What goes in each bin
Don't contaminate blue, purple or brown bins by using plastic bags. This includes bin liners and carrier bags.
Mainland and Cumbrae
Grey, blue and purple bins are collected every three weeks. Brown bins are collected every two weeks.
Your grey bin is for household waste that cannot be recycled. This includes:
- plastic and black bags
- polystyrene
- crisps and sweet wrappers
- contaminated tinfoil/aluminium foil
- tissues, wipes, paper towels or kitchen roll
- takeaway pizza boxes
- cling film
- light bulbs
- pet litter, animal waste or bedding
- nappies
- personal hygiene products
- food and drink pouches
- hard plastics (such as toys, coat hangers, CD cases)
- padded envelopes
- tablet blister packs
- drinking glasses, ceramics, vases, mirrors
- photographs
What not to include in your Grey bin
You should not include:
- batteries and devices containing batteries (such as e-cigarettes, mobile phones, laptops, electronic toys, electric toothbrushes and shavers). These items could cause a fire
- plastics, cans and glass
- cartons
- paper, card and cardboard
- food waste
- garden waste
- electrical items
- textiles and shoes
- paint tins (if not completely emptied or dried out)
Items must be loose, clean and dry.
What to include
Blue bins should only contain the recyclable items listed below:
Paper and card
- cardboard
- cardboard boxes (place any large boxes beside your bin, flattened and tied or taped)
- cereal boxes
- toilet and kitchen roll tubes
- corrugated cardboard
- newspapers, magazines and catalogues
- junk mail and brochures
- paperback books
- paper, including shredded paper
- greeting cards
- wrapping paper (as long as not glittery, shiny or made of foil)
- envelopes
- cardboard egg boxes
What not to include in your Blue bin
You should not include:
- plastic bags or liners (please recycle your plastic bags, soft plastic wraps and liners at participating supermarkets)
- batteries and devices containing batteries (such as e-cigarettes, mobile phones, laptops, electronic toys, electric toothbrushes and shavers). These items could cause a fire
- tissues, wipes, paper towels or kitchen roll
- padded envelopes
- plastic wrapping or bubble wrap
- crisp bags or sweet wrappers
- electrical items
- textiles, bedding or shoes
- hardback books
- plastics
- cans
- glass
- tinfoil/aluminium foil
- cling film
- takeaway pizza boxes
- polystyrene
- packing with food residue
- photographs
- animal waste and bedding
- nappies and sanitary waste
- coffee cups
Items must be loose, empty, clean and dry.
What to include
Purple bins should only contain the recyclable items below:
Mixed glass
- bottles
- jars
Metals
- food and drink tins and cans
- aerosols
- tinfoil/aluminium foil
- foil trays
- chocolate and biscuit tins
- bottle tops and jar lids
- coffee pods
Plastics
- plastic bottles
- milk cartons
- plastic tubs, trays and pots
- fruit and vegetable punnets
- toiletry bottles
- cleaning product bottles
- lids and tops
- medicine bottles
- plastic egg boxes
- coffee pods
Cartons
- juice cartons
- soup cartons
- milk cartons
- tetra packs
What not to include in your Purple bin
You should not include:
- plastic bags or liners (please recycle your plastic bags, soft plastic wraps and liners at participating supermarkets)
- batteries and devices containing batteries (such as e-cigarettes, mobile phones, laptops, electronic toys, electric toothbrushes and shavers). These items could cause a fire.
- hard plastics (such as toys, coat hangers and CD cases)
- metal pots, pans and trays
- cutlery
- crisp bags or sweet wrappers
- tablet blister packs
- bubble wrap
- cling film
- polystyrene
- electrical items
- packaging with food residue
- tissues, wipes, paper towels or kitchen roll
- food and drink pouches
- light bulbs
- Pyrex or crockery
- contaminated tinfoil/aluminium foil
- paint tins
- drinking glasses, ceramics, vases, mirrors or window panes
- nappies and sanitary waste
- needles
- textiles, bedding or shoes
- carpets
- coffee cups
- paper or card
Brown bins should only contain the following:
Organic waste from the garden
- grass cuttings
- weeds
- dead flowers and plants
- leaves and bark
- hedges and branches (tie in bundles of about one metre and place beside your bin over a few weeks)
- windfall fruit
Food waste from the home (cooked and uncooked)
- dairy
- fish, meat and bones
- fruit and vegetables
- bread
- rice and pasta
- tea leaves, tea bags and coffee grounds
- egg shells
What not to include in your Brown bin
You should not include the following:
- plastic bags (that are non-compostable or non-biodegradable)
- plastic
- rubble
- turf
- wood of any kind
- textiles, bedding or shoes
- food or drinks containers
- animal litter, bedding or faeces
- nappies and sanitary waste
- soil (this can only be disposed of at Bartonholm Recycling Centre)
Arran
Bin collections alternate between grey and blue weekly.
