When to put your bin out
You must make sure your bin is out by 7am on your collection day. When possible, put it out the night before.
What you can put in your bins
Recycling bin (blue lidded bin)
Excess rubbish will not be collected so please make sure that all waste is contained inside the bin.
In Brent, the blue lidded bin is for rubbish and household items that can be recycled. This bin is collected every other week.
If you live in a house on the North Circular (A406) you will have bags instead of bins. We deliver new bags to you every week for your recycling.
Use our bin collection day finder to find the day of your recycling collection.
What goes in your blue lidded bin
You can recycle most plastic, glass, foil and cans in your blue lidded bin or recycling bags. Please see the list below for details of what you can and can’t place in this bin.
Use the Brent Recycleopedia to look up day to day household items and find out what bin they go in or if you need to take them to a recycling site or request a special collection.
Anything you can’t recycle needs to go in the general waste (grey bin).
Please note Cartons that include other materials e.g. plastic tops, foil lined (often referred to as Tetrapak) will still go in your blue lidded bin.
Plastics
'Wash and squash' any recyclable plastics before you put them in your bin.
Anything you can’t recycle needs to go in the general rubbish (grey bin).
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Glass
Glass you can and can’t put in your blue recycling bin or recycling bags.
Anything you can’t recycle needs to go in the general rubbish bin (grey).
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Metal
Metal items you can and can’t put in your blue recycling bin or recycling bags.
Anything you can’t recycle needs to go in general rubbish bin (grey).
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Small items collection
There are some items that can’t go in your blue bin but we can still collect them for free.
You can arrange to have any of the following small items collected from your home:
Find more information and book a free small items collection
Batteries
Batteries should NEVER be placed in general waste or recycling bins as they cause fires.
The collection truck will compress all materials collected, any batteries that end up in the truck can cause a fire when they are compressed, which will lead to severe consequences.
How to bin batteries safely
To dispose of batteries safely, please drop your used household batteries (AA, AAA, C, and D batteries) in supermarkets where they have special collection points for these batteries. These drop-off points will also accept the battery within an e-cigarette, once it has been removed from the casing.
Small items collection
Batteries and other small electrical items with built-in batteries (radio, phones, laptops) can also be collected for free from your household by booking a small items collection services.
Bigger batteries
For e-scooters, e-bikes, e-cigarettes and car batteries, please bring them to Abbey Road Reuse and Recycling Centre (Abbey Road, London, NW10 7TJ).
Recycling bins in flats
If you live in a block of flats you should have access to communal recycling bins. These will have labels that clearly show what you can recycle.
Report an issue
You can report a problem with your bins, such as a missed bin collection or a missing bin, online.
Paper and cardboard (blue sack)
When to put your bin out
You must make sure your bin is out by 7am on your collection day. When possible, put it out the night before.
All households, who currently have their own blue-lidded recycling bin, will also have a weatherproof and durable 90-litre blue sack for paper and cardboard items.
You will need to separate your paper and cardboard out from your other recyclable items and place them in your blue sack.
You should carry on using your blue-lidded recycling bin for all other mixed recycling (glass, cans, plastics and cartons).
If your blue recycling sack becomes full, (and strong winds or rain are not predicted) you can put any excess paper and card in a bundle next to the sack on your collection day.
If you always have excess paper and cardboard, you can order an additional blue sack online.
If you use communal shared bins (often those who live in a block of flats), you will not receive a blue sack and should continue to recycle paper and cardboard in the same way.
Paper and cardboard you can and can’t put in your blue sack
Anything you can’t recycle needs to go in in the general rubbish bin (grey bin).
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I currently receive assistance with my waste collections. Will this continue?
Yes. Assisted collections will continue as normal. Your blue sack should be presented and put back in the same place as your other bins.
What happens if my blue sack collection is missed?
Your blue recycling sack can be collected at any time up to 10pm on the day it is due to be collected. Do not report a missed bin before this time.
Please do not place paper and card in your blue-lidded bin, as collections crews will not to collect these bins on the same week as the blue sack.
Can I order more blue sacks for paper and card?
If your blue recycling sack becomes full, you can put any excess paper and card in a bundle next to the sack on your collection day. Please do not leave any excess cardboard out alongside your sack when rain or strong winds are predicted.
We hope the size should be enough for your needs, if after use, you consistently have excess paper and cardboard, you can order an additional blue sack online.
What happens to my recycling and organic waste?
Have you ever wondered what happens to the contents of your blue lidded bin, blue sack, garden, food and organic waste?
