West Lothian uses four main household bins, and what goes out depends on the bin type. Grey, blue and green are on alternating fortnightly recycling rounds, while the brown bin is also collected fortnightly.
| Bin | Put out when | What goes in it |
|---|---|---|
| Grey bin | Collected on the weeks in between the recycling rounds; place at the kerbside by 7am on collection day with the lid closed | General waste that can’t be recycled, plus items like nappies and sanitary products, disposable razors and gloves, bubble wrap, polystyrene, sweetie wrappers, broken plastic toys, coat hangers, toothpaste tubes |
| Blue bin | Recycled on a fortnightly cycle; if you only have a blue bin, it alternates with the grey bin. Put it out by 7am with the lid closed | Paper, card and cardboard only, including newspapers, magazines, catalogues, mail, cardboard boxes, toilet roll tubes, envelopes, shredded paper, and cards without glitter or foil |
| Green bin | Recycled on a fortnightly cycle; it alternates with the blue bin and grey bin in between. Put it out by 7am with the lid closed | Plastic bottles, tubs and trays; cartons; and metal cans, including aerosols, tins, foil trays, plastic bottles, tubs, bags and cartons |
| Brown bin | Collected fortnightly; put it out by 7am with the lid fully closed | Food and garden waste. If you want to dispose of garden waste, a permit is required on the bin; food waste only does not need a permit |
A couple of practical things to remember: everything in the recycling bins should be clean, empty and dry, and bins should not be overfilled or packed down. You can check your exact collection day on the Bin Collection Information and Updates page.