Blue Bin Food Waste Recycling Service
The Blue Bin scheme is a weekly service that collects kitchen scraps for composting, and is available to all street level properties in Hackney.
Your Blue Bins
Time and location for collection
What can I recycle in my Blue Bin?
How do I lock my Blue Bin?
Compostable liners for the Blue Bins
How much do the approved compostable liners cost?
Where can I buy the improved compostable liners?
How do I use the approved compostable liners?
Your Blue Bins
There are two containers supplied to each household. One small, seven litre caddy to be placed in the kitchen to collect kitchen waste, and transport the scraps to the larger bin, and one large, lockable 20 litre Blue Bin is kept outside the property.
Time and location for collection
Your Blue Bin should be put out every week by 7:30am on your regular collection day. Please place it at the front of the property where it can be easily seen.
What can I recycle in my Blue Bin?
Yes - please recycle these in the Blue Bin
- Fruit
- Raw vegetables
- Cooked vegetables
- Cooked meat and fish
- Bread and pasta
- Tea bags
- Egg shells
No - these items can not be recycled in the Blue Bin
- Raw meat and fish
- Plastic bags
- Bones
- Tins and cans
- Glass
- Paper
How do I lock my Blue Bins?
Locking the Blue Bin keeps smells in and vermin out. To lock the Blue Bins, simply position the handle at the front of the bin. To unlock, push the handle to the back of the bin
Locked position Unlocked position
Compostable liners for the Blue Bins
Hackney Council’s recycling team has introduced compostable liners that residents can use when recycling their food waste. It is not compulsory to use the liners; it is simply an option for residents who want to remove some of the ‘ick’ factor that comes with recycling food waste. Residents can use small liners in the kitchen caddy, or big ones in the larger Blue Bin.
Important: Only one type of compostable liner has been approved by London Waste Ltd for use - Wenterra Bio Bags. The collection crew will not collect Blue Bins lined with any other type of liner, and absolutely no plastic bags.
How much do the approved compostable liners cost?
Small kitchen caddy (7L): 10 liners for £0.99, 52 liners for £3.99
Large blue bin (20L): 25 liners for £4.99
Where can I buy the approved compostable liners?
You can buy the bags online at www.gardeningdelights.com - remember to buy the correct sizes (7L for the kitchen caddy, 20L for the large Blue Bin).
Alternatively, visit the local stores below, who are stocking the Wenterra Biobags.
- Costcutters Supermarket, 160-162 Sandringham Road, E8 2HS
- C & C Décor, 352A Mare Street, E8 1HR
- Costcutter Supermarket, 143 Mare Street, E8 3RH
- Bradburys Ironmongers, 79-81 Broadway Market, E8 4HP
- Neha News, 31 Kenworthy Road, E9 5RB
- M Organics, 229-231 Kingsland Road, E2 8AN
- Brothers Supermaket, 180 Chatsworth Road, E5 0LT
- Klein's Minimarket, 113 Upper Clapton Road, E5 9BU
- Hoxton Supermarket, 293 Hoxton Street, N1 5JX
- Fresh & Wild Ltd, 32-40 Stoke Newington Church St, N16 0LU
- Johns Garden Centre, 175 Stoke Newington Church St, N16 0LU
- Mother Earth Health Food, 5 Albion Parade, Albion St, N16 9LD
- Londis Foodstores, 76 Fountayne Road, N16 7DT
- Fairdeal Homestores, 80 Dunsmure Road, N16 5JY
- Domestic Stores, 94 Oldhill Street, N16 6NA
- Berry's, 1A Holmwood Court, Stamford Hill, N16 5RY
How do I use the compostable liners?
Put a liner in your kitchen caddy and start filling it with food waste that can be composted (no raw meat or bones). When it is full, tie the top together and put the bag of food waste in your large outdoor Blue Bin, ready for collection. Alternatively, you can buy the large liners only, for the outdoor bin, and then you won’t need to use the small ones in the kitchen caddy, just rinse it out after emptying it into the large, lined Blue Bin. You could also use liners in each of the bins. Remember - only the approved liners can be used. If you use any other type, your food waste will not be collected.
I don’t want to participate in this service, what do I do?
If you don’t want to recycle your food waste, please phone the recycling hotline to confirm you do not wish to participate in the scheme, and would like the bins collected from your property.
Page updated: 17 Apr 2008