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Liverpool bin collection days

Liverpool uses a colour for each job: purple for household rubbish, blue for recycling, green for paid garden waste and, as it is rolled out street by street, a grey bin for food waste. The council collects as normal on bank holidays, and communal bins in flats and terraces are emptied every two days.

Last checked against 6 sources (liverpool.gov.uk).

What goes in each bin

Purple bin for household waste · General waste

Bin · Varies by area, so check your address

Yes please

  • Household waste and items that cannot be recycled
  • Food waste, including pet food, in areas where the grey food bin has not yet arrived

Not in this one

  • Electrical items, which go to a recycling centre or a bulky item collection
  • Garden waste
  • Extra bags left beside the bin: the council does not collect side waste

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

Blue bin or bag for recycling · Mixed recycling

Bin

Yes please

  • Yoghurt pots, plastic tubs, food trays, foil and foil containers
  • Plastic drinks, shampoo and cleaning bottles with the lids on, not flattened
  • Tetra Pak cartons for juice, milk and soup
  • Empty aerosols and sweet tins
  • Cans, not crushed
  • Glass bottles and jars with the lids left on
  • Plant pots in any colour except black
  • Paper, magazines, newspapers, junk mail, catalogues and wrapping paper that is not plastic or metallic
  • Envelopes, including those with plastic windows
  • Cardboard food boxes, inner toilet or kitchen roll tubes and egg cartons, flattened

Not in this one

  • Black bag waste
  • Plastic bags, cling film and plastic padding
  • Metal objects, shredded paper and polystyrene
  • Food and liquids
  • Textiles, clothes and shoes
  • Paint tins, electrical items, syringes and wood
  • Recycling inside plastic bags: put items in loose

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

Grey food waste bin with an indoor caddy · Food waste

Caddy · Every week

Yes please

  • Uneaten food and plate scrapings
  • Raw and cooked meat, fish and bones
  • Cheese, eggs and eggshells and other dairy products
  • Tea bags and coffee grounds
  • Rice, pasta and beans
  • Bread, cakes and pastries
  • Vegetables and fruit, including peelings
  • Out-of-date or mouldy food and pet food

Not in this one

  • Packaging of any kind
  • Milk and other liquids
  • Oil or any fat
  • Anything that is not food waste

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

Green bin for garden waste (paid) · Garden waste

Bin

Yes please

  • Grass cuttings, hedge clippings, dead plants and weeds
  • Bark, leaves and small twigs
  • Branches no larger than 7.5cm in diameter

Not in this one

  • Stone, concrete, timber and builder's waste
  • Glass, plastic, metal, paper and cardboard
  • Plant pots, soil and turf
  • Household rubbish and food waste

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

Check your bin day

We can’t check Liverpool addresses yet

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

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

How often each bin is collected

Collection frequency by bin for Liverpool
BinCollected
Purple bin for household waste · General wasteVaries by area, so check your address
Grey food waste bin with an indoor caddy · Food wasteEvery week

Food waste and the national recycling rules

Liverpool collects food waste every week. The council says free weekly food waste collections are being phased in across the city, with a letter about 6 weeks before collections start in each area. Food is collected on the days the blue and purple bins are collected, and where the grey bin has not yet arrived food waste still goes in the purple bin.

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

Garden waste

Garden waste is a paid-for service. The council says green bin collections must be paid for, and that a missed green bin is not collected if the subscription has expired. The price is not stated on the pages BinWeek read, so it is left out.

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

If your bin was missed

Check that your bin was out before 6:30am on the right collection day and does not carry a yellow sticker for incorrect items, then report the miss using the council's online form. Green bins are not collected if the subscription has expired. For a blue, purple or food waste bin, report once it has not been collected by 2pm on the scheduled day, and no later than 2pm on the next working day. A green bin can be reported as soon as it is missed. After the deadline you wait for the next scheduled collection.

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

Your nearest tip

Good to know in Liverpool

  • Purple is rubbish, not the other way round. The purple bin takes household waste and anything that cannot be recycled, and in areas still waiting for food waste collections it takes food waste too.
  • Blue is a bin or a bag. Recycling goes in loose, with lids left on glass jars and bottles and plastic bottles not flattened. A bin with black bag waste, plastic bags, cling film, polystyrene or food in it will not be emptied.
  • A yellow sticker means your bin held the wrong items. You need to take the items out and put the bin out again on the next scheduled collection date, because the council does not return the same day.
  • The council does not collect side waste. Extra bags of rubbish or recycling left next to a bin on collection day are left behind, so use the bin lid as the limit.
  • Food waste is being phased in. The council says you will get a letter about 6 weeks before collections begin in your area, then an indoor 5 litre caddy, an outdoor 23 litre caddy and a roll of liners, and food is collected weekly on your blue and purple bin days.
  • Put bins and bags out before 6:30am. Bins go on the kerbside with the handles facing the road, terraced houses use the nearest end of the passage or alley, and recycling bags go on the pavement by the front door.
  • Green bin collections are a paid subscription, and a green bin that is missed is not collected if the subscription has expired. As of 3 October 2026 the council pages used here do not say how often garden waste or the other bins are collected, so BinWeek leaves the frequencies out rather than guess.
  • Liverpool's household waste recycling centres are run by Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority. Residents using a van of any size or a large trailer are limited to 12 visits a year, and an appointment is needed for vans and trailers.

Bin questions in Liverpool

What goes in the purple bin in Liverpool?

The purple bin is for household waste and items that cannot be recycled. Electrical items do not go in it; take them to a recycling centre or book a bulky item collection.

What time do I put my bin out in Liverpool?

All bins and bags must be out before 6:30am on your collection day, with the lid closed. The council collects as normal on bank holidays.

When can I report a missed bin in Liverpool?

Report a blue, purple or food waste bin if it has not been collected by 2pm on your collection day, and no later than 2pm on the next working day. A green bin can be reported as soon as it is missed if your subscription is active.

Does Liverpool collect food waste?

Free weekly food waste collections are being phased in across the city. The council writes to households about 6 weeks before collections start, and food waste is collected on the same days as the blue and purple bins.

Guides that may help

Nearby councils