Christmas and New Year bin collection dates
Find out when our bin crews and street cleaning teams will be collecting your rubbish over the festive period.
A to Z of what to do with your rubbish and recycling
Use our guide below to find out what we pick up as part of your household bin collection, and how you can get rid of the things we don’t collect.
We colour code our bins to help you remember what to put in them:
- grey: non-recyclable domestic waste
- brown: recyclable waste
- green: cut flowers, weeds, leaves, grass cuttings, hedge trimmings, twigs (you can sign up for this service here)
Bins in communal flats
- silver Eurobin: non-recyclable domestic waste
- blue Eurobin: recyclable waste
A
Aerosol:
Brown bin / blue Eurobin
Aluminium cans and foil:
Brown bin / blue Eurobin
Appliances:
Take to a recycling centre or book a bulky waste collection
Asbestos:
The City of London operates a household asbestos collection and disposal service for residents of our borough. Apply online at City of London or call 020 7332 3433 to arrange a collection.
B
Baths:
Barbecues:
Batteries (household):
Take to a recycling centre or find your nearest recycling point by visiting recyclenow.com
Beds:
Take to a recycling centre or book a bulky waste collection
Bicycle:
Take to a recycling centre or book a bulky waste collection
Boiler:
Take to a recycling centre or book a bulky waste collection
Bones:
Grey bin / silver Eurobin
Books:
Brown bin / blue Eurobin (please remove hardback covers and plastic sleeves), or charity shop if in good condition
Bottles (glass or plastics):
Brown bin / blue Eurobin or designated recycling banks
Bottle tops:
Brown bin / blue Eurobin
Broken glass:
Grey bin / silver Eurobin
Bubble wrap:
Grey bin / silver Eurobin
Building materials (domestic):
Take to a recycling centre (requires booking)
C
Cans:
Brown bin / blue Eurobin
Car batteries or parts:
Cardboard:
Brown bin / blue Eurobin
Carpet / underlay:
Carrier bags:
Grey bin / silver Eurobin
Catalogues and directories:
Brown bin / blue Eurobin
Cat litter:
Grey bin / silver Eurobin
Cat poo:
Grey bin / silver Eurobin
CDs / DVDs:
Take to a recycling centre or a charity shop if in good condition
Cassettes and videos:
Ceramics:
Take to a recycling centre or a charity shop if in good condition
Chair:
Take to a recycling centre or book a bulky waste collection or TCL Reuse Centre
Chemicals:
The City of London operates a household hazardous chemicals collection and disposal service for residents of our borough. Apply online at City of London or call 020 7332 3433 to arrange a collection.
Christmas trees:
Take to a recycling centre or refer to the council’s website during the Christmas period to find local drop-off points
Cling film:
Grey bin / silver Eurobin
Clinical waste:
Contact GP surgery or hospital for advice or call 033301224220 to arrange for clinical waste or needle box.
Clothing:
Take to a recycling centre, Bring Bank or charity shop
Coat hangers (metal or plastic):
Brown bin
Coffee cup (takeaway):
Grey bin / silver Eurobin
Coffee grounds:
Grey bin / silver Eurobin or compost at home
Commode:
Compost bin:
Compostable coffee cup:
Grey bin / silver Eurobin or compost at home
Computers:
Take to a recycling centre or book a bulky waste collection
Concrete (from domestic DIY):
Take to a recycling centre (requires authorisation letter)
Cot:
Take to a recycling centre or book a bulky waste collection
Cooking oil:
Creosote:
The City of London operates a household hazardous chemicals collection and disposal service for residents of our borough. Apply online at City of London or call 020 7332 3433 to arrange a collection.
