Bins and recycling

If you are a Renfrewshire resident, you can recycle and dispose of a range of household waste materials at our recycling centres.

Unlike our other recycling centres, Linwood household waste recycling centre allows larger vehicles, such as vans, pickups and trailers. However, you'll need to apply for a permit if you plan to visit with one of these vehicles.

You do not need a permit if you are bringing a car to any of our recycling centres.

Our recycling centres are for household waste only. You cannot bring any waste that comes from a commercial or business activity. See more information on commercial waste services.

Which vehicles can get a permit

You can get a permit to enter Linwood household waste recycling centre for these types of vehicles:

• vans weighing up to 3.5 tonnes with a maximum of four wheels
• pickups
• a car, van or pickup with single axle trailer less than 1.8m long x 1.2m wide
• mini buses with 8 to 11 seats.

Which vehicles cannot get a permit

You cannot get a vehicle permit to enter Linwood household waste recycling centre for the types of vehicles:

• vehicles with more than four wheels
• vehicles weighing over 3.5 tonnes
• vehicles with a trailer more than 1.8m long x 1.2m wide
• vehicles with twin axle trailers
• vehicles with any commercial waste
• tipper vehicles.

Apply online for a vehicle permit

The permit must be in the name and address of the driver of the vehicle.

If you're acting on behalf of a friend or relative and they cannot come to the recycling centre with you, you should apply for a permit in your name.

We'll email you a permit confirmation once you've completed the online form.

Permits are valid for 1 day only and for a maximum of 3 visits on that day. You'll need to apply for a new permit if you're visiting on a different day.

If you're paying someone to take your rubbish away, it becomes commercial waste. They'll need to pay to have the waste disposed of through a licenced waste contractor. They cannot bring your waste to the household waste recycling centre.

When you arrive at Linwood household waste recycling centre you'll need to provide:

• a paper or electronic copy of your permit
• proof that you're a Renfrewshire resident, such as a council tax or utility bill
• photo identification, such as your driving licence.

If you do not have these, you won't be able to enter the recycling centre.

See what items you can and cannot bring to our household waste recycling centres.

What you can bring to our recycling centres

You can recycle and dispose of a range of waste materials at our household waste recycling centres across Renfrewshire.

You can bring the following items to our household waste recycling centres:

• bagged household waste
• batteries
• bricks (not available at our Renfrew centre)
• carpets (dispose of these in the skips for non-recyclable waste, not in the recycling compactors)
• clothes
• computers
• DIY waste (there are limits on the type and amount of DIY waste you can bring)
• fluorescent tubes
• garden waste
• mattresses
• paint
• scrap metal
• small amounts of rubble (not available at our Johnstone and Renfrew centres)
• indoor and outdoor electrical appliances (find out how to recycle your small electrical devices at WEEE banks)
• textiles
• TVs
• vapes (put these in the dedicated vape containers at each centre to ensure they're stored and disposed of safely)
• white goods (such as fridges, freezers, washing machines and dishwashers)
• wood (not available at our Johnstone centre).

If you want to dispose of upholstered seating, such as chairs or sofas, you can only bring the items to our Linwood household waste recycling centre. You cannot bring upholstered seating to any of our other recycling centres.

You cannot remove any items from our recycling centres.

Read more about disposing of upholstered seating below.

What you cannot bring to our recycling centres

You cannot bring the following items to our household waste recycling centres:

• clinical waste (including COVID-19 or infectious waste and medicines)
• commercial waste
• Giant Hogweed and Japanese Knotweed
• non-household chemicals (for example, petrol)
• plasterboard
• tyres.

You cannot bring any waste that comes from a commercial or business activity. See more information on commercial waste services.

Guidance on specific items

Here are some guidelines for waste items that have to be disposed of in a specific way:

Asbestos

Asbestos cannot be re-used or recycled under any circumstances.

You can dispose of your asbestos at Paisley household waste recycling centre.

You should hire a specialist asbestos removal contractor to handle and dispose of large quantities of asbestos.

Batteries

You should not dispose of batteries in your general waste bin or recycling bins. This can cause fires or explosions at waste facilities, which could endanger waste collection crews and site staff.

You should recycle any batteries at our household waste recycling centres, including:

• single-cell household batteries (such as AA or AAA)
• car batteries
• household goods containing batteries, such as toothbrushes, toys, phones, and computers.

Many retailers that sell batteries also have collection points where you can drop off batteries.

Fire extinguishers

We cannot take fire extinguishers at any of our household waste recycling centres. This is because they are hazardous waste.

Instead, you can hire a private waste contractor to remove your fire extinguishers or other types of hazardous waste.

See a list of registered waste carriers and brokers (SEPA website).

Engine oil

You can recycle engine oil at our household waste recycling centres. 

Make sure your used engine oil is stored in a sealed container. You should not mix engine oil with any other substance, as this makes it difficult to recycle.

Plasterboard

We cannot take plasterboard at any of our household waste recycling centres. This is because of the toxic fumes plasterboard gives off when breaking down.

Instead, you can hire a private waste contractor to remove your plasterboard waste.

See a list of registered waste carriers and brokers (SEPA website).

Rubble

You cannot bring small amounts of rubble to our household waste recycling centres in Johnstone or Renfrew.

Please take this to one of our other household waste recycling centres in Renfrewshire.

Small electrical appliances

You can take damaged or broken appliances to our small waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) recycling bins at any of our household waste recycling centres.

