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 

We might not collect your bin if you put the wrong items in your bins because if your bin is 'contaminated', it means we can't take it to the correct processing centre.

A to Z of what to do with your rubbish and recycling

Household Bins

Brown Recycling Bins

Your brown bin is for household items that can be recycled in Barking and Dagenham. Items that can be recycled in your brown bin include:

• paper
• thin card
• cardboard boxes
• plastic bottles - rinsed and with the lids removed (this includes plastic bottles such as water, milk, bleach, washing up liquid, shampoo, make up, and medicine bottle, disinfectant, plant feed and liquid fertiliser bottles)
• aluminium and steel tins and cans - rinsed
• catalogues and directories
• newspapers, magazines and leaflets
• glass bottles and jars (no drinking glasses or glass cookware like Pyrex dishes)
• paperback books (we encourage you to donate paperback books to your local charity shop, but if they’re not in good enough condition please recycle them after removing any plastic sleeves)
• hardback books (again we encourage you to donate hardback books to your local charity shop, but if they’re not in good enough condition you can recycle them after removing hardback covers and removing any plastic sleeves)
• mixed plastics such as yogurt pots and margarine tubs (when washed)
• empty aerosol cans and clean aluminium foil

Most items' packaging will tell you if they can be recycled or not, but if you want to recycle something, please make sure it's on the list above.

Please don't put batteries in your trash or recycling bins at home because they could start a fire. Instead, you can take them to the Frizlands Lane tip or a recycling station at your local supermarket. Most supermarkets have these.

Please also make sure that things you want to recycle aren't in trash bags or plastic bags. These can't be recycled. On the day your trash is picked up, you can put extra items for your brown bin in clear bags next to it. Thick cardboard should be stacked neatly and put next to your brown bin on the day it will be picked up.

If you put things in your brown bin that can't be recycled, it will contaminate the other things in the bin so that none of them can be recycled. Your trash can won't be taken away. You'll have to take out anything that doesn't belong in your bin before the next pick-up.

Items that can be recycled but aren't being recycled as part of your brown bin collection can be taken to your nearest reuse and recycling facility.

Grey Domestic Bins

Your grey bin is for non-recyclable waste, referring to any items that you can't put into your brown bin. Items that should be put into your grey bin include:

• food scraps*
• nappies
• cling film
• polystyrene 
• meat trays
• plastic food wrapping
• crisp packets and sweet wrappers
• bottle lids

We will only collect one bin's worth of rubbish from your property. This has to be a council-owned bin, any bins which have been privately purchased will not be emptied. If you have more waste than will fit into your grey bin, take it to one of our reuse and recycling centres.

*Some grey bins have a sticker on them that tells you about food waste. This doesn't mean you can't put food scraps in your grey bin. Check to see if you can freeze food or use it in another way before you throw it away.

Green Garden Waste Bins

We collect the following garden waste items: 

• cut flowers 
• weeds 
• leaves 
• grass cuttings 
• hedge trimmings 
• twigs 

If you have any of these in your bin, we won't empty it:

• fruit fall
• plastic
• soil
• stones and rubble
• general household waste
• food waste (including fruit and vegetable peelings)
• plastic bags

If you put items that are not acceptable into your green bin, we will not be able to empty it and we won't arrange a missed collection.  A contamination tag will be placed on the bin explaining that we have not been able to collect, asking that the contaminated items be removed. Photographic evidence may be taken. If your bin is regularly filled with non-green waste, we reserve the right to cease collections and remove the bin permanently, without a refund.

Flats with Communal Bins

If you live in a flat with communal bins you’ll have access to up to three types of bins.

Blue Eurobins

• paper
• thin card
• cardboard boxes
• plastic bottles - rinsed and with the lids removed (this includes plastic bottles such as water, milk, bleach, washing up liquid, shampoo, make up, and medicine bottle, disinfectant, plant feed and liquid fertiliser bottles)
• aluminium and steel tins and cans - rinsed
• catalogues and directories
• newspapers, magazines and leaflets
• glass bottles and jars (no drinking glasses or glass cookware like Pyrex dishes)
• paperback books (we encourage you to donate paperback books to your local charity shop, but if they’re not in good enough condition please recycle them after removing any plastic sleeves)
• hardback books (again we encourage you to donate hardback books to your local charity shop, but if they’re not in good enough condition you can recycle them after removing hardback covers and removing any plastic sleeves)
• mixed plastics such as yogurt pots and margarine tubs (when washed)
• empty aerosol cans and clean aluminium foil

Most items' packaging will tell you if they can be recycled or not, but if you want to recycle something, please make sure it's on the list above.

Batteries are a fire hazard, so please don't put them in your blue or silver Eurobins at home, including your recycling bin. Instead, you can take them to the Frizlands Lane tip or a recycling station at your local supermarket. Most supermarkets have these.

Please also make sure that things you want to recycle aren't in trash bags or plastic bags. These can't be recycled. On the day your waste is picked up, you can put any extra items for your blue Eurobin in clear bags next to it. When it's time to be picked up, you should stack thick cardboard neatly and put it next to your blue Eurobin.

If you put things in your Blue Eurobin that can't be recycled, it will contaminate the other things in the bin so that none of them can be recycled. Your bin will not be emptied. You'll have to take out anything that doesn't belong in your bin before the next pick-up.

Items that can be recycled but aren't being recycled in your Blue Eurobin can be taken to your nearest reuse and recycling centre.

Some flats and apartments have two blue Eurobins, one for paper and thin cardboard and the other for mixed recyclables like glass. Before putting your waste in, make sure to read the signs.

Silver Eurobins

Your silver Eurobin is for non-recyclable waste, referring to any items that you can't put into your blue Eurobin.

Items which should be put into your silver Eurobin are:

• food scraps
• nappies
• cling film
• polystyrene 
• meat trays
• plastic food wrapping
• crisp packets and sweet wrappers
• bottle lids