Your grey bin is for household waste that cannot be recycled. This includes:
- plastic and black bags
- polystyrene
- crisps and sweet wrappers
- contaminated tinfoil/aluminium foil
- tissues, wipes, paper towels or kitchen roll
- takeaway pizza boxes
- cling film
- light bulbs
- pet litter, animal waste or bedding
- nappies
- personal hygiene products
- food and drink pouches
- hard plastics (such as toys, coat hangers, CD cases)
- padded envelopes
- tablet blister packs
- drinking glasses, ceramics, vases, mirrors
- photographs
There is no collection service on Arran for organic waste under an exemption set out in the Waste (Scotland) Regulations 2012. Reduce your food waste where possible, or place in the grey bin. For more information, visit the Love Food Hate Waste website.
Garden waste and any extra waste can be taken to Brodick Household Waste and Recycling Centre.
What not to include in your Grey bin
You should not include:
- plastic bags or liners (please recycle your plastic bags, soft plastic wraps and liners at )
- batteries and devices containing batteries (such as e-cigarettes, mobile phones, laptops, electronic toys, electric toothbrushes and shavers). These items could cause a fire.
- plastics, cans and glass
- cartons
- paper, card and cardboard
- electrical items
- textiles and shoes
- paint tins (if not completely emptied/dried out)
Items should be loose and clean. Do not worry about removing labels.
Blue bins on Arran should only contain the recyclable items listed below:
Paper and Card
- cardboard
- cardboard boxes (place any large boxes beside your bin, flattened and tied or taped)
- cereal boxes
- toilet and kitchen roll tubes
- corrugated cardboard
- newspapers, magazines and catalogues
- junk mail and brochures
- paperback books
- paper, including shredded paper
- greeting cards
- wrapping paper (as long as not glittery, shiny or made of foil)
- envelopes
- cardboard egg boxes
Mixed Glass
- bottles
- jars
Metals
- food and drink tins and cans
- aerosols
- tinfoil/aluminium foil
- foil trays
- chocolate and biscuit tins
- bottle tops and jar lids
- coffee pods
Plastics
- plastic bottles
- milk cartons
- plastic tubs, trays and pots
- fruit and vegetable punnets
- toiletry bottles
- cleaning product bottles
- lids and tops
- medicine bottles
- plastic egg boxes
- coffee pods
Cartons
- juice cartons
- soup cartons
- milk cartons
- tetra packs
What not to include in your Blue bin
You should not include the following:
- plastic bags or liners (please recycle your plastic bags, soft plastic wraps and liners at )
- batteries and devices containing batteries (such as e-cigarettes, mobile phones, laptops, electronic toys, electric toothbrushes and shavers). These items could cause a fire.
- tissues, wipes, paper towels or kitchen roll
- padded envelopes
- plastic wrapping or bubble wrap
- crisp bags or sweet wrappers
- electrical items
- textiles, bedding or shoes
- hardback books
- cling film
- takeaway pizza boxes
- polystyrene
- packing with food residue
- food and drink pouches
- photographs
- animal waste and bedding
- nappies and sanitary waste
- coffee cups
- hard plastics (such as toys, coat hangers and CD cases)
- metal pots, pans and trays
- cutlery
- light bulbs
- Pyrex or crockery
- contaminated tinfoil/aluminium foil
- paint tins
- drinking glasses, ceramics, vases, mirrors or window panes
- needles
Extra waste may be taken to a Household Waste Recycling Centre.
For large items of household waste arrange a bulky waste collection.
Wrong stuff, Wrong bin
It costs North Ayrshire Council £3 million a year to send waste for final disposal. This impacts on the environment as well as the delivery of services.
If your bin contains the wrong stuff, we won’t collect it. We’ll tag your bin to tell you why your bin has not been emptied.
If your bin has been tagged:
- Remove the wrong items and the tag
- Put your bin out for the next collection day
Metals
All metal is 100% recyclable. Please take any metal items not listed to your local HWRC site.
Electrical items
Take small electrical items to your local HWRC site or visit Electrical recycling - Where to recycle & donate - Recycle Your Electricals for information of your nearest collection point.
Batteries
Batteries should not be placed in bins, as this may cause a fire risk at reprocessing facilities.
Small household batteries can be recycled at:
- most electrical retailers
- some supermarkets
- North Ayrshire libraries, public offices and Household Waste Recycling Centres
Large rechargeable batteries (for example from lawnmowers) should be placed in the small appliances container unit at our HWRC sites.
Car batteries should be recycled at the garage where the new battery is fitted.
Small devices containing batteries including e-cigarettes, mobile phones, laptops, electronic toys, electric toothbrushes and shavers can be recycled at your local HWRC site or visit Electrical recycling - Where to recycle & donate - Recycle Your Electricals for information of your nearest collection point.
The absorbent hygiene product (AHP) collection is for customers with a high number of nappies, or absorbent hygiene waste products. This service may be provided on a temporary basis, depending on circumstances. We provide a limit of one free 140 litre bin.
This is collected on the same collection day as your grey bin.
This collection service is for:
- nappies
- associated nappy changing rubbish (for example, cotton wool, wet wipes, nappy sacks)
- incontinence pads
To apply for this service, please call 01294 310000.