Bins and recycling

What you can take to a WEEE bank

Our WEEE banks accept electrical and electronic equipment with a plug, battery, or cable, but they must be smaller than the size of a toaster.

You can take small waste electricals to our WEEE banks, such as: 

• kettles
• hairdryers
• irons
• sandwich makers
• electric whisks
• small blenders
• curling tongs
• electric razors
• electrical toothbrushes
• small children's toys
• power cords and plugs
• small speakers.

They can be new, or they can be old, damaged, or faulty. 

Kitchen items, such as a sandwich maker or small blender, must be clean and free from food residue.

A smaller bin will be placed beside the WEEE banks for standard household batteries (AA and AAA). You should remove these before placing electricals in the WEEE bank.

For larger electrical and electronic equipment, you can order a bulky waste collection from your home or take them to our household waste recycling centres.

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

What you cannot take to a WEEE bank

You cannot take these items to a WEEE bank:

• lightbulbs
• batteries
• rechargeable vapes
• power tools
• rechargeable items such as smart home devices
• laptops, tablets and phones
• items which have food waste on them.

We will not accept anything which has a lithium-ion battery due to health and safety concerns over these items.

You can take these and larger waste electrical and electronic equipment, such as fridges, freezers and washing machines, to our household waste recycling centres.

Where you can take your items

You can take your small waste electrical and electronic equipment to WEEE banks at all 12 libraries in Renfrewshire: 

• Bishopton Library
• Bridge of Weir Library
• Erskine Library
• Ferguslie Library
• Foxbar Library
• Glenburn Library
• Johnstone Library
• Linwood Library
• Lochwinnoch Library
• Paisley Central Library
• Ralston Library
• Renfrew Library.

What happens next 

Items taken to our WEEE banks will be collected twice monthly by electronics recycling company WEEE Scotland.

Small electrical and electronic equipment is anything that is powered by a battery or plug.

You can recycle any unwanted, damaged or broken electricals at our small Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) banks at Renfrewshire libraries.

The project to install WEEE banks in our libraries is funded by Material Focus's Electricals Recycling Fund.

Who can recycle food waste

You can recycle your food waste if your property is on a wheeled bin collection route, if you live in a flat with communal waste storage, or if you present an outdoor food waste caddy.

If your property is not on one of our food waste collection routes, then we cannot collect your food waste. Instead, consider composting your food waste at home (Recycle Now's website), or you can put your food waste in your grey bin with your general waste.

Check your bin collection calendar to find out if your property is eligible.

How to recycle your food waste

We provide a free food waste caddy and an annual supply of food waste liners so you can recycle your food waste.

To recycle your food waste, put one of the food waste liners in your indoor food waste caddy. Then, put your food waste into the caddy.

Once the caddy is almost full, tie the liner, remove it, and replace it with a new liner.

Put the full liner of food waste into your brown bin (or your outdoor food waste caddy, if you do not have a brown bin).

You can also put your food waste directly into the caddy and bin without using the liners, if you want.

We'll collect your food waste recycling at the same pickup point as your other bins. Check your paper bin collection calendar or check online to find your next collection date.

Check your bin collection calendar online.

Recycle your food waste instead of putting it in your general waste bin. This allows us to take it to a special processing plant and turn it into useful compost.

These items can go in your food waste caddy:

• cooked and uncooked food
• fruit and vegetable peelings
• tea bags and coffee grounds
• eggshells
• out-of-date food (packaging removed)
• solid dairy products
• meat, fish, and small bones
• pet food.

Do not put these items in your food waste caddy:

• plastic bags
• packaging
• liquids
• fats and cooking oils (set these aside and wait for them to solidify, and then they can go in your general waste bin)
• plastics, cans, and glass
• paper, card, and cardboard
• garden waste (this should go directly into your brown bin, but you'll need to buy a garden waste permit first).

Indoor food waste caddy

We provide a free indoor food waste caddy and an annual supply of food waste liners so you can recycle your food waste.

Use your indoor food waste caddy to store your food waste before putting it in your brown bin.

Find out what goes in your indoor food waste caddy.

Food waste liners

We'll drop off an annual supply of food waste liners during one of your bin collection days each year. We cannot confirm what date this will be, but the supply should last you for another year.

Get more food waste liners

If you need more food waste liners, there may be some available at your local library or one of our household waste recycling centres. Otherwise, you can buy your own liners from your local supermarket.

Outdoor food waste caddy

Some addresses in Renfrewshire are not on a brown bin collection route. These homes have outdoor food waste caddies instead of brown bins.

