wandsworth

• Pizza boxYes. Put it in your Clear recycling sack. Source: London Borough of Wandsworth
• Plastic carrier bagNot in your home bins. Take it to a drop-off point. Source: London Borough of Wandsworth
• Crisp packetNot in your home bins. Take it to a drop-off point. Source: London Borough of Wandsworth
• Black plastic ready-meal trayThis can't be recycled here. Put it in your Rubbish sack or dustbin. Source: London Borough of Wandsworth
• Paper coffee cupThis can't be recycled here. Put it in your Rubbish sack or dustbin. Source: London Borough of Wandsworth
• Wine bottleYes. Put it in your Clear recycling sack. Source: London Borough of Wandsworth
• Glass jarYes. Put it in your Clear recycling sack. Source: London Borough of Wandsworth
• Kitchen foilYes. Put it in your Clear recycling sack. Source: London Borough of Wandsworth
• Food scraps and leftoversYes. Put it in your Large brown food waste caddy. Source: London Borough of Wandsworth
• Tea bagYes. Put it in your Large brown food waste caddy. Source: London Borough of Wandsworth
• ClothesNot in your home bins. Take it to a drop-off point. Source: London Borough of Wandsworth
• Battery (not sure which type)Not in your home bins. Take it to a drop-off point. Source: London Borough of Wandsworth
• Disposable vapeNot in any home bin. Take it to a household waste recycling centre. Source: London Borough of Wandsworth
• Light bulb (not sure which type)Not in any home bin. Take it to a household waste recycling centre. Source: London Borough of Wandsworth
• Small household applianceYes. Put it in your Small electricals in a bag by your front door. Source: London Borough of Wandsworth
• Paint tinYour council can collect this from home. Arrange it first. Source: London Borough of Wandsworth
• Real Christmas treeNot in any home bin. Take it to a household waste recycling centre. Source: London Borough of Wandsworth
• Cardboard boxYes. Put it in your Clear recycling sack. Source: London Borough of Wandsworth
• Food cartonYes. Put it in your Clear recycling sack. Source: London Borough of Wandsworth
• Plastic drinks bottleYes. Put it in your Clear recycling sack. Source: London Borough of Wandsworth
• Till receiptThis can't be recycled here. Put it in your Rubbish sack or dustbin. Source: London Borough of Wandsworth

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

Common questions

What goes in the clear recycling sack in Wandsworth?

Paper, card, glass bottles and jars, cans, aerosols, foil, plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays, and food and drink cartons, all mixed together. Any clear sack will do, tied and unsplit. Flatten large cardboard and put it beside the sacks.

What goes in the rubbish sack or dustbin in Wandsworth?

General rubbish in tied, unsplit sacks, or a dustbin with a clip-on lid. The council doesn't supply them and can't empty wheelie bins. Up to five bags of garden waste can go out with it.

What goes in the large brown food waste caddy in Wandsworth?

Food scraps only. It won't be emptied if it holds anything that can't be recycled. A compostable liner, newspaper or kitchen roll keeps it clean.

What goes in the small electricals in a bag by your front door in Wandsworth?

Small electricals up to 25cm by 25cm by 25cm, left by your front entrance with your sacks. A plastic bag helps keep leads together.

When is my bin day in Wandsworth?

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