What goes in each bin: how English councils differ
Plastic film, black plastic, pizza boxes, glass and batteries: what English councils accept, and where Leeds, Sheffield, Birmingham and Bradford differ.
By BinWeek editorial. Last reviewed .
The short answer: it depends on your council
Since 31 March 2026 English councils must collect the same core materials, but the national rules deliberately leave out some items and leave the containers to each council. So "what goes in each bin" has a national baseline and a local layer on top. This guide covers the baseline and then shows where four councils we checked in October 2026 differ, so you can see which questions are worth checking against your own council's page.
The national baseline
GOV.UK guidance sets out what councils are not expected to collect, and it is a useful list for spotting contamination:
- Glass: only packaging counts. Drinking glasses, glass cookware such as Pyrex, flat and window glass, mirrors, light bulbs, vases and ceramics are not part of the glass stream.
- Metal: metal packaging is in. Laminated foil pouches, electrical items and batteries, kettles, cutlery, pots and pans are not, and neither is metal packaging that held paint, white spirit or engine oil.
- Plastic: packaging that is labelled compostable or biodegradable (including coffee pods), bulky rigid plastic such as garden furniture and toys, and polystyrene are not required.
- Paper and card: food and drinks cartons made of a fibre-based composite are collected with plastic rather than card. Nappies, wet wipes, tissue and toilet paper are not required.
Councils can take more than the minimum, and many do, which is where the differences start.
Where councils differ
| Item | Leeds | Sheffield | Birmingham | Bradford |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plastic bags and film | Yes, in the green bin | Not at home: points to supermarkets | Not accepted | Not stated |
| Black plastic | Not accepted | Black trays not accepted | Black food trays not accepted | Not stated |
| Cartons | Green bin | Brown bin, rinsed | Recycling bin | Grey bin |
| How recycling is sorted | One green bin | Blue bin for paper and card, brown for everything else | One bin with a removable pod for paper and card | One grey bin for everything |
"Not stated" means the council page we read does not say either way, so check before you assume. Shredded paper is another item that varies: Leeds lists it as not accepted because it causes problems with recycling machinery, so if you shred paper, check your own council's list.
Things that trip people up
Pizza boxes. Birmingham does not take pizza boxes with food or grease on them. Soiled paper and card is a common reason for a bin to be refused.
Lids. Birmingham asks you to take lids off bottles and put them in separately. Sheffield asks you to put the lid back on plastic bottles so it is not lost in sorting, and to leave labels on. Neither is a mistake. The instructions differ, so follow your own council's rather than a tip from somewhere else.
Wrapping paper and cards. WRAP's advice is the scrunch test: if the paper stays scrunched in a ball it is probably plain paper, and if it springs back it contains plastic. Remove ribbons and bows first, and keep glitter and foil paper out of the recycling.
Food in recycling. Leeds asks for recycling to be clean and dry. Sheffield asks for tins, pots and trays to be given a quick rinse to remove food residue, and says a single drinking glass can contaminate a whole load.
Batteries. Birmingham lists batteries as not accepted in either of its bins, and Leeds says batteries must not go in the black bin. Birmingham says items on its list, other than asbestos, can be taken to a household recycling centre.
A quick routine that works anywhere
- Check your council's list once, and keep a note of the three or four things it treats differently from what you assumed.
- Rinse containers lightly and keep them loose, not bagged, unless your council asks for bags.
- When in doubt, leave it out. That is Sheffield's own advice for glass, and it is a sensible rule for anything you are unsure about.
- Use the tip for what the bins cannot take. Our bulky waste and tips guide covers permits and booking.
Our council pages list what each bin takes and what it rejects, with the date we last checked and a link to the council's own page: start with Leeds, Sheffield, Birmingham or Bradford.