Which councils let you recycle the most at home?

Updated 24 Oct 2026

On 24 October 2026, the councils that collect every item in our weekly shop basket from home were Bolsover, North Warwickshire and Warwick in England, and East Ayrshire in Scotland. In Wales the highest scorer was the Vale of Glamorgan, and in Northern Ireland several councils share the top score.

The basket is a simple test: 22 everyday bits of packaging from a supermarket shop, and whether your council collects each one from your door. The full ranking lists every council we score and updates whenever the council data does.

What's in the basket

Drinks and milk bottles, a detergent bottle, a yoghurt pot, a food tub, a fruit punnet, a meat tray, a black plastic tray, a drinks carton, a glass jar and a wine bottle, a drinks can, a food tin, an aerosol, kitchen foil and a foil tray, a newspaper, a cardboard box, a cereal box, a pizza box, a crisp packet and a bread bag.

How the score works

Each item counts once and counts the same. A council scores a point for each one it collects from home, in any bin, box or bag. Banks, drop-off points and recycling centres don't count, because the basket measures what you can recycle without leaving the house.

We only score councils whose own published rules cover every item, so a score never rests on national guesswork. Councils are ranked within their own nation, since England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have different rules. Councils with the same score share a rank.

Highest and lowest in each nation

England: Bolsover, North Warwickshire and Warwick collect all 22. Havant and Test Valley have the lowest scores, at 9, and the Hampshire councils sit together near the bottom, because pots, tubs, trays and cartons can't be collected from home there yet. Our Hampshire guide explains why, and where the banks are.

Scotland: East Ayrshire collects all 22, and Orkney has the lowest score, at 12.

Wales: the Vale of Glamorgan scores 21, the highest, and Swansea 17, the lowest. Welsh scores are close together.

Northern Ireland: Antrim and Newtownabbey, Ards and North Down, Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, Belfast, Mid Ulster, Mid and East Antrim, and Newry, Mourne and Down share the top score of 19. Derry City and Strabane, and Lisburn and Castlereagh, score 17.

These scores are as of 24 October 2026. Councils change their collections, so the live ranking is the one to trust.

What the basket doesn't tell you

A low score doesn't mean a council recycles less overall. It measures the range of packaging collected from home, not how much gets recycled. For that, see the household recycling rates from the government's own figures for England. Food waste is ranked separately too, in who collects food waste.

Common questions

Which council recycles the most?

On our weekly shop basket, Bolsover, North Warwickshire and Warwick in England and East Ayrshire in Scotland collect all 22 items from home, as of 24 October 2026. See the live ranking for the latest.

How do I check what my council collects?

Find your council in the weekly shop basket ranking to see its score and the items it doesn't collect from home, or search any item and choose your council.

Why do Hampshire councils score so low?

They share sorting arrangements that can't handle pots, tubs, trays or cartons yet. Hart says a new sorting plant is expected in spring 2028. See our Hampshire guide.

Does the ranking include recycling banks?

No. It only counts what your council collects from your door, so banks, drop-off points and recycling centres aren't included.

Sources

Each item's answer above comes from the national guidance in our data. Your council's own rules can differ: choose your council on any item page, or check its website.