Rubbish goes in your green bin or lilac sacks

This page explains the type of household waste we collect, gives tips on filling your bins and sacks properly and includes what to do if you have extra rubbish.

Most properties have a green wheelie bin for household rubbish but if your property can't accommodate a bin, we provide lilac sacks instead. We collect green bins and lilac sacks every other week.

Top tips:

• remove any food waste from packaging before throwing it away
• don't pack bins or sacks tightly - contents should be loose enough to be inspected and so bins empty easily
• you can use black plastic bin bags and liners in green bins
• bin lids must be fully closed and not overflow
• we'll collect up to three lilac sacks (but only from properties that can't accomodate a green bin)

Plastics and packaging

Types of plastics and packaging you can put in green bins or lilac sacks include:

• crisp packets and confectionery wrappers
• jiffy bags (reuse if possible)
• plastic sweet and chocolate wrappers
• thin plastics that don't scrunch or stretch (such as salad bags)
• pet food pouches
• polystyrene foam
• takeaway coffee cups

See How to recycle plastic at Oxfordshire.gov.uk

Non-hazardous, sanitary, hygiene and pet waste

Types of non-hazardous waste items you can put in your green bins or lilac sacks include:

• animal bedding from small pet hutches
• cat litter
• dog poo
• fouled textiles
• nappies
• paper napkins
• paper towels
• sanitary products
• tissues

See Clinical waste collections for hazardous waste and sharps.

Paper and compostables

Paper and 'compostable' items that go in green bins or lilac sacks (not your brown bin) include:

• compostable cups and packaging (can also be home composted)
• baking or greaseproof paper
• foil or glitter wrapping paper
• kitchen roll
• tissue wrapping paper

Glass and ceramics

Glass and ceramic items that go in green bins or lilac sacks include:

• broken glass and crockery (wrap this)
• chinaware (porcelain)
• glass cookware (such as Pyrex)

Lighting and electricals

• light bulbs (only old-style incandescent, halogen and filament)

See Collections for small electricals, batteries, vapes and mobile phones

Other household waste

Other household waste items that go in green bins or lilac sacks include:

• small plastic toys
• non-electrical gadgets
• small, non-electrical metal scrap items
• metal cooking pots and pans
• small plant pots (plastic, ceramic or terracotta)
• coal ash (this must be completely cool as hot ashes are a fire risk)

What to do with additional rubbish

• What to do with extra rubbish (and waste items we don't collect)
• Ways to reduce, re-use, repair and recycle in Oxford (if any items are in a usable condition)