Which bin is which? A no-nonsense guide to UK bin colours

Here's a fact that surprises people who move between towns: there is no national standard for bin colours in the UK. A green bin means garden waste in one borough, recycling in the next, and general rubbish in a third. With 300+ councils each running their own scheme, the only rule is: your council decides.

The four jobs every scheme covers

Whatever the colours, almost every council splits waste into the same four streams:

• General waste (often black or grey) — anything that can't be recycled. Usually collected fortnightly, sometimes every three weeks.
• Mixed recycling (often blue or green) — paper, card, tins, cans and plastic bottles. Some councils split paper into its own box.
• Garden waste (often brown or green) — grass, leaves and prunings. Increasingly a paid subscription, and many councils pause it over winter.
• Food waste (usually a small caddy) — being rolled out across England, so if you don't have one yet, it's likely coming.

Why your neighbour's advice might be wrong

Councils change schemes more often than you'd think — new contracts, new sorting facilities, new bins. What was true three years ago (or three miles away) may not be true on your street today. The classic traps:

• Glass: some councils take it in mixed recycling, others want it in a separate box or a bottle bank.
• Plastic tubs and trays: accepted by many councils, rejected by others that only want plastic bottles.
• Cartons (Tetra Pak): genuinely split across the country — check before you assume.

The five-second check that settles every argument: your council's own "what goes in which bin" page. Our council pages link to the right lookup for every area we cover.

The mistakes that get a bin left on the kerb

• Side waste — bags on top of or beside the bin. Most crews won't take it, and repeat offences can bring a warning letter.
• An overfilled lid — "closed-lid policies" are common; if the lid won't shut, the bin may be left.
• The wrong things in recycling — one bag of general rubbish in a recycling bin can get the whole bin rejected (crews do check).
• Out too late — crews can arrive from 6–7am. The night before is the safe play.

Make it automatic

Colours you can learn once — but which bin, which week is the part everyone forgets, especially after bank holidays shuffle the schedule. That's the bit we automate: BinMinder checks your council's own schedule and reminds you the evening before, with the right bins named.