Crisp packets and sweet wrappers:
Grey bin / silver Eurobin
Crockery:
Grey bin / silver Eurobin or charity shop if in good condition
D
Dead animals:
Desk:
Dishwasher:
Disposable nappies:
Grey bin / silver Eurobin
DIY waste (domestic only):
Take to a recycling centre (requires booking)
Dog poo:
Grey bin / silver Eurobin
Doors:
Take to a recycling centre (requires booking) or book a bulky waste collection
Drink cartons:
Take to designated recycling bring bank (Whiting Avenue, Barking), or take to a recycling centre
Dustbin:
Book a bulky waste collection or take to a recycling centre
DVDs / CDs:
E
Egg trays:
Brown bin / blue Eurobin
Egg shells:
Grey bin / silver Eurobin or compost at home
Electric cables:
Electrical items (small):
Take to a recycling centre or find your nearest recycling point by visiting recyclenow.com
Electrical items (large):
Take to a recycling centre or find your nearest recycling point by visiting recyclenow.com
Engine oil:
Envelopes:
Brown bin / blue Eurobin
Exercise machine:
Book a bulky waste collection or take to a recycling centre
F
Fish tank:
Brown bin / blue Eurobin or take to a recycling centre or book a bulky waste collection
Flooring:
Take to a recycling centre (requires booking)
Flowers:
Green garden waste service or compost at home
Foil:
Brown bin / blue Eurobin
Food waste:
Grey bin / silver Eurobin or compost at home
Food and drink cartons:
Brown bin / blue Eurobin
Fridges / freezers:
Take to a recycling centre or book a bulky waste collection
Fruit net packaging:
Grey bin / silver Eurobin
Frying pans:
Furniture:
Take to a recycling centre or book a bulky waste collection or TCL Reuse Centre
G
Garden chemicals:
The City of London operates a household hazardous chemicals collection and disposal service for residents of our borough. Apply online at City of London or call 020 7332 3433 to arrange a collection.
Garden waste:
Green garden waste service or take to a recycling centre or compost at home
Gas bottles:
Glass bottles and jars:
Brown bin / blue Eurobin or designated glass recycling bring banks
Golf clubs (including bag):
Grass:
Green garden waste service or take to a recycling centre or compost at home
H
Halloween pumpkins and apples:
Grey bin / silver Eurobin or compost at home
Hardcore and rubble:
Take to a recycling centre (requires booking)
Hay:
Take to a recycling centre or compost at home
Hedge trimmings:
Green garden waste service or take to a recycling centre or compost at home
Household batteries:
Take to a recycling centre or find your nearest recycling point by visiting recyclenow.com
Household chemicals:
I
Incontinence pads:
Grey bin / silver Eurobin
Ironing board:
J
Japanese Knotweed:
Refer to Environment Agency’s guidelines
Jars:
Brown bin / blue Eurobin
Juice carton:
Take to designated recycling bring bank (Whiting Avenue, Barking) or take to a recycling centre
K
Kitchen Towel:
Grey bin / silver Eurobin or compost at home
Kitchen Towel roll (inner tube):
Brown bin / blue Eurobin or compost at home
L
Lawnmower:
Leaflets:
Brown bin / blue Eurobin
Leaves:
Green garden waste service or take to a recycling centre or compost at home
Light bulbs:
M
Magazines:
Brown bin / blue Eurobin
Margarine tubs:
Brown bin / blue Eurobin
Market waste:
Trade Waste Bin
Mattress:
Take to a recycling centre or book a bulky waste collection
Medical Waste:
Grey bin / silver Eurobin for non-hazardous medical waste
Contact GP surgery or hospital for advice or call 033301224220 to arrange for clinical waste or needle box for hazardous waste
Metal:
Microwaves:
Take to a recycling centre or book a bulky waste collection
Milk carton:
Take to designated recycling bring bank (Whiting Avenue, Barking) or take to a recycling centre
Mirrors:
