What can I put in my grey bin?

Your grey bin should be for household waste items that cannot be placed in your recycling bins.

There are certain items which you cannot put in your grey bin as they can be dangerous during collection and processing, or have hazardous qualities.

To find out which household waste items can be collected in your red or yellow lidded recycling bins see what can I put in my bins?. To find out how to recycle a particular item see our A-Z of recycling.

What can I put in my grey bin?

Some of the most commonly queried items that can be put in your grey bin are:

• Cartons (Tetra pak)*
• Pots, pans and scrap metal*
• Toys*
• Hard plastic*
• Light bulbs*
• Textiles*
• Wallpaper
• Polystyrene
• Drinking glasses, plates and other ceramics
• Food waste**
• PPE such as face masks, disposable gowns and disposable gloves due to the current COVID-19 situation

* These can be taken to your Household waste and recycling centres.

** Food waste can be composted at home. For ideas on how to reduce food waste see reduce food waste.

What cannot go in my grey bin?

You must not put the following items in your grey bin:

• Batteries*
• Lighter fluid containers*
• Paint cans*
• Fluorescent tubes*
• Electrical items, including small household appliances*
• TVs and computer monitors*
• Garden waste*
• Domestic clinical waste (including sharps and infectious items)**
• Bricks and rubble
• Plaster and plasterboard
• Asbestos

* These can be taken to your household waste and recycling centre. Most supermarkets also now have battery recycling points. We operate a chargeable garden waste collection service to save you a trip to the tip.

** Dispose of these items using our free clinical waste collection

Disposing of plasterboard

This can be taken to your Household Waste and Recycling Centre, although you may require a permit. Alternatively, you can hire a 'plasterboard only' skip from us.

Disposing of asbestos 

Asbestos is an extremely hazardous substance and requires handling in the correct manner.

You should never put asbestos in your general waste bin. Disposing of asbestos in your grey bin puts the health of our collection staff at risk.

Your rubbish is partially treated by manual handlers and any loose asbestos placed in your bin could be a threat to their health.

Where should I dispose of asbestos?

You can dispose of asbestos waste at your local household waste and recycling centre. Not all household recycling centres dispose of asbestos, so please check before you go by visiting Lancashire County Council - disposal of hazardous waste and asbestos.

Please note: Asbestos will only be accepted at your local recycling centre if wrapped in heavy duty polythene sheets. Asbestos wrapping materials are provided free of charge (in limited quantities) from any local recycling centre. Smaller pieces of asbestos should be double-bagged and securely sealed.