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Bristol bin collection days

Bristol collects recycling every week in separate containers rather than one mixed bin: a black box for glass, a green box (being swapped for a red bag) for plastics and cans, a blue bag for paper and card, and a brown bin for food. The black wheelie bin for rubbish is emptied every two weeks, so it is the container that most often stays put.

Last checked against 10 sources (www.bristol.gov.uk).

What goes in each bin

Black wheelie bin · General waste

Bin · Every two weeks

Yes please

  • Waste that cannot be recycled
  • Nappies and pads, put in a bag first

Not in this one

  • Anything that can be recycled
  • Extra rubbish bags left beside the bin
  • A bin too heavy to be wheeled to the back of the collection vehicle

Source: www.bristol.gov.uk (opens in a new tab), read

Green recycling box or red recycling bag · Mixed recycling

Box · Every week

Yes please

  • Rinsed and squashed food and drink cans
  • Empty aerosols, without lids
  • Plastic drinks, toiletry and cleaning bottles
  • Metal and plastic bottle tops, lids and caps
  • Rinsed and squashed foil and takeaway containers
  • Rinsed plastic yogurt pots, ice cream and margarine tubs
  • Plastic meat, fruit and biscuit trays

Not in this one

  • Black plastic
  • Cardboard, which goes in the blue bag
  • Carrier bags, soft plastics, cling film, cellophane and crisp packets
  • Polystyrene, bubble wrap and bin liners
  • Hard plastics such as flower pots, toys and drain pipes
  • Light bulbs

Source: www.bristol.gov.uk (opens in a new tab), read

Black recycling box · Glass

Box · Every week

Yes please

  • Rinsed glass bottles and jars
  • Household batteries, in a small clear untied bag
  • Small electrical items, in an untied plastic bag

Not in this one

  • Window glass, drinking glasses and Pyrex
  • Broken glass, which goes in the black wheelie bin wrapped in paper, bagged and labelled
  • Plastic and cans, which go in the green box or red bag
  • Cardboard and cartons, which go in the blue bag
  • Food waste, which goes in the brown food waste bin
  • Light bulbs, which go to a recycling centre

Source: www.bristol.gov.uk (opens in a new tab), read

Blue recycling bag · Paper and card

Bag · Every week

Yes please

  • Cardboard, with tape removed and folded or cut to fit the bag
  • Brown paper
  • Paper
  • Clean food and drink cartons, including Tetra Pak
  • Shredded paper in a paper bag or envelope inside the blue bag

Not in this one

  • Cardboard heavily contaminated with food, such as pizza boxes
  • Paper cups, which are coated with plastic
  • Extra cardboard that will not fit in the bag
  • Any other recycling

Source: www.bristol.gov.uk (opens in a new tab), read

Brown food waste bin and kitchen caddy · Food waste

Bin · Every week

Yes please

  • Cooked and uncooked food
  • Meat, fish and bones
  • Fruit and vegetable peelings
  • Bread, pasta, cereal and rice
  • Dairy products and egg shells
  • Tea bags, tea leaves and coffee grounds
  • Leftovers and plate scrapings

Not in this one

  • Glass, which goes in the black recycling box
  • Metal and plastic, which go in the green box or red bag
  • Cardboard and shredded paper, which go in the blue bag
  • Any other household waste

Source: www.bristol.gov.uk (opens in a new tab), read

Check your bin day

We can’t check Bristol addresses yet

Live bin day lookups for Bristol are planned. Until then, Bristol’s own page will show your collection day.

Find my bin day on www.bristol.gov.uk(opens in a new tab)

How often each bin is collected

Collection frequency by bin for Bristol
BinCollected
Black wheelie bin · General wasteEvery two weeks
Green recycling box or red recycling bag · Mixed recyclingEvery week
Black recycling box · GlassEvery week
Blue recycling bag · Paper and cardEvery week
Brown food waste bin and kitchen caddy · Food wasteEvery week

Food waste and the national recycling rules

Bristol collects food waste every week. Bristol collects food waste every week in a brown bin, with a smaller caddy for the kitchen. Paper and card were moved into the blue recycling bag from Thursday 28 May 2026, so the black box is now for glass, batteries and small electrical items.

Source: www.bristol.gov.uk (opens in a new tab), read

Garden waste

Garden waste is a paid-for service. As of 6 May 2026 a garden waste subscription costs £59 a year, or £81 with a new bin. Paying by Direct Debit takes £3 off. The concessionary rate for people on some benefits is £28 for the service without a bin, or £38.50 with a bin. A replacement bin costs £22. Garden waste is collected every 2 weeks and the service is suspended for one month over the Christmas and New Year period. Collection dates appear on the collection day finder once you are paying for the service.

Source: www.bristol.gov.uk (opens in a new tab), read

If your bin was missed

Check for a label on the bin that says why it was not emptied, check your street is not on the Bristol Waste list of streets not collected, and use the collection day finder to confirm the day. Then report it online. If recycling was missed you only need to report one container, and the crew will return for all of them. Rubbish, recycling and garden waste are reported separately. Report between 5pm on the day of the missed collection and 5pm the next working day. The council says it will collect rubbish or recycling within 2 working days.

Source: www.bristol.gov.uk (opens in a new tab), read

Your nearest tip

Good to know in Bristol

  • Between September and November 2026 the council is swapping green recycling boxes for larger red recycling bags, and the blue bag for a new bag for paper and card. The swap happens after your usual recycling collection, and a letter arrives first. Keep using your current containers until then. The black box does not change.
  • Put bins out after 6pm the day before collection and before 6am on the morning, at the edge of your property where the crew can see them from the road. The council says that in hot weather, when 25 degrees or more is forecast, collections may start from 5am.
  • If you cannot have a black wheelie bin, the crew will take up to three waste sacks instead. Extra rubbish bags beside a bin are not collected.
  • Some things the council steers away from the recycling containers and into the black wheelie bin: foil crisp packets, face coverings, cling film, cellophane, polystyrene and bubble wrap. Soft plastics such as carrier bags can go back to a supermarket, and plastic bags can line a food caddy.
  • Flats with communal bins or a Mini Recycling Centre have their own bins for general waste, food, paper and card, and plastics and cans, and the collection day finder gives the days. Anything left outside the bins counts as fly-tipping.
  • If you need help putting bins out, the council's number is 0117 922 2100.

Bin questions in Bristol

How often are bins collected in Bristol?

On the kerbside service the black wheelie bin is emptied every two weeks. The black and green recycling boxes, the red and blue recycling bags and the brown food waste bin are collected weekly, and garden waste is collected every two weeks for those who pay. Flats and Mini Recycling Centres follow the collection day finder.

Where does paper go in Bristol now?

From Thursday 28 May 2026 paper goes in the blue recycling bag with cardboard and cartons, not in the black recycling box.

How much does a bulky waste collection cost in Bristol?

Items such as fridges, bed frames and mattresses cost £27 for up to 3 items or £52 for 4 to 6. Soft furnishings are booked separately and cost £26.50 for 1 item, £41.50 for 2 or £52 for 3. Call 0117 922 2100 if you cannot book online.

Do I need to book to visit a Bristol recycling centre?

Yes. Each of the three Reuse and Recycling Centres is open five days a week, you need to book a visit, and you must bring photo ID and proof of address.

Guides that may help

Nearby councils