What goes in my bins and boxes?

Check the materials for your bins and boxes

It's important you put the right materials in your bins and boxes. If you don't know what's allowed in the recycling bin, compost bin or general waste bin, read the list for each bin. If you have recycling boxes, check the items we can accept in each box.

Recycling bin

• Aerosol cans
• Aluminium foil (clean)
• Biscuit tins
• Cardboard food boxes
• Cartons (including TetraPak)
• Dry, clean cardboard
• Empty plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays
• Food tins, drinks tins and cans (empty and clean)
• Magazine and catalogues
• Paper (no tissues)
• Soft back books
• Toilet roll tubes

General waste bin

For materials that you can't recycle including:

• Tablet blister packs
• Broken glass
• Bubble wrap
• Cellophane wrapping
• Crisp bags and containers
• Nappies
• Period products
• Tissues
• Wipes
• Plastic cutlery
• Styrofoam
• Takeaway drinks containers

Compost bin

• Bones
• Bottle corks
• Cold ashes
• Eggshells
• Food waste
• Fruit and vegetable peelings
• Grass cuttings
• Hedge trimmings
• Leaves, twigs and small branches
• Paper napkins
• Plants and flowers
• Shredded paper
• Takeaway pizza boxes (torn up)
• Teabags and coffee grounds
• Weeds
• Wet paper and wet cardboard

Black or red recycling boxes

Option one

• Aerosol cans
• Clean aluminium foil
• Food and drink cans
• Food and drink cartons (for example, milk or juice)
• Plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays

Option two

• Cardboard
• Paper (no tissues)

Option three

• Glass bottles and jars

Textiles - leave in a tied bag next to your recycling boxes.

What you can't put in your recycling boxes:

• Batteries
• Hand tools

Wheelie boxes

Top box

• Cardboard
• Paper (no tissues)

Middle box

• Aerosol cans
• Clean aluminium foil
• Food and drink cans
• Food and drink cartons
• Plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays

Bottom box

• Glass bottles and jars

Textiles - leave in a tied bag and place into any of your wheelie boxes.

What you can't put in your wheelie boxes:

• Batteries
• Hand tools

Green food waste bin

• Bread, cake and pastries
• Fruit and vegetables
• Meat, fish and cheese
• Potato and vegetable peelings
• Rice, beans and pasta
• Teabags and coffee grounds
• Vegetables and vegetable peelings 
• Any other leftover food

Glass recycling box

• Glass bottles and jars

If you only have one or two boxes rotate the materials you present each week, for example put out paper and cardboard one week, and glass the next week.

If you have more recycling than will fit into your recycling boxes, you can leave a single additional tied bag containing one type of item next to your recycling boxes and we will collect it with the rest of your recycling.

You can order additional recycling boxes.

Recycling your food waste

Tips to help you increase your recycling:

• remove all food packaging before putting the waste in your food waste bin
• rinse and recycle the packaging, if possible
• only use the food waste bags we supply because these decompose with the food waste. We supply free food waste bags
• if you need more food waste bags, tie your last bag to your food waste bin.

If you don’t have a food waste bin or a kitchen food waste caddy, you can:

• order online (link opens in new window)
• email waste@belfastcity.gov.uk

If you are waiting for a caddy and have a food waste bin, you can place food waste directly into your food waste bin or wrap it in newspaper.

Disposing of needles and other sharps

Sharps (needles, syringes and lancets) are clinical waste. You must not put this waste in any domestic bin or bring it to a recycling centre or civic amenity site. This waste could injure recycling and waste collection staff. Sharps boxes are available on prescription or can be bought in pharmacies. The pharmacy can give advice on disposing of a full sharps box.

If you see hypodermic needles or drugs-related litter in a public place, don't touch this waste. Call us on 028 9027 0469 or email sharps@belfastcity.gov.uk from Monday to Friday. To contact us out of hours, call 07850 499 622.

Putting the wrong materials in your bins or boxes

If you put the wrong materials into your recycling bins or boxes, we won't be able to collect them. It can contaminate our collection and all waste in the lorry may have to go to landfill. 

We'll put a non-collection tag on it telling you why it wasn't collected. Remove the offending item, dispose of it correctly and put your bin or box out on the next collection date.