Find out what you can and cannot recycle in your trolley boxes and what goes in each box.
You can also visit the Zero Waste Scotland website and use their online recycle sorter for any local authority in Scotland.
Top box with blue lid
This box is for paper and card.
It will be collected weekly as part of your recycling trolley.
Flatten larger items of cardboard and place beside your recycling trolley on your collection day.
What you can put in the top box
Please add clean and dry paper items such as:
- newspapers
- magazines, catalogues and directories
- junk Mail and brochures
- letters and envelopes
- office and shredded paper
- wrapping paper
- books (can also be reused via recycling centres)
Please add flattened cardboard items such as:
- large and small cardboard boxes
- brown corrugated packaging
- toilet and kitchen roll tubes
- greetings cards
What you cannot put in your top box
Please do not add items such as:
- tissues and napkins
- padded envelopes
- kitchen towels
- wallpaper
How to recycle your paper and card
Please follow the advice below:
- collect your recycling and flatten your cardboard
- place flattened items into your top box
- secure your top box by locking the lid
- place your recycling trolley at your normal collection point by 6:30am on your collection day
- once emptied, your recycling trolley and food caddy will be left ready for you to wheel back to your storage point
What happens to paper and card
Your paper and card can be recycled into new newspapers and packaging.
Middle box with red flap
This box is for plastics, cartons and metals.
It will be collected weekly as part of your recycling trolley.
What you can put in your middle box
Please add plastics and cartons that you have rinsed and squashed such as:
- food and drink bottles
- toiletry bottles
- tablet and medicine bottles
- cleaning products
- pots, tubs and trays
- lids and tops
- soup cartons
- juice cartons
- other cartons
Please add metals that you have emptied and rinsed such as:
- food and drink cans
- empty aerosols
- foil trays
- aluminium foil
- chocolate and biscuit tins
- metal lids
What you cannot put in your middle box
Please do not add the following items:
- plastic bags, liners and cling film
- crisp bags
- biscuit wrappers
- sweet wrappers
- bubble Wrap
- polystyrene
- plastic wrappers and netting
- plastic cups and straws
- pet food pouches
- oil and paint cans
- small and large electricals*
- batteries and wire*
- cutlery*
- gas bottles*
- metal pots, pans and trays*
* can be recycled at recycling centres.
How to recycle your plastics, cartons and metals
Please follow the advice below:
- rinse your metals, and rinse and squash your plastics and cartons
- place your recycling into the middle box of your recycling trolley
- only place plastics, cartons or cans into the middle box – do not mix with any other material
- place your recycling trolley at your normal collection point by 6:30am on your collection day
- once emptied, your recycling trolley and food caddy will be left ready for you to wheel back to your storage point
What happens to plastics, cartons and metals
Your plastics, cartons and metals can be recycled into new plastic bottles, aerosols, tins and cans.
Bottom box with grey flap
This box is for all colours of glass bottles and jars.
It will be collected weekly as part of your recycling trolley.
Metal and plastics lids from glass bottles and jars can be placed in the middle box of the recycling trolley.
What you can put in your bottom box
Please add items such as:
- food and drinks bottles and jars
- condiment bottles and jars
- toiletry, perfume and aftershave bottles
What you cannot put in your bottom box
Please do not add items such as:
- crockery, ceramics and pyrex
- windows and mirrors
- drinking glasses
- lightbulbs
- broken glass
How to recycle your glass bottles and jars
Please follow the advice below:
- collect your glass bottles and jars (with lids removed)
- rinse your glass jars and bottles
- place your recycling into the bottom box of your recycling trolley
- place your recycling trolley at your normal collection point by 6:30am on your collection day
- once emptied, your recycling trolley and food caddy will be left ready for you to wheel back to your storage point
What happens to glass bottles and jars
All your glass bottles and jars can be recycled into new glass bottles and jars.
Recycling collection service guide
Download our recycling collection service guide (PDF 6Mb) which includes images showing examples on how to recycle.
Excess and additional recycling
Using either of your existing black or red boxes we will collect:
- recycling trolley materials
- small electrical items
- household batteries or textiles
Additional information about excess recycling can be found on our black and red recycling boxes page.