Use your indoor food waste caddy to store your food waste before putting it in your outdoor food waste caddy.

You cannot order an outdoor food waste caddy if your home is on a brown bin collection route.

Check your bin collection calendar if you're unsure whether you should use a brown bin or an outdoor food waste caddy.

Phone us on 0300 300 0380 to order a new indoor or outdoor food waste caddy.

Check your bin collection day

If you think we've missed your bin, check your bin collection day to make sure you placed your bin on the pavement on the correct day. You can also use this feature to sign up for alerts to remind you when to put out your bins.

Why we could have missed your bin

If your bin was on the pavement on the correct day and we still missed it, it could be because:

• your bin was not on the pavement by 7am
• your bin was overfilled, so the lid could not close completely
• your bin lid was open
• your bin was too heavy to move
• your bin had unsuitable items in it (check what items can and cannot go in each bin)
• your brown bin did not display a garden waste permit (apply for a garden waste permit)
• there was severe weather or other factors beyond our control
• roadworks or parked cars blocked our access to your bin.

We'll collect your bin between 7am and 6:30pm on your collection day. Do not report your bin as missing until after 6:30pm.

If we did not collect your bin when we should have, you'll need to tell us within 2 days, unless you get help from the council to take out your bin.

If you get help from us to take out your bin, you can report a missed bin within 14 days.

Tell us that we've missed your bin

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

You also have other options:

• drop off items at one of our household waste recycling centres for free
• find out where you can donate items using this postcode checker (Zero Waste Scotland website).

When ordering your bulky waste collection, you'll need to list every item you'd like us to collect. We will not collect any items that are not listed.

We'll collect your items as soon as possible within 28 days.

Order a bulky waste collection

You cannot make any changes to your order once it's been placed.

We will not process any refunds once we receive your payment.

We will not collect any items that are not properly prepared for collection.

You'll need to place all your items in a single location near the kerb outside your home.

Follow the instructions below on how to prepare specific items for collection.

Upholstered furniture

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.

Upholstered furniture includes:

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

Other items

• Any bags of material, such as garden waste or rubble, should be light enough for one person to carry.
• Carpets and similar items should be cut to 4 feet in length or shorter and, if possible, covered with plastic so they do not become saturated with water. They should be light enough for one person to carry.
• Trees, branches, and wood should be cut to 4 feet in length or shorter, bundled, and tied together. They should be light enough for one person to carry. Remove or hammer in any nails sticking out from wood so it is safe to handle.
• We cannot collect American style fridge freezers because of their size, but you can take these to a household waste recycling centre instead. Other refrigerators and freezers must have their doors removed and positioned so that a child or small animal cannot get inside. We will not collect white goods with food or other items still in them. Since white goods are recyclable, we may collect them separately from other items in your booking.
• Any items that are sharp or broken should be wrapped in newspaper or a similar material.

If you live in council housing, you can order 2 free bulky waste collections each year. You'll need your rent reference number while submitting your request.

Otherwise, the cost depends on how many and what type of items you have.

The cost does not change based on item size.

General items or bags

General items are anything other than upholstered furniture or white goods. This includes individual items or filled bin bags.

• 1 to 5 general items or bags: £44.10
• 6 to 10 general items or bags: £77.20
• 11 to 20 general items or bags: £132.30
• Every item or bag over 20: £8.85 for each item or bag

Upholstered furniture

• Upholstered furniture: £49.65 for each item

White goods

• White goods: £49.65 for each item

We will not collect white goods with food or other items still in them.

Recycle your garden waste instead of putting it in your general waste bin. This allows us to take it to a composting plant, where it can become a valuable resource for commercial and residential fertiliser.

You'll need to buy a garden waste permit if you'd like us to collect your garden waste.

Once you have a garden waste permit, you can put these items in your brown bin:

• grass cuttings
• leaves and twigs
• branches and twigs (small enough to fit in the bin with the lid closed)
• hedge clippings
• flowers and plants.

Do not put these items in your brown bin:

• rubble and soil
• pet waste and bedding
• plant pots
• wood and fencing
• timber or logs
• garden furniture
• stones, gravel, or concrete (including DIY waste, such as plasterboard).

Find out more about what goes in your bins and rubbish sacks.

If you do not want a garden waste permit, you could:

• bag your garden waste and bring it to one of our household waste recycling centres for free
• order a bulky waste collection if you have lots of garden waste
• use your garden waste for home composting (Recycle Now's website).