Find more information on what happens to recycling that is collected from your home.
Report an issue
You can report a problem with your bins, such as a missed bin collection or a missing bin, online.
General rubbish bin (grey bin)
When to put your bin out
You must make sure your bin is out by 7am on your collection day. When possible, put it out the night before.
Excess rubbish will not be collected so please make sure that all waste is contained inside the bin.
In Brent, the grey bin is for rubbish that cannot be recycled or composted. Depending on where you live, this bin is collected every week or every other week.
If you live in a house on the North Circular (A406) you will have bags instead of bins. Your general household rubbish should be put in black bags. General rubbish (black bags) are collected daily, five days a week.
Use our bin collection day finder to find the day of your general rubbish collection.
What goes in your grey bin
To help our environment you should recycle or upcycle as much waste as possible. Please see the list below for details of what you can and can't put in your grey bin.
Use the Brent Recycleopedia to look up day to day household items and find out what bin they go in or if you need to take them to a recycling site or request a special collection.
Materials that can be placed into your general rubbish bin include:
- soiled paper
- clean or soiled tissue, kitchen roll paper or toilet paper
- wallpaper
- waxed paper
- metallic or foil backed gift wrap and cards
- card with padding or bubble wrap
- foil-lined packets (sweet wrappers and crisp packets)
- greasy takeaway pizza boxes
- foil balloons
- toothpaste tubes
- black sacks
- polystyrene/Styrofoam (packaging trays, beads and disposable coffee cups)
- CD and DVD cases
- tupperware containers
- plastic storage boxes
- blister packs
- laminated paper
- plastic coat hangers
- plastic film and wrapping
- plastic flower pots
- cling film or cellophane
- bubble wrap
- all broken glass (of any kind)
- window glass
- drinking glasses
- ceramic plant pots
- hoover bags and dust
- wooden picture frames, wooden coat hangers
- pet waste (bag before you put them in your grey bin and keep the lid shut)
- babies nappies (bag before you put them in your grey bin and keep the lid shut)
- tea lights
- toothbrushes
Japanese knotweed
You must not put Japanese knotweed in with your grey or garden waste bin. The government has guidance on treating and disposing of invasive plants
If you have Japanese knotweed or other invasive plants on your land you should contact a specialist contractor to remove and dispose of it properly.
General waste bins in flats
If you live in a block of flats you should have access to communal general rubbish bins. The same list of items mentioned above applies to the communal general rubbish bins.
Report an issue
You can report a problem with your bins, such as a missed bin collection or a missing bin, online.
Food waste
When to put your bin out
You must make sure your bin is out by 7am on your collection day. When possible, put it out the night before.
In Brent, food waste is collected every week. We provide you with a free food waste caddy (smaller bin), which you can use for your food waste.
Use our bin collection day finder to find out the day of your bin collection.
Use the Brent Recycleopedia to look up day to day household items and find out what bin they go in or if you need to take them to a recycling site or request a special collection.
What can I put in the food waste caddy?
Recycling your food waste is easy. You can put all food waste without any packaging in your caddy.
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You can wrap your food waste in kitchen caddy liners made of corn starch, which comply with environmental regulation EN13432, or newspaper, paper (including junk mail) or paper bags. Please don’t use plastic bags or the entire vehicle load of food waste may be rejected by the facility and sent to landfill.
If you have a lot of food waste every week, why not visit Love Food Hate Waste for tips on how to reduce your food waste and save money.
Home composting
The best environmental way to deal with organics materials is home composting.
Food waste bins in flats
If you live in a block of flats, you should have access to communal food waste bins (a brown or dark coloured bin). The same list of items mentioned above applies to the communal food waste bin.
Report an issue
You can report an issue, such as a missed bin collection or a missing caddy, online.
Garden waste (green bin)
When to put your bin out
You must make sure your bin is out by 7am on your collection day. When possible, put it out the night before.
Excess rubbish will not be collected so please make sure that all waste is contained inside the bin.
In Brent, green bins are for garden waste. You must subscribe and pay for this service.
It costs £60 a year if you want a regular garden waste collection. The price includes the rental of one garden waste bin and a minimum of 25 collections each year. You can also sign up to the service in October for the price of £30 for collections up until the end of March.
What goes in your green bin
What you can and can’t put in your green garden waste bin.
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*You must not put Japanese knotweed in with your garden waste or general waste.
If you have Japanese knotweed or other invasive plants on your land you should contact a specialist contractor to remove and dispose of it properly. The government has guidance on treating and disposing of invasive plants.