Take to a recycling centre or book a bulky waste collection
Mobile phones:
Take to a recycling centre or see other options on recycle.now.com
Monitors:
N
Nappies (disposable):
Grey bin or silver Eurobin
Needles:
Contact GP surgery or hospital for advice or call 033301224220 to arrange for clinical waste or needle box for hazardous waste
Newspapers:
Brown bin / blue Eurobin
O
Oil:
Ottoman:
P
Packaging:
Recyclable packaging: brown bin / blue Eurobin
non recyclable packaging:
Grey bin / silver Eurobin
Paddling pool:
Paint:
Paint stripper:
Paper:
Brown bin / blue Eurobin
Paper towels:
Grey bin / silver Eurobin or compost at home
Paving slab (from domestic DIY):
Take to a recycling centre (requires authorisation letter)
Pet food pouches:
Grey bin / silver Eurobin
Phones:
Photographs:
Brown bin / blue Eurobin
Piano:
Pizza boxes:
Brown bin / blue Eurobin
Plants:
Green garden waste service or take to a recycling centre or compost at home
Plant pots:
Plasterboard:
Plastic, food and drinks packaging:
Recyclable packaging: brown bin / blue Eurobin
Non recyclable packaging: grey bin / silver Eurobin
Plastic bags and magazine wrapping:
Grey bin / silver Eurobin
Plastic bottles:
Brown bin / blue Eurobin
Plastic cups and straws:
Grey bin / silver Eurobin
Plastic lids:
If recyclable in brown bin. If not, then in grey bin.
Polystyrene and foam:
Grey bin / silver Eurobin
Pool table:
Pots and pans:
Printers:
Take to a recycling centre or book a bulky waste collection
Printer cartridges:
Prunings:
Green garden waste service or take to a recycling centre or compost at home
Pushchair:
Q
R
Radiator:
Rotary line:
Rubble / hardcore:
Take to a recycling centre (requires booking)
S
Sanitary towels/pads:
Grey bin / silver Eurobin
Sanitiser bottle:
Brown bin / blue Eurobin
Satellite dish:
Sewing machine:
Scrap metal:
Shelves:
Take to a recycling centre or book a bulky waste collection
Shower cubicle:
Shredded paper:
Brown bin / blue Eurobin
Shoes:
Take to textile banks or charity shops if in good condition, or take to a recycling centre
Sofa:
Take to a recycling centre or book a bulky waste collection or TCL Reuse Centre
Soil:
Stairgate:
Straws:
Grey bin / silver Eurobin
Strimmer:
Styrofoam:
Grey bin / silver Eurobin
Suitcase:
Take to a recycling centre or book a bulky waste collection
Sun lounger:
Syringe:
Contact GP surgery or hospital for advice or call 033301224220 to arrange for clinical waste or needle box
T
Table (any size):
Tetra Pak:
Take to designated recycling bring bank (Whiting Avenue, Barking), or take to a recycling centre
Textiles and shoes:
Take to designated recycling bring bank (Whiting Avenue, Barking), or take to a recycling centre
Tiles:
Take to a recycling centre (requires booking)
Tins, cans and foil:
Brown bin / blue Eurobin
Timber:
Tissues:
Grey bin / silver Eurobin
Toilet (or toilet seat):
Toys:
Take to a recycling centre or charity shop if in good condition
Trade waste:
Trade waste bin or bag or see more information on commercial rubbish and recycling
Trampoline:
Trigger sprays:
Brown bin / blue Eurobin
Tumble dryer:
TVs:
Twigs:
Green garden waste service or take to a recycling centre or compost at home
Tyres:
U
Underlay / carpet:
V
Vacuum cleaner:
Vapes:
Vegware:
Grey bin / silver Eurobin or compost at home
W
Walking aids:
Wardrobes:
Take to a recycling centre or book a bulky waste collection or TCL Reuse Centre
Water bottles (plastic):
Brown bin / blue Eurobin
Water butt:
Wheelbarrow:
Wheelchair:
Weeds:
Green garden waste service or take to a recycling centre or compost at home
White goods:
Take to a recycling centre or book a bulky waste collection or TCL Reuse Centre
Wood (from trees):
Wood (treated wood):
Wood (wood shavings):
X
Y
Yoghurt pots:
Brown bin / blue Eurobin