York collects household rubbish from every home every two weeks, with recycling sorted into two council-issued boxes (one for paper and cardboard, one for everything else) and garden waste in a green bin that you pay for each season. There is no kerbside food waste collection on the council's pages yet, and wheelie bins for recycling are planned for 2027.
Last checked against 8 sources (www.york.gov.uk, www.legislation.gov.uk).
What goes in each bin
Black wheelie bin, or up to 3 black sacks, for household waste · General waste
Bin · Every two weeks
Yes please
Non-recyclable household waste, presented in one black wheelie bin with the lid shut or up to three black sacks, depending on your area
Garden waste, if you live outside a garden waste collection area or have space in your bin or bags
Not in this one
Extra waste that will not fit in the wheelie bin, and excess black sacks (the crews take extra only during the Christmas collection)
Sharp objects in black sacks, which could injure the crew
Council recycling box for plastics, cans, tins, foil, cartons and glass · Mixed recycling
Box
Yes please
Plastic bottles with the lids on, pots, tubs, trays, punnets and toothpaste tubes in clean, light-coloured or clear plastic labelled PET 1, HDPE 2 or PP 5
Food tins, drink cans, baby milk tins and empty aerosol cans
Clean aluminium foil and foil trays that pass the scrunch test
Food and drink cartons such as Tetra Pak, emptied, rinsed and flattened with the lids back on
Glass bottles and jars of any colour or size, rinsed
Not in this one
Stretchy plastics such as bread bags, film and bubble wrap, and black or dark plastics
Hard plastics such as toys and furniture, polystyrene, food pouches and medicine blister packs
Baking trays, metal utensils, coat hangers and paint tins
Black wheelie bin, or up to 3 black sacks, for household waste · General waste
Every two weeks
Food waste and the national recycling rules
York has a transitional arrangement for weekly food waste. City of York Council is listed in the schedule to the Environment Act 2021 (Commencement No. 9 and Transitional Provisions) Regulations 2024 with a separate food waste collection date of 1 February 2043. The council pages read for this entry describe no kerbside food waste collection today. Its recycling review says that Simpler Recycling reforms are behind the move to wheeled recycling bins in 2027.
Garden waste is a paid-for service. The Garden Waste Subscription Scheme costs £52.00 for the 2026 season. People who receive Council Tax Support, or live with someone on a Severe Mental Impairment exemption, get 50% off one bin sticker, making the 2026 cost £26.00. Other council tax discounts, such as Single Person Discount, do not qualify. You can subscribe at any time, but the price is per collection season, so the council encourages subscribing early. You can cancel within 14 days of paying for a full refund. Payment is online by card or by phone, and the council cannot take cash.
Before reporting, check the council's waste collection updates for known service issues. Recycling and rubbish may be collected later in the day, so report only after 4pm on your collection day. The council will not take a report for a bin frozen shut, one the crew recorded an issue with, or waste put out at the wrong time or place, so present waste in a visible spot by 7am. Report within 1 working day of your normal collection time, and after 4pm on your collection day.
Put household waste and recycling out at the front edge of your property between 7pm the day before and 7am on collection day, unless your online waste calendar gives a different place. The council says not to put waste out at any other time.
The council wants recycling sorted into two groups: plastics, cans, tins, foil, cartons and glass can be mixed together, while paper and cardboard must stay separate. Do not present recycling in cardboard boxes or plastic bags, and you can put out a maximum of six boxes, though crews may not take them all.
York's plastic list is narrow. It takes clean, light-coloured or clear PET 1, HDPE 2 and PP 5 plastics, and not black or dark plastics, film, stretchy plastics, pouches or hard plastic items, which should go in the household waste bin or a recycling bank.
The recycling review, approved by Full Council on 17 September 2026, plans two 180 litre wheeled bins for most households with a black bin: a blue-lid bin for paper and cardboard, and a red-lid bin for plastics, cans, glass and cartons. Each would be collected every four weeks. Rubbish and garden waste would stay fortnightly.
The new recycling bins do not apply to homes that recently got bins through the Bags to Bins scheme in 2025 and 2026, homes served by St Nick's, homes using black sacks, or flats using communal bins. Households that think they need larger 240 litre recycling bins were asked to request one by 30 October 2026.
If a recycling box or communal bin is contaminated, the crew leaves an explanatory sticker. You remove the wrong items and present the container again at the next collection.
The Hazel Court centre has a separate pedestrian and bike disposal area to the left of the entrance, and a 1.9 metre height barrier. Anyone visiting with a hire vehicle should bring the hire documents and proof of address.
Bin questions in York
How often are bins collected in York?
The council says all households have fortnightly collections for non-recyclable household waste. Its recycling review says garden waste, for subscribers, is also every two weeks, and that the planned recycling bins would be collected every four weeks.
How much is garden waste collection in York?
The Garden Waste Subscription Scheme costs £52.00 for the 2026 season, or £26.00 for people on Council Tax Support or with a Severe Mental Impairment exemption in the household.
Do I need to book to visit Hazel Court recycling centre in York?
Yes, if you visit with a vehicle. The council asks people to book an appointment at Hazel Court, up to 2 weeks ahead, under its Click Before You Tip system.
When is Hazel Court recycling centre open?
It is closed every Wednesday and on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day. From October to March it opens 8.30am to 5.00pm Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and 8.30am to 4.00pm on Sundays. Last entry is 15 minutes before closing.
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