Nottingham uses green bins for general waste and brown bins with grey lids for recycling, collected on alternate weeks, with an optional paid garden waste bin. Most of the city has no food waste collection yet: the council has until 2030, and weekly caddies only run in the Berridge area. Plastic bags and wrapping can now go in the recycling bin.
Last checked against 6 sources (www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk).
What goes in each bin
Green residual waste bin · General waste
Bin · Every two weeks
Yes please
Waste that cannot be recycled in the brown and grey-lidded recycling bin
Food waste, outside the Berridge food waste trial area
Household batteries in a sealed clear bag on top of the bin, if you prefer not to use the recycling bin
Not in this one
Side waste: extra bags or bulky waste left next to the bin
Waste that does not fit inside the bin with the lid closed, under the council's no side waste policy
Recycling that can go in the brown and grey-lidded bin
Brown recycling bin with a grey lid · Mixed recycling
Every two weeks
Brown garden waste bin with a brown lid (paid subscription) · Garden waste
Every two weeks
Food waste bin and kitchen caddy (Berridge trial area only) · Food waste
Every week
Food waste and the national recycling rules
Nottingham has a transitional arrangement for weekly food waste. The council says Defra has given it until 2030 to start weekly food waste collections across the whole city, because an earlier start would put cost pressure on its waste disposal contract. Weekly food waste collections have run in the Berridge area since March 2023 as a trial. Everywhere else, food waste goes in the green residual bin.
Garden waste is a paid-for service. The 2026 season costs £36.50 per bin, £26.50 for each extra bin, with a £26 charge if you need a new bin. People who get council tax support pay £18.25 per bin. The price covers the whole season whenever you join, and the council says refunds are not given under any circumstances. The 2026 season runs from April to December: fortnightly collections until October, then one in November and one in December. There are no garden waste collections from January to March, and a new subscription is needed from 1 April.
Use the council's online missed bin service, which takes around 5 minutes and asks for your contact details, the address and the type of bin. The council only returns if you put the bin out correctly and on time and its crew missed it by mistake. If there is a sticker or hanger on the bin, follow the label and do not report it as missed. You must report a missed bin by 5pm, two days after your scheduled collection day. Missed food waste bins in the Berridge trial are reported on the food waste page and the council aims to return within 2 working days.
The recycling list grew in 2026: cartons, foil items and plastic bags and wrapping can now go in the brown and grey-lidded bin alongside paper, card, cans, tins, glass and plastic bottles, tubs and trays. Everything should be clean, loose and dry, and film attached to trays, tubs or pots has to come off first.
Nottingham does not collect side waste. The council says extra bags or bulky items left next to a wheelie bin will not be taken, and a bin whose lid is not fully shut will not be emptied. Stickers on bins are a reminder, and enforcement is only for households that repeatedly ignore it.
Put the bin on the pavement outside your property, or at an agreed collection point, no earlier than 7pm the day before collection, and have it back inside your boundary by 7pm on collection day.
Household batteries go in a sealed clear plastic bag on top of either the recycling bin or the general rubbish bin on bin day. Small electrical items have drop-off points, and electrical items that do not fit the bin can go to the tip.
Garden waste is a short season rather than a year-round service: April to December, fortnightly until October, then single collections in November and December. The council says it does not run garden waste collections from January to March.
The council runs an email reminder the night before bin day, and its calendar tool lets you download a printable calendar or import the dates into iCal or Google Calendar.
The recycling centre at Redfield Road is for Nottingham City residents and you may be asked for your driving licence as proof. As of 2 October 2026 the council was still taking fridges and freezers but limited residents to one per visit and one visit a week, and said it might stop at short notice.
Bin questions in Nottingham
Does Nottingham collect food waste?
Not across the city yet. The council says it has until 2030 to start weekly food waste collections and has run a trial in the Berridge area since March 2023. Elsewhere, food waste goes in the green residual waste bin.
How much is garden waste collection in Nottingham?
The 2026 season costs £36.50 per bin for collections from April to December, or £18.25 per bin if you get council tax support. Extra bins cost £26.50 each, and the council does not give refunds.
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