Reading sorts household waste into a recycling bin (usually red), a general rubbish bin (usually grey), an outdoor food waste bin that is emptied weekly, and an optional green garden waste bin or bag on subscription. Reading is a unitary borough and shares its recycling centres with Wokingham and Bracknell Forest through the re3 partnership, with a booked slot needed to visit. Reading's pages point residents to the online bin calendar for collection dates rather than stating a frequency for the rubbish and recycling bins.
Last checked against 6 sources (www.reading.gov.uk).
What goes in each bin
General rubbish bin (usually grey) · General waste
Bin · Varies by area, so check your address
Yes please
Non-recyclable rubbish
Nappies
Hygiene waste such as incontinence articles and catheters
Pet waste
Not in this one
Builders rubble or construction waste and soil
Lawn cuttings, leaves and twigs
Hazardous waste and other clinical waste
Food waste, which has its own bin
Items that can go in the recycling bin or a bring bank
General rubbish bin (usually grey) · General waste
Varies by area, so check your address
Black food waste bin and silver kitchen caddy · Food waste
Every week
Green bin or bag for garden waste · Garden waste
Every two weeks
Food waste and the national recycling rules
Reading collects food waste every week. Reading collects food waste every week, on the same day as your other bins but by a different vehicle at a different time of day. Houses have a 5-litre silver kitchen caddy and a 23-litre black outdoor bin; flats with communal bins use a communal food bin with a blue lid. The food goes to the Severn Trent plant to become fertiliser and energy.
Garden waste is a paid-for service. The annual subscription is £78 per green bin or £31 per green bag, with discounted prices of £58.50 and £23.25 for households that receive Council Tax Support. A brand new bin costs £68 and a bag £16, so starting a bin subscription costs £146 in total. You pay for a 12-month subscription and get a collection every 2 weeks, with a two-week pause over the Christmas period. Since 12 March 2025 every bin or bag is charged at the same rate, and the bin arrives within 4 weeks of payment.
Check the collection date, that the bin held the right waste and whether other bins on your street were emptied, then report online. You cannot report while the round is still in progress, if the collection has been rescheduled, or if the crew recorded a problem such as the wrong bin, wrong contents or blocked access. You can report one type of bin at a time. The bin calendar shows rescheduling updates after 3pm. Report within 48 hours of the missed collection; after that the council will not return until the next scheduled collection.
The council's guide does not list glass for kerbside recycling: its table of what goes in the recycling bin names plastic, paper, cartons, foil, cans and aerosols, and lists glass bottles and jars among items that do not go in. Check the council's page before putting glass out.
Put the food waste bin at the edge of your property with your other bin by 6am. Line the caddy with a bread bag, cereal bag, newspaper or similar, but not black bin bags or food trays. All liners, including compostable ones, are removed at the plant.
Small electrical items under 30cm x 24cm can be left in a clear carrier bag beside the red bin on recycling day, one bag per collection. Household batteries go in a clear plastic bag on top of the recycling bin.
You can only order a food waste bin or caddy where your property has a food waste collection, so check first. Flats with communal bins empty their kitchen caddy into a larger communal food bin.
Garden waste collections are only for subscribers. Frozen, overfull green bins sometimes cannot be emptied, so the council suggests loosening the contents, not packing them down and keeping the lid shut.
The re3 recycling centre at Smallmead asks for proof of address on arrival, such as a driving licence or current council tax bill, and charges for DIY waste beyond a free allowance of up to 100 litres of rubble, soil, plasterboard, gravel or similar.
Bin questions in Reading
What colour are the bins in Reading?
The council says the recycling bin is usually red and the general rubbish bin usually grey. Food waste goes in a black outdoor bin with a silver kitchen caddy, and garden waste in a green bin or bag.
How often is food waste collected in Reading?
Every week, on the same day as your household waste and recycling bins, but by a different vehicle at a different time of day. Put the bin out by 6am.
How much is garden waste in Reading?
A green bin subscription is £78 a year, or £58.50 with Council Tax Support. A new bin costs £68, so starting costs £146 in total. Green bags are £31 a year. Collections are every 2 weeks with a two-week pause at Christmas.
How long do I have to report a missed bin in Reading?
You must report within 48 hours of the missed collection. You cannot report if your collection has been rescheduled or the crew recorded a problem such as the wrong contents.
Do I need to book to use the Reading recycling centre?
Yes. Smallmead Recycling Centre on Island Road is open seven days a week but visits are by appointment only, booked online with Click and Tip. Bring proof of address.
Where do I find all of Reading's waste pages?
The council's Waste and recycling page links to the bin calendar, what goes in each bin, food waste, garden waste, the recycling centre, missed bins, bulky waste and service standards.
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