Bin Colour Guide: Waste & Recycling Across the Liverpool City Region

Whether you’re a long-time resident or new to the area, knowing which bin colour to get rid of your waste is very important. Across the Liverpool City Region, each of the six boroughs runs its own collection service — colours and rules vary. This guide covers all six so you’ll always know which bin to use and acts as a simple Liverpool recycling guide for households and businesses across the area.

People often ask questions like “What do the bin colours mean in Liverpool?” or “Which bin is for recycling in my borough?” so this guide brings all the answers together in one place.

Published in Latest News 6 min read 2nd December 2025

Liverpool City Council

Liverpool is known for its distinctive purple bins and once you know each colour’s purpose, the system is pretty straightforward.

Purple bin - General waste

Use the purple bin for anything that cannot be recycled, including:

  • Non-recyclable plastics
  • Broken items
  • Food packaging that’s contaminated

Blue bin/bag - Dry recyclables

Use this for:

  • Paper & cardboard
  • Plastic bottles
  • Tins, cans & aerosols
  • Glass jars This is where most household recyclables go. Keeping items loose and rinsed helps prevent contamination — one of the biggest issues Liverpool faces with recycling rates.

Green bin - Garden waste (subscription)

Use this for:

  • Grass cuttings
  • Hedge trimmings
  • Leaves
  • Garden debris

Many Liverpool residents subscribe seasonally, especially during spring and summer.

Tip: If you live in a communal building, you may use shared waste and recycling chutes — but the rules stay the same: blue is always for clean recyclables, and purple is for general waste.

Wirral Borough Council

This step by step breaks down the Wirral's Bin Guide.

Green bin - General household waste

This is for anything that cannot be recycled. Examples include:

  • Plastic wrapping
  • Polystyrene
  • Nappies

Many new residents assume green = garden waste, but not in Wirral.

Grey bin - Recycling Accepted materials include:

This is for anything that cannot be recycled. Examples include:

  • Paper
  • Cardboard
  • Cans & tins
  • Plastic bottles
  • Glass bottles & jars

Wirral uses a co-mingled recycling system, making it easy to place everything in one container.

Brown bin - Garden waste (subscription)

  • Grass
  • Leaves
  • Small branches
  • Hedge cuttings
  • Glass bottles & jars

This service is popular during growing season and essential for residents with larger gardens.

Tip: Because Wirral flips the typical UK colour scheme, always double-check labels to avoid contamination.

Sefton Council

Sefton has one of the most detailed recycling systems in the region and asks residents to take extra care in sorting materials.

Grey bin - General Waste

Your grey bin is for anything that cannot be recycled or placed in the green garden bin. If you live in an area with sack collections, place general waste in your refuse sacks instead.

Brown Bin or Hessian Sack - Mixed Dry Recycling

Use this for clean, dry recyclables, including:

  • Cans
  • Cardboard (flatten before placing inside)
  • Mixed glass (clean, with lids left on)
  • Paper products (newspapers, magazines, office paper)
  • Plastic bottles (rinsed, not squashed)

Green Wheelie Bin - Garden Waste Suitable for:

  • Grass cuttings
  • Shrub and hedge trimmings
  • Leaves
  • Weeds

Knowsley Council

Knowsley keeps its bin system straightforward, but with a unique colour scheme compared to surrounding boroughs.

Maroon Bin - General Waste

  • Non-recyclable plastics
  • General household rubbish
  • Food waste (unless you compost at home) Any items that cannot be recycled

Grey bin - Dry Recycling

The grey bin is for all co-mingled recycling, which goes to Knowsley’s sorting facility. You can put in:

  • Paper
  • Cardboard
  • Tins and cans
  • Plastic bottles
  • Glass jars

Blue Bin - Garden Waste Suitable for:

  • Grass cuttings
  • Shrub and hedge trimmings
  • Leaves
  • Weeds

St Helens Borough Council

St Helens uses a multi-container recycling system, designed to improve sorting at the kerbside and boost overall recycling quality. Collections for recycling take place weekly, while general and garden waste follow a fortnightly schedule.

Weekly Recycling Collections

Green Bag - Cardboard

Use this bag for clean, flattened cardboard.

Black Box - Glass

Place glass jars and bottles inside, making sure they’re empty and free of liquids.

White Bag - Plastics & Cans

Suitable for:

  • Plastic bottles
  • Plastic pots (e.g., yoghurt pots)
  • Metal cans (soft drink cans, food tins, deodorant cans, etc.)

Food Caddy - Food Waste

Food caddies are available from: St Helens Town Hall, ground floor reception, 9am–5pm, Monday to Friday

You can order one for £35.50 with the council or purchase one directly with Wray Bros for £9.45.

Fortnightly Collections

Brown Bin - General Waste

Use this for all household rubbish that cannot be recycled or put into your food waste caddy.

Green Bin = Garden Waste (Subscription)

  • Grass cuttings
  • Leaves
  • Garden trimmings

Halton Borough Council

Halton uses a simple and familiar colour scheme, similar to many other UK regions.

Black/Grey Bin - General Waste

Use this bin for anything non-recyclable, including:

  • Plastic packaging
  • Food-contaminated items
  • Soft plastics
  • General household rubbish

If it can’t be recycled, it should go in here.

Blue Bin - Dry Recycling

Suitable for clean, loose recyclables such as:

  • Paper
  • Cardboard
  • Plastic bottles
  • Cans and tins

Important: Items must be loose — bagged recycling may be rejected during collection.

Green Bin - Garden Waste (Subscription)

  • Grass cuttings
  • Leaves
  • Hedge trimmings
  • General plant waste

General Recycling Tips

Recycling across Merseyside can vary from borough to borough, so these tips will help you get it right:

  • Rinse containers to reduce contamination and improve recycling quality.
  • Do not bag recyclables unless your council explicitly instructs you to do so.
  • Keep soil, turf, and food waste out of garden bins - these can spoil the composting process.
  • Check local rules if you move:bin colours and collection rules differ across Merseyside.
  • Keep garden waste subscriptions up to date to ensure uninterrupted collections.