Hull sorts household waste into three bins: black for general waste, blue for loose dry recycling and brown for food and garden waste. Some homes without gardens have an outdoor food caddy that is emptied weekly on the same day as the black and blue bins. Hull's own bin pages leave the day and rhythm to a collection checker on the Household collections page.
Last checked against 7 sources (www.hull.gov.uk).
What goes in each bin
Black bin · General waste
Bin · Varies by area, so check your address
Yes please
Bagged household waste
Nappies and hygiene products
Bagged cat and dog waste
Polystyrene
Hard plastics such as toys, coat hangers and CDs
Empty black plastic plant pots and baskets
Bubble wrap and cling film
Bread bags and freezer bags
Crisp and sweet packets
Toothpaste tubes
Wallpaper
Kitchen cloths, sponges and used kitchen roll
Cigarette butts
Vacuum cleaner waste
Not in this one
Food waste, which the council asks you to put in the brown bin if you have one
Collection frequency by bin for Kingston upon Hull
Bin
Collected
Black bin · General waste
Varies by area, so check your address
Food waste and the national recycling rules
Kingston upon Hull collects food waste every week. Properties without a garden get a weekly outdoor food waste caddy collection on the same day as the black and blue bins. Households with a brown bin put food and garden waste together in it; the pages read do not give that bin's collection frequency.
Garden waste is collected free of charge. The council says a brown bin can be ordered free of charge. The pages read give no separate garden waste charge or season.
Report online once it is after 4pm on your collection day, and within two working days of the original collection day. If your street is listed on the council's missed streets notice, do not report it. Missed bins are collected within five working days of your request, and Mondays do not count towards those five days. For an outdoor food caddy, contact the council within 48 hours of your collection day.
Blue bin recycling must go in loose and clean. The council will not empty a blue bin that contains items in carrier bags or bin bags, and it will not empty one that holds black bin or brown bin waste, because the load can be contaminated. If you are unsure whether something is recyclable, the council says to leave it out of the blue bin.
Hull accepts empty carrier bags in the blue bin, along with paper, card, tins, cans, glass, cartons and non-polystyrene food containers. Black plastic plant pots and baskets go in the black bin instead, as do crisp packets, bread bags, bubble wrap and cling film.
The council's waste study found 26% of black bin contents was food waste. It asks residents with a brown bin to put food there, where it is composted, to leave space in the black bin for nappies, wipes and other items that cannot be recycled.
Side waste is not taken beside the black bin or brown bin. Extra blue bin recycling can be left beside the bin if it is secured in clear bags. Surplus waste can go to one of Hull's household waste and recycling centres.
Residents use the recycling centres with a pass in the car window. Without it they can show a recent utility bill, Council Tax bill or driving licence as proof of a Hull address. Businesses and trade users cannot use the sites, and the council asks people to sort mixed bags before arriving.
As of 3 October 2026 the council's missed bin page carried a notice about operational difficulties on some rounds and a list of streets known to have been missed. Check it before reporting a missed collection.
Bin questions in Kingston upon Hull
What goes in a Hull brown bin?
Food waste such as meat, fish, bones, peelings and leftovers, together with garden waste including grass, hedge cuttings, leaves, twigs and weeds. The council says a brown bin can be ordered free of charge.
How often is the outdoor food caddy emptied?
Every week. The council empties it between 7am and 4.30pm on the same day as your black and blue bins, and it should be at the edge of your property by 7am.
How soon will a missed bin be collected in Hull?
Within five working days of your request, with Mondays not counted. You can report it online after 4pm on your collection day and within two working days of the original date.
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