You can renew or sign up for a garden waste permit if you live in Renfrewshire and:

• have a brown bin (find out how to order a bin)
• are on one of our brown bin collection routes.

To find out if you're on a brown bin collection route, check your bin collection schedule online.

You'll need a debit or credit card to apply (renew or sign up), unless you're entitled to a free garden waste permit.

If you receive Council Tax Reduction or exemption for a person with a severe mental impairment

You can get 1 free permit if you receive either:

• a full (100%) Council Tax Reduction
• a discount or exemption for a person with a severe mental impairment.

You still need to apply for a permit or have someone apply on your behalf. When applying, you'll be able to select Apply for a free permit.

If you share a brown bin

If you share a brown bin with a neighbour, you can share the cost of a permit. You'll need to arrange this between yourselves. The official owner of the brown bin still needs to apply for and pay for the permit themselves.

If you're on our garden assistance scheme

If you're on our garden assistance scheme, you do not need to apply for a permit. There is no change to our grass and hedge cutting service for people on this scheme, and we'll continue to remove your garden waste as usual.

If you pay someone to do your gardening

If you pay someone to do your gardening, such as a gardener or landscaper, you cannot put this garden waste in your brown bin or bring it to our household waste recycling centres.

The person who did the work is legally responsible for removing this waste from your site as part of their service to you.

Terms and conditions

Check the terms and conditions for our garden waste collection service for more information.

You’ll need to apply for a new permit if you’d like us to collect your garden waste after 1 May 2026.

If you’d like your permit to arrive before 1 May 2026, we suggest you apply before 10 April. You can still apply after this date, but your permit might not arrive before 1 May.

You can apply for a garden waste permit until mid-December 2026, when we’ll close applications for a few months.

Apply for a garden waste permit

You'll need to request a free replacement permit if:

• you're moving house within Renfrewshire
• your permit has gone missing
• your permit has become worn or damaged.

Request a replacement garden waste permit

If you need help with your application:

• phone 0300 300 0380
• email garden.waste@renfrewshire.gov.uk.

You should receive your permit within 15 working days.

Attach your permit to your brown bin under the handles. Remember to remove your old permit, if you have one.

We'll then start collecting your garden waste on your next brown bin collection day.

New permits are valid from 1 May 2026 to 30 April 2027. All permits will expire on 30 April 2027, even if you bought your permit partway through the year.

Permits cost £52.

This year’s £5 increase to the permit charge is to allow us to continue to provide the service against rising costs.

Grey bin

Your grey bin is for rubbish that cannot be recycled, also called 'general waste'.

These items can go in your grey bin:

• non-recyclable waste
• plastic bags
• polystyrene or foam packing
• crisp and sweet wrappers
• used tissues and paper towels
• cling film
• lightbulbs
• pet litter
• nappies
• personal hygiene products (such as tampons, incontinence products, and baby wipes)
• food and drinks pouches
• hard plastics (such as toys, coat hangers, or CD cases)
• envelopes with interior padding, such as bubble wrap
• shredded paper
• Tetra Pak packaging.

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
• batteries
• vapes.

Clinical (medical) waste

If you have clinical waste, do not put it in your grey bin. Email us at mybins@renfrewshire.gov.uk or phone us on 0300 300 0300 to discuss your options.

Vapes

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, only the liquid refill (e-cartridge or pod) can go in your grey bin. Take the battery to one our our household waste recycling centres.

Blue bin

Your blue bin is for paper and cardboard.

These items can go in your blue bin:

• cardboard (flatten it so it's easier to collect)
• cereal boxes
• toilet and kitchen roll tubes
• paper (as long as it's clean and dry)
• envelopes (it's okay to leave the clear, plastic window on them)
• magazines
• newspapers
• office paper
• telephone directories
• paperback books
• catalogues
• junk mail and takeaway menus.

Do not put these items in your blue bin:

• hardback books
• envelopes with interior padding, such as bubble wrap
• plastic wrapping and bubble wrap
• polystyrene
• packaging with food residue
• used tissues and kitchen roll
• foil gift wrapping paper
• aluminium foil (tinfoil)
• shredded paper
• takeaway pizza boxes (they are too dirty)
• plastic bags (put any paper and cardboard directly into the bin, not in a bag)
• photos
• Tetra Pak packaging.

Green bin

Your green bin is for plastics, cans, and glass.

