What you can put in your bins

In Brent, the blue-lidded bin is for household items that can be recycled. This bin is collected every other week.

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.

• All recyclables should be placed loose in your blue-lidded recycling bin.
• If your recycling is wet, please dry it before adding it to the recycling.
• If you use liners, please empty the contents into your blue-lidded bin and place the empty liner in your rubbish bin.

Please note that cartons containing other materials (e.g. plastic tops or foil lining, often referred to as Tetra Pak) should still go in your blue-lidded bin.

What you can and can’t place in this bin

You can use the Recycling Locator Tool to look up day to day household items and find out what bin they go in, if you need to take them to a recycling site or if you should request a bulky waste collection.

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:

• textiles
• small electricals
• batteries
• paint
• coffee pods (via Podback).

Find more information and book a free small items collection

Recycling in flats

If you live in a flat above a shop, you will often have clear recycling bags instead of a recycling bin. You can collect these free of charge from your local library or you can order them online. You can also recycle your food waste using communal food recycling bins near your home.

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. 

North Circular

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.

Report an issue

You can report a problem with your bins, such as a missed bin collection or a missing bin, online.

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.

Please ensure cardboard boxes are broken down and flattened prior to presenting them to be collected.

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

Report an issue

You can report a problem with your bins, such as a missed bin collection or a missing bin, online.

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 bulky waste collection.

Materials that can be placed into your general rubbish bin include:

• soiled paper
• pillows and bedding
• 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
• 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
• 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

Materials that must NOT be placed into your general rubbish bin

Batteries, electrical items and vapes

Batteries and electrical items should NEVER be placed in general waste or recycling bins as they cause fires. Find out how to bin batteries or electrical items safely.

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. 

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 bulky waste 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.

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. View information for residents that live in flats.

If you live in a flat above a shop, you can recycle your food waste using communal food recycling bins near your home.

Report an issue

You can report an issue, such as a missed bin collection or a missing caddy, online.

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. 

What goes in your green bin

What you can and can’t put in your green garden waste bin.

*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.