Green bin for household waste · General waste
Bin · Every two weeks
Yes please
- Household and non-recyclable items, bagged in black bags, carrier bags or bin liners
Source: new.newcastle.gov.uk (opens in a new tab), read
Newcastle upon Tyne bin collection days
Newcastle runs a three-bin system on a weekly rhythm: a blue bin for recycling and a green bin for general waste go out on alternate weeks, and the brown bin is a paid garden waste subscription. A food waste collection exists only in a trial area of around 5,000 households, so most homes still put food in the green bin.
Last checked against 8 sources (new.newcastle.gov.uk).
What goes in each bin
Blue bin for recycling · Mixed recycling
Bin · Every two weeks
Yes please
- Glass bottles and jars with the lids on
- Plastic bottles with lids
- Plastic pots, tubs and trays, including margarine tubs, yogurt pots and meat trays
- Flattened cardboard, newspapers, magazines and paper
- Beverage cartons and white and brown envelopes, with or without windows
- Empty aerosol cans and food and drink tins and cans
- Foil scrunched into a ball, and rinsed foil trays
- Biscuit tins and plastic chocolate tubs
Not in this one
- Compostable films or plastics, which go in the green bin
- Small electrical items such as toasters, kettles and irons
- Batteries, which can be recycled at most supermarkets and at a recycling centre
- Nappies
- Anything dirty or unhygienic
Source: new.newcastle.gov.uk (opens in a new tab), read
Brown bin for garden waste (paid subscription) · Garden waste
Bin
Yes please
- Garden trimmings, cuttings and prunings
- Leaves and weeds, placed loosely in the bin
Not in this one
- Branches, logs or roots more than 10cm across
- Japanese knotweed, turf, soil, clay, stones and rubble
- Plant pots
- Dog and cat faeces, and straw or hay bedding used for pets
- Food waste or refuse
- Compostable films, plastics or items like cutlery and plates
- Anything in black bags or plastic bags
Source: new.newcastle.gov.uk (opens in a new tab), read
Food waste bin and kitchen caddy (trial households only) · Food waste
Bin
Yes please
- All cooked and uncooked food, including mouldy and out-of-date food
Not in this one
- Packaging
- Animal waste
- Large quantities of liquid, for example cooking oil or milk
Source: new.newcastle.gov.uk (opens in a new tab), read
Check your bin day
We can’t check Newcastle upon Tyne addresses yet
Live bin day lookups for Newcastle upon Tyne are planned. Until then, Newcastle upon Tyne’s own page will show your collection day.
How often each bin is collected
| Bin | Collected |
|---|---|
| Green bin for household waste · General waste | Every two weeks |
| Blue bin for recycling · Mixed recycling | Every two weeks |
Food waste and the national recycling rules
Newcastle upon Tyne does not collect food waste every week. As of 2 October 2026 the council's food waste page described a food waste recycling service for around 5,000 households in a trial area, not a citywide weekly collection. Households inside the trial are contacted directly and given a kitchen caddy, caddy bags and an outdoor food waste bin. Everyone else puts food in the green general waste bin.
Source: new.newcastle.gov.uk (opens in a new tab), read
Garden waste
Garden waste is a paid-for service. The council charges £46 per bin per year, paid upfront. The council said the 2026 payment deadline was 12 February 2026, and later sign-ups can mean fewer collections. The service provides 20 brown bin collections for people who join at the start of the scheme, running from spring to late autumn. Signing up later gives fewer collections. A sticker under the handles at the back of the bin shows the crew you have paid, and there are no refunds if you move away.
Source: new.newcastle.gov.uk (opens in a new tab), read
If your bin was missed
Report a missed household bin (blue, green or brown) or assisted lift with the council's online form, or use the separate form for shared bins in a back lane or block of flats. The council asks you to report it the day after your collection, because route and vehicle tracking data is not available until then. The council says it will recollect a missed assisted, whole or half street, or shared bin within 3 working days, and the crew working week is Tuesday to Friday, so Monday does not count. If its vehicles visited your street, there is a reason your bin was not collected and it will be emptied on the next scheduled collection.
Source: new.newcastle.gov.uk (opens in a new tab), read
Your nearest tip
Good to know in Newcastle upon Tyne
- Newcastle's rule of thumb is that collections happen every week, alternating between recycling and general waste. Put the blue, green and brown bins on the nearest kerb outside your property by 6:30am, because crews can arrive at any time between 6:30am and 4:30pm.
- The blue bin takes recycling loose, clean and dry, with lids, caps and trigger sprays left on. Glass bottles and jars go in the same blue bin as plastics, cans, cardboard and paper. The council has recently changed what it accepts, so check its recycling A to Z if you are unsure.
- Compostable films, plastics and compostable cutlery and plates belong in the green general waste bin, not the blue recycling bin and not the brown garden bin.
- The council is running trials beyond the basic service: a food waste bin in a trial area, and a collection of plastic bags and wrapping for flexible plastics. Households taking part are contacted directly. If you have not heard from the council, the standard rules apply.
- Small electrical items cannot go in any bin. The council offers a free small electricals collection that you can book, and the recycling centres accept them.
- There are three household waste and recycling centres, at Brunswick, Byker and Walbottle. Visitors must use a vehicle or cargo bike because the sites cannot be entered on foot, and only Brunswick accepts van and large vehicle permit holders. The sites close at 4pm on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.
- The council's pages for the new website sit on a separate address from its older pages. Where the two differ, BinWeek follows the new site as of 2 October 2026.
- The council's green bin page lists recyclable materials, batteries, small electrical items, vehicle parts, rubble, bricks and building waste, liquids, carpets or furniture, items that may make the bin too heavy, and commercial or trade waste as things not to put in a bin. The page is headed green bin, but that line of text says brown bin, so BinWeek lists them here and not against a bin.
- The council's blue bin page says nappies, and compostable films or plastics such as compostable cutlery and plates, should go in the green bin with your general waste.
Bin questions in Newcastle upon Tyne
What time do I put my bins out in Newcastle?
The council says your blue, green and brown bins must be on the nearest kerb outside your property by 6:30am on your collection day. Crews can arrive at any time between 6:30am and 4:30pm, so bring the bin in after it has been emptied.
How much is the garden waste bin in Newcastle?
The council charges £46 per bin per year, paid upfront. Joining at the start of the scheme gives 20 collections between spring and late autumn, and signing up later gives fewer collections.