What you can and can't put in your green recycling box.
Changes to recycling containers: September 2026
From 7 September through to November new recycling containers are being delivered free of charge to all eligible households across Bristol:- blue bag for paper and card
- red bag for plastics and cans to replace green recycling boxes
- brown bin and caddy for food waste (only if they are missing or damaged)
Black recycling boxes will remain the same.
If you order replacement recycling containers before the rollout reaches your area, a delivery charge will apply.
You can use other household containers such as bags for life to present your correctly sorted recycling for collection until you receive your new containers.
Crews will swap your recycling containers and deliver new ones on your usual collection day. Continue to put out all your recycling containers on your usual collection day until they get to you.
Don't put your recyclable items in a black bag or bin liner as they will not be taken away.
You can put in:
- aerosols: empty, without lids
- plastic drinks bottles including: milk, squash, cola, ketchup
- plastic toiletry bottles including: shampoo, cleanser, shower gel
- plastic cleaning bottles including: bleach, washing up liquid
- bottle tops, lids and caps: metal and plastic
- cans: rinsed and squashed food and drink cans
- foil and takeaway containers: rinsed and squashed
- plastic yogurt pots, ice cream and margarine tubs, rinsed
- plastic trays: meat, fruit, biscuit
You can't put in:
- black plastic: our machines can't sort black plastic
- bin liners: reuse or put in your black wheelie bin
- bubble wrap: reuse or put in your black wheelie bin
- cardboard: put it in your blue cardboard bag
- carrier/plastic bags or soft plastics: use them to line your food caddy or take them to your local supermarket for recycling
- cellophane: put in your black wheelie bin
- cling film: put in your black wheelie bin
- crisp packets: put in your black wheelie bin
- hard plastics (flower pots, toys, videos, drain pipes): take them to your local recycling centre or a charity shop
- light bulbs: take to your local recycling centre
- polystyrene: put in your black wheelie bin
- wrapping paper, such as Christmas paper
Using your green recycling box
Separate your cans and plastics.
Use the lid on your box to stop the contents blowing away.
If your box is full put extra recycling in untied carrier bags sorted by material such as a bag for plastic, a bag for cans. Don't use black bags or bin liners.
Rinse and flatten plastic packaging.
Rinse food cans and tin foil containers.
Paint or stick your house number on the side of your green recycling box so we can tell which property the box has come from. It may also prevent people from taking a box that is not theirs.
For free plain stickers for you to write your house number on, as well as stickers to remind you what goes in each box, email general@bristolwastecompany.co.uk.You need to include your postal address in your email to request stickers.
You can have as many green recycling boxes as you need.