Your guide to bin colours and what can go in each

Grey Bin

The following items should go in your grey rubbish bin because they can be accepted at landfill or energy from waste plants:

• Sanitary products. If you have medical waste that can go in your household bin you may be eligible for an extra bin.  Please complete our application
• Polystyrene
• Crisp packets, bread packets, biscuit wrapper, sweet wrappers & other plastic wrappers
• Foil
• Triggers, pumps and sprays from plastic bottles
• Black Plastic
• Tissues & kitchen roll
• Food Waste, please take a look at: Love food hate waste

All the items below should not go in your grey bin

The following items must not be put in your grey rubbish bin as they are not accepted at landfill or energy from waste plants:

• Soil, bricks and building rubble
• Garden Waste
• LPG / Gas cylinders
• Hot ash
• Batteries
• TV’s
• Tyres
• Scrap metal
• Explosives
• Mobile phones and other small electronic gadgets
• Fluorescent tubes and low energy light bulbs
• Large quantities of liquid waste
• Cooking oil
• Paint
• Asbestos
• Chemicals

For more information on how to dispose of any of the above waste, please check out our handy hints app at the bottom of this page

What happens next?

Once bulked up the waste is taken by Severn Waste Services to EnviRecover, Hartlebury (their Energy from Waste Facility EfW). This is burnt to create energy that is fed back into the National Grid.

You can find more information about the recovery process here

Green Lid or All Green recycling bin

Your green lid - all green bin is for everyday recycling from your home. You can put the following items in it:

• Paper and cardboard
• Tins and cans
• Glass bottles and jars
• Plastic bottles
• Plastic pots, tubs and trays
• Milk and juice cartons

You can also download this leaflet and keep it at home for easy reference.

Not sure how to recycle something?

 Use our handy recycling app at the bottom of this page to:

• Check how to recycle a specific item
• Find out what you can recycle at home
• Locate your nearest recycling centre

If you cannot find information about an item, Worcestershire County Council has produced an A-Z of recycling guide to help.

More information can be found on the county Council website about what can be recycled in your green lid bin

Brown Lid or Brown Bin

• Grass cuttings
• Branches (up to 10cm diameter)
• Clippings and leaves
• Weeds, plants and flowers

Bin liners must not be used in your brown bin.  The composting process takes 14 weeks, and even biodegradable liners are not compatible.

What happens to the garden waste once it is collected?

Once bulked up the waste is taken by Severn Waste Services to Hill and Moor composting facility near Pershore. The material is shredded and left to compost naturally in large rows. Once the process has fully completed the material is screened and is ready for use as a soil conditioner called Greengrow.

You can find out more about the composting process and how to buy Greengrow here