What goes in each bin

What goes in your green recycling bin, or communal green bin

All items listed below can go in your green household recycling bin, or if you use communal green bins, the same things can be recycled in there too. 

  • Glass - all glass bottles and jars can be recycled, whether they are clear, brown, green or blue
  • Plastics - drink bottles, shampoo bottles, food trays, yoghurt pots, margarine tubs, ice cream tubs, fruit punnets, detergent bottles
  • Paper and card - newspapers, magazines, office paper, directories, cereal packets, envelopes, junk mail and cards, catalogues, cardboard packaging, shredded paper
  • Metal - food and drinks cans, aerosols, aluminium food trays and containers, biscuit and cake tins, clean sheet cooking foil, metal lids, tops and caps.

To help us recycle more of your stuff:

  • please give your pots, tubs, trays, bottles and jars a rinse to remove any food waste!
  • please do not put any black bags in your green bin as these cannot be recycled
  • please flatten or crush items like plastic milk bottles and cardboard boxes to make more room.l

What goes in your brown waste bin, or communal brown bin 

All items listed below can go in your brown waste bin or communal waste bin.

  • coffee cups
  • food waste
  • glass - mirrors, sheet glass
  • lightbulbs
  • nappies
  • polystyrene
  • shiny giftwrap - shiny foil gift wrap, cards with glitter and glue, dirty foil, foil lined food packets
  • soft plastics - plastic bags, plastic film - if you can scrunch it up it cannot be recycled.

PLEASE DO NOT PUT ANY BATTERIES IN YOUR GREEN OR BROWN BIN.

What goes in your garden waste

You can put the following items in your garden waste:

  • flowers
  • grass cuttings
  • hedge trimmings
  • plants
  • twigs and branches up to 7cm in width
  • weeds.

What needs to be taken to one of our recycling centres

  • any type of battery (some local supermarkets also provide battery recycling services)
  • chemicals
  • electrical items
  • flammable items
  • fluorescent tubes
  • hot ash
  • oil filters
  • paint
  • rubble or builders waste
  • old TVs and monitors.

Visit our Recycling centres page for more information.

What happens to your plastics recycling in Plymouth?