Renfrewshire Council

Find out what does and doesn't go in your

• grey bin - non-recyclable waste
• blue bin - paper, card and cardboard
• green bin - plastics, cans, cartons and glass
• brown bin - garden and food waste
• food caddy bin - food waste only

Grey bins are collected every three weeks. However, some tenements and flats are on a fortnightly collection. Sack collections are every week.

Blue and green bins or sacks are collected on alternate fortnights.

Brown bins and food caddies are collected weekly.

You will receive a collection of at least one bin or sack every week.

Check your bin collection day

Food residue and contamination

Food residue is any food that may have stuck to or soaked into any recyclable material and we ask that you rinse all containers before you recycle them. 

If your paper and cardboard has food residue attached then it could contaminate the whole recycling process, making it more difficult to recycle and reuse the materials.

What goes in your grey bin

These items can go in your grey bin:

✔ Non-recyclable waste
✔ Plastic bags and polythene
✔ Polystyrene
✔ Crisp and sweet wrappers
✔ Used tissues and paper towels
✔ Cling film
✔ Tinfoil
✔ Lightbulbs
✔ Pet litter
✔ Nappies
✔ Personal hygiene products
✔ Food and drinks pouches
✔ Hard plastics (toys, coat hangers, CD cases etc.)
✔ Padded envelopes
✔ Shredded paper

Do not put these items in your grey bin:

✘ Plastics, cans and glass
✘ Paper, card and cardboard
✘ Food waste
✘ Garden waste
✘ Electrical items
✘ Textiles and shoes

What goes in your blue bin

These items can go in your blue bin:

✔ Cardboard (flattened)
✔ Cereal boxes
✔ Large brown cardboard boxes
✔ Corrugated cardboard
✔ Toilet and kitchen roll tubes
✔ Cardboard packaging
✔ Paper (clean and dry)
✔ Envelopes (with and without windows)
✔ Magazines
✔ Newspapers
✔ Office paper
✔ Telephone directories
✔ Paperback books
✔ Catalogues
✔Junk mail and takeaway menus

Don't put these items in your blue bin:

✘ Glass 
✘ Plastics and cans
✘ Hardback books
✘ Plastic carrier bags
✘ Padded envelopes 
✘ Plastic wrapping and bubble wrap 
✘ Polystyrene
✘ Packaging with food residue
✘ Used tissues and kitchen roll 
✘ Foil wrapping paper
✘ Tinfoil
✘ Shredded paper

What goes in your green bin

When you get your new green bin, write your property number on the sticker and start using it straight away to recycle your plastics, cans and glass.

These items can go in your green bin:

✔ Plastic bottles
✔ Plastic pots, tubs and trays     
✔ Fruit and vegetable punnets
✔ Clean takeaway containers
✔ Cleaning product bottles
✔ Drinks cans (empty and rinsed)
✔ Food/pet food tins (empty and rinsed)
✔ Biscuit/sweet tins
✔ Aerosols
✔ Glass bottles and jars
✔ Cartons
✔ Milk cartons

Don't put these items in your green bin:

✘ Paper, card and cardboard 
✘ Food residue
✘ Carrier bags 
✘ Sweet and crisp wrappers 
✘ Plastic wrapping and bubble wrap 
✘ Polystyrene Food and drink pouches
✘ Hard plastics (toys, coat hangers, CD case etc)
✘ Food and drink pouches
✘ Light bulbs
✘ Pyrex or crockery 
✘ Mirrors 
✘ Tinfoil

What goes in your brown bin

These items can go in your brown bin:

✔ Grass cuttings 
✔ Flowers and plants
✔ Weeds
✔ Leaves
✔ Small branches and twigs
✔ Cooked and uncooked food
✔ Leftovers
✔ Fruit and vegetable peelings
✔ Tea bags and coffee grounds
✔ Egg shells
✔ Out of date food (remove packaging)
✔ Bread, pasta and cakes
✔ Meat, fish and small bones

Don't put these items in your brown bin:

✘ Plastic bags
✘ Packaging
✘ Liquids
✘ Fats and oils
✘ Rubble and soil
✘ Plant pots
✘ Wood and fencing
✘ Garden furniture
✘ Plastics, cans and glass
✘ Paper, card and cardboard

How to use your brown bin:

• Don't put your food waste in plastic bags - only use the special recyclable food waste liners we provide, or put food directly into the bin.
• Remove all packaging.
• Don't put hot or cold liquids into your brown bin.
• Use your brown bin to recycle as much food and garden waste as you can.
• Make sure the lid is closed to minimise odour, deters vermin, prevents litter and protect the health and safety of our collection crews.

If the wrong material is in your brown bin, we cannot empty it as it will contaminate the whole vehicle load. 

If your bin is contaminated with items that can't be recycled, we will attach a contamination sticker and your bin won't be emptied. If you remove the contaminants, the bin will be emptied on your next scheduled collection day.

If you are on a brown bin route but do not have a brown bin, contact us on 0300 300 0300 or email mybins@renfrewshire.gov.uk and we will get one to you.

If you are not on a brown bin route there is no change to your service.

If you're not sure what route you are on, you can email mybins@renfrewshire.gov.uk.

If you have an assisted collection, this will apply to your brown bin too.