Scottish Borders uses three main household bins: a grey-lidded general waste bin, a blue-lidded recycling bin, and, in food-waste collection areas, a brown food waste bin. General and recycling bins are collected every 2 weeks, and food waste collections stay on the same day.
| Bin | What goes in it | Collection |
|---|---|---|
| Grey-lidded general waste bin | Non-recyclable waste only, such as nappies, polystyrene, cold ash, crisp packets and pet waste | Every 2 weeks |
| Blue-lidded recycling bin | Aerosol cans, foil and foil trays, cardboard, food and drinks cans, cartons, paper, plastic bottles, plastic tubs, plastic bags and wrappers (no black bags) | Every 2 weeks |
| Brown food waste bin | Cooked and uncooked food waste, including dairy, meat and bones, fruit, vegetables, bread, rice and pasta, fish, tea bags and coffee grounds, and egg shells | Same collection day as usual |
A couple of presentation tips from Scottish Borders: put recycling loose in the bin, not bagged, and if you have extra recycling, place it in bags other than black bags beside the bin. For food waste, present the brown bin with the handle up on collection day.