Not sure whether something belongs in your grey recycling bin, purple-lidded paper bin, black general waste bin, green garden waste bin or orange-lidded food caddy? Here is a straightforward guide to what goes where for households in Louth and across East Lindsey.
The basic system
- Grey bin: mixed recycling such as glass, tins, cans, plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays
- Purple-lidded bin: clean, dry paper and cardboard
- Orange-lidded caddy: food waste
- Green bin: garden waste, if you subscribe to the garden waste collection service
- Black bin: general household waste that cannot be recycled
Getting it right matters, because bins containing the wrong materials can be rejected and left unemptied. For which bin goes out this week, see Which Wheelie Bin Week Is It?
Grey wheelie bin: mixed recycling
Your grey wheelie bin is for recyclable containers and packaging, not paper and cardboard. Everything should be clean, dry and loose.
Put these in your grey bin
- Glass bottles and jars
- Metal food and drink cans
- Tins
- Clean aluminium foil
- Aerosol cans
- Plastic bottles, with their lids on
- Cleaning product bottles
- Toiletry bottles
- Plastic pots, tubs and trays, except black plastic
- Plastic plant pots and seed trays, except black plastic
- Drinks and food cartons
- Bottle lids and tops
- Toothpaste tubes
Squash cans and plastic bottles to make better use of the space in your bin.
Don't put these in your grey bin
- Paper or cardboard
- Plastic bags, plastic film and soft plastic wrapping
- Crisp packets
- Food pouches
- Polystyrene
- Clothes or textiles
- Hard plastics such as old toys
- Black plastic food trays and plant pots
- Batteries
- Electrical items
Some supermarkets have collection points for soft plastics such as bags, wrappers and packaging, so these do not have to go in your household waste.
Purple-lidded bin: paper and cardboard
The purple-lidded wheelie bin is just for paper and cardboard. Again, everything needs to be clean, dry and loose.
Put these in your purple-lidded bin
- Paper
- Cardboard boxes and tubes
- Cereal and other food packaging boxes, with no food left in them
- Cardboard egg boxes
- Envelopes, including those with plastic windows
- Junk mail
- Newspapers and magazines (staples are fine)
- Paper and cardboard household packaging
- Greeting cards without glitter
- Wrapping paper without glitter or foil
Flatten cardboard boxes and take off as much tape as you can, so they take up less room.
Don't put these in your purple-lidded bin
- Pizza boxes or takeaway food boxes with food on them
- Shredded paper
- Kitchen roll, tissues and wipes
- Books
- Cigarette packets
- Glittery or foil wrapping paper
- Wet or damp paper and card
- Batteries
- Electrical items
Shredded paper often catches people out. East Lindsey District Council says it should go in the black bin, bagged, not in either recycling bin.
Orange-lidded caddy: food waste
East Lindsey started separate weekly household food waste collections in October 2026. Each household has a small indoor kitchen caddy and a larger outdoor caddy with an orange lid.
Put these in your food waste caddy
Most food waste can go in, including:
- Uneaten food and plate scrapings
- Raw or cooked meat, and meat bones
- Raw or cooked fish, fish bones and shells
- Fruit, vegetables and peelings
- Salad
- Cheese, yoghurt and other dairy products
- Eggs and eggshells
- Bread, cakes and pastries
- Rice, pasta and beans
- Tea bags and coffee grounds
- Mouldy food
- Unused pet food
- Small amounts of gravy, sauce, oils or fats, soaked up by other food
Take all packaging off before putting food in the caddy.
Don't put these in your food caddy
- Food packaging
- Bottles, tins, cartons or wrappers
- Milk or other liquids
- Soup
- Loose cooking oil
- Anything that isn't food waste
Put the outdoor orange-lidded caddy out for collection, not the smaller kitchen caddy. Food waste is collected every week.
Black wheelie bin: general household waste
The black bin is for household waste that can't be recycled through the other collections. Now there is a separate food waste collection, food should go in your orange-lidded caddy rather than the black bin.
Things that can go in your black bin
- Crisp packets and sweet wrappers
- Plastic film, bags and wrapping
- Food pouches
- Kitchen roll, wipes and tissues
- Nappies
- Takeaway packaging that can't be recycled
- Hard plastics
- Old plastic or metal pots and pans
- Shredded paper, bagged
- Wet or dirty paper and cardboard
- Polystyrene packaging
- Bubble wrap
Don't put these in your black bin
- Batteries
- Electrical items
- Disposable vapes
- Hot ashes
- Building rubble
- Gas cylinders
- Asbestos or other hazardous waste
- Garden waste
Green wheelie bin: garden waste
The green wheelie bin is for households signed up to East Lindsey District Council's garden waste collection service. Put garden waste in loose, without plastic bags.
Put these in your green bin
- Hedge trimmings and cuttings
- Grass cuttings
- Flowers
- Plants, with excess soil removed
- Leaves and bark
- Twigs and small branches
Don't put these in your green bin
- Soil
- Turf or grass sods
- Food waste
- Plastic bags
- Animal waste or animal bedding
- Large pieces of timber or wooden planks
- Rubble and stones
- General household waste
The items that cause the most confusion
Some things look recyclable but can't go in East Lindsey's household recycling bins. A few worth remembering:
- Shredded paper: black bin, bagged
- Crisp packets: black bin, or a soft plastic collection point
- Plastic bags: black bin, or a soft plastic collection point
- Pizza boxes: purple-lidded bin only if clean and free from food
- Black plastic trays: not the grey recycling bin
- Polystyrene: black bin
- Kitchen roll and tissues: black bin
- Food scraps: orange-lidded food caddy
- Glass bottles and jars: grey bin
- Cardboard: purple-lidded bin
- Grass cuttings: green bin
- Batteries and electrical items: none of your household bins
Keep recycling clean, dry and loose
One of the simplest rules for both recycling bins is clean, dry and loose.
Don't put recycling in bin bags before it goes in your grey or purple-lidded bin. Food, liquids and other mess can mean material that could have been recycled has to be rejected.
East Lindsey District Council can refuse to empty a bin with the wrong things in it, so if you're unsure about something unusual, check before putting it out. The council's A to Z of waste disposal covers most things.
What time should I put my bins out?
East Lindsey District Council asks residents to have their bins or sacks at the edge of their property by 5.30am on collection day. Put the orange-lidded food caddy out on your collection day too.
- Close the lid fully, not propped open by rubbish.
- Extra waste left beside a bin or caddy will not be collected.
Collection days vary by property, so check your address with the council's waste collection dates rather than relying on a general timetable, or see Which Wheelie Bin Week Is It?
Batteries, vapes and electrical items
Never put batteries, disposable vapes or electrical items in your household bins. They can start fires when crushed or damaged inside collection lorries and waste handling equipment.
Take them to a household waste recycling centre, such as Louth Recycling Centre, an electrical recycling point or a shop with a collection scheme instead. For bigger things, the council also runs a bulky waste collection for large household and electrical items.
Not sure? Check before you bin it
Most everyday household waste is fairly simple once you remember the five main bins:
Grey for mixed recycling. Purple for paper and card. Orange for food. Green for garden waste. Black for what is left.
There will always be awkward items that don't fit neatly. Paint, electrical equipment, batteries, rubble, chemicals, gas cylinders and other specialist waste may need a household waste recycling centre or another way of getting rid of them.
If you're unsure, checking first is better than spoiling a whole recycling bin and finding it still sitting outside your house after the lorry has been and gone. East Lindsey District Council's waste and recycling pages have the full details.