We are working with the Salvation Army and our electrical compliance scheme partner REPIC to bring unwanted small electrical appliances back into use.

You can bring small electrical appliances which are still in working order to our reuse hub at Paisley household waste recycling centre.

Small electrical appliances you can bring to our reuse hub include:

• kettles
• toasters
• hair dryers
• electrical children's toys
• vacuum cleaners.

Dedicated cages are available at the centre for you to place appliances in.

The Salvation Army will collect appliances from the Paisley recycling centre twice weekly. They will test all appliances at their Renfrew donation centre and those in working and re-sellable condition will then be available to buy in the Salvation Army shop.

Our household waste recycling centre attendants can help if you are unsure if you can return a small electrical appliance for reuse.

Syringes (needles)

You should not put syringes in your bins or take them to our household waste recycling centres.

Instead, you can return used hypodermic needles to your doctor's surgery or health centre for safe disposal.

If you've found a discarded syringe in an open area, or anywhere that's a danger to the public in Renfrewshire, use our online form to report the discarded syringe right away.

Vapes (e-cigarettes)

Do not put vapes or e-cigarettes in any of your household bins.

These items contain batteries that can cause fires or explosions if damaged or compacted during collection or processing. This is a serious risk to waste collection crews, site staff, and facilities.

If you need to dispose of a vape, take it to one of our household waste recycling centres, where there are dedicated containers to ensure they're stored and disposed of safely.

Do not put vapes in our:

• general waste compactors
• open skips at recycling centres.

By disposing of vapes correctly, you're helping to protect staff, facilities, and the wider environment.

Upholstered furniture

If you want to dispose of upholstered seating, you can only bring the items to our Linwood household waste recycling centre. You cannot bring upholstered seating to any of our other recycling centres.

You can bring the following upholstered items to Linwood household waste recycling centre:

• armchairs
• electrical recliner chairs
• futons, bean bags, sofa cushions and floor cushions
• home office chairs
• kitchen and dining room chairs
• sofa beds
• sofas
• stools and foot stools.

Once you arrive at Linwood household waste recycling centre, place your items in the specific bin for upholstered seating. Ask our onsite staff if you are not sure where to go.

Many upholstered seating items are coated with a flame retardant containing persistent organic pollutants (or POPs). By keeping upholstered seating separate from other waste items, we can avoid contamination in the recycling process.

If your items are undamaged, in good condition and still have their fire safety labels, consider donating them to your local charity shop instead.

Wood

You cannot bring pieces of wood to our Johnstone household waste recycling centre.

Please take these to one of our other household waste recycling centres in Renfrewshire.

If you're unsure whether you can bring a certain item to one of our recycling centres, get in touch:

• phone 0300 300 0300
• email mybins@renfrewshire.gov.uk.

You can order additional or replacement bins and rubbish sacks if you live in Renfrewshire and we collect your waste.

Find out what to do if your bin was damaged or stolen.

If your business is in Renfrewshire and you have items that are too big to fit in your bins, you can arrange for us to collect them from your business premises.

You must keep any upholstered furniture items separate from any other items you've also asked us to collect. We will not collect items if they are not separated.

Many upholstered seating items are coated with chemicals called 'persistent organic pollutants' (or POPs) to slow down the spread of fire. By keeping upholstered seating separate from other waste items, we can avoid contamination during the recycling process.

To ask us for a quote to collect your bulky waste items, email us at bs.tradewaste@renfrewshire.gov.uk.

The starting price for a bulky waste collection from a business is £101.95. This does not include white goods (such as refrigerators or washing machines) or upholstered furniture (such as sofas, sofa cushions, armchairs or kitchen and dining room chairs), which cost £49.65 per item.

There may be additional costs depending on the specific items.

Before we can collect your recycling from your business, charity, or public sector body, you'll need to:

• buy bins for your premises
• arrange for us to collect your recycling.

All businesses are legally required to take reasonable measures to recycle as much of their commercial waste as possible.

You must present paper and card (blue bin) and metal, plastic, and glass (green bin) in the correct bins for collection. You cannot mix all your recyclable items together in a single bin.

If you run a business that produces over 5kg of food waste a week, you must also present your food waste in a separate bin for collection. Businesses that produce fewer than 5kg of food waste a week do not have to recycle their food waste.

To arrange for us to collect your recycling, email us at bs.tradewaste@renfrewshire.gov.uk.

You'll need to tell us your name, organisation, and that you'd like us to start collecting your recycling.

Once you receive your bins, we'll collect your waste and recycling on a regular schedule. You'll need to present your bins before 7am, and we'll collect them between 7am and 6pm.

Once you've bought your bins, you'll can request that we collect your recycling. The price for recycling collection depends on the type and quantity of bin (or sack, if this applies to you):

Before we can collect general waste from your business, charity, or public sector body, you'll need to:

• buy bins for your premises
• arrange for us to collect your waste.

To arrange for us to collect your general waste, email us at bs.tradewaste@renfrewshire.gov.uk.

You'll need to tell us your name, organisation, and that you'd like us to start collecting your general waste.

Once you receive your bins, we'll collect your waste and recycling on a regular schedule. You'll need to present your bins before 7am, and we'll collect them between 7am and 6pm.

Once you've bought your bins, you'll need to request that we collect your general waste. The price for general waste collection depends on the type and quantity of bin (or sack, if this applies to you):