These items can go in your green bin:

• plastic bottles
• plastic pots, tubs, and trays
• plastic fruit and vegetable trays
• plastic takeaway containers (emptied and rinsed)
• cleaning product bottles
• shampoo and shower gel bottles
• drinks cans (emptied and rinsed)
• food tins, including pet food tins (emptied and rinsed)
• aluminium foil (tinfoil)
• biscuit and sweet tins
• aerosols
• glass bottles and jars
• plastic milk cartons.

Do not put these items in your green bin:

• food residue
• carrier bags
• sweet and crisp wrappers
• plastic wrapping and bubble wrap
• polystyrene food and drink pouches
• hard plastics (such as toys, coat hangers, or CD cases)
• food and drink pouches
• light bulbs
• Pyrex or crockery
• mirrors
• batteries
• vapes
• plastic bags (put any plastic, cans, and glass directly into the bin, not in a bag).

Brown bin

Your brown bin is for garden waste and food waste.

You need to buy a garden waste permit before you can put garden waste in your brown bin.

These items can go in your brown bin:

• grass cuttings
• flowers and plants
• weeds
• leaves
• branches and twigs (small enough to fit in the bin with the lid closed)
• cooked and uncooked food
• fruit and vegetable peelings
• tea bags and coffee grounds
• eggshells
• out-of-date food (all packaging removed)
• meat, fish, and small bones.

Do not put these items in your brown bin:

• plastic bags
• packaging
• liquids
• fats and cooking oils (set these aside and wait for them to solidify, and then they can go in your general waste bin)
• rubble and soil
• pet waste and bedding
• plant pots
• wood and fencing
• timber or logs
• garden furniture
• stones, gravel, or concrete (including DIY waste, such as plasterboard).

Put your food waste in the designated, biodegradable liners we provide, or put it directly in your brown bin. Do not use generic plastic bags for food waste.

Black sack

Some households in Renfrewshire use rubbish sacks instead of bins.

Your black sack is for rubbish that cannot be recycled, also called 'general waste'.

These items can go in your black sack:

• plastic bags and polythene
• polystyrene
• crisp and sweet wrappers
• used tissues and paper towels
• cling film
• lightbulbs (seal any glass items in material, such as a box, to prevent them from ripping the bag or harming a collector)
• pet waste and bedding
• nappies
• personal hygiene products
• food and drinks pouches
• hard plastics (such as toys, coat hangers, or CD cases)
• envelopes with interior padding, such as bubble wrap
• shredded paper.

Do not put these items in your black sack:

• plastics, cans, and glass
• paper, card, and cardboard
• food waste
• garden waste
• electrical items
• textiles and shoes
• batteries
• vapes.

Blue sack

Some households in Renfrewshire use rubbish sacks instead of bins.

Your blue sack is for paper and cardboard.

These items can go in your blue sack:

• cardboard (flatten it so it's easier to collect)
• cereal boxes
• corrugated cardboard
• toilet and kitchen roll tubes
• cardboard packaging
• paper (as long as it's clean and dry)
• envelopes (it's okay to leave the clear, plastic window on them)
• magazines
• newspapers
• office paper
• telephone directories
• paperback books
• catalogues
• junk mail and takeaway menus.

Do not put these items in your blue sack:

• hardback books
• envelopes with interior padding, such as bubble wrap
• plastic wrapping and bubble wrap
• polystyrene
• packaging with food residue
• used tissues and kitchen roll
• foil gift wrapping paper
• aluminium foil (tinfoil)
• shredded paper
• takeaway pizza boxes (they are too dirty).

Green sack

Some households in Renfrewshire use rubbish sacks instead of bins.

Your green sack is for plastics, cans, and cartons.

These items can go in your green sack:

• plastic bottles
• plastic pots, tubs, and trays
• fruit and vegetable punnets (trays)
• clean takeaway containers
• cleaning product bottles
• drinks cans (emptied and rinsed)
• food tins, including pet food tins (emptied and rinsed)
• aluminium foil (tinfoil)
• biscuit and sweet tins
• aerosols
• cartons, such as milk cartons.

Do not put these items in your green sack:

• glass
• food residue
• carrier bags
• sweet and crisp wrappers
• plastic wrapping and bubble wrap
• polystyrene food and drink pouches
• hard plastics (such as toys, coat hangers, or CD cases)
• food and drink pouches
• light bulbs
• Pyrex or crockery
• mirrors
• batteries
• vapes.

Find out what can and cannot go in your bins and rubbish sacks.

Alternatively, you can take your general waste and recycling to one of our household waste recycling centres or order a bulky waste collection from your home.