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Aberdeen

Recycling in Aberdeen: Which Route Should You Use?

For most Aberdeen households, the right route depends on the item rather than simply whether it feels recyclable:

  • Use your mixed recycling bin for clean, loose paper, card, metal, glass and locally accepted plastic packaging.
  • Use the brown bin for food and garden waste where your property has that service.
  • Take larger, unusual or non-kerbside items to a household waste and recycling centre (HWRC), after checking the live council information.
  • Use a reuse, donation, retailer take-back or specialist route for items that should not go in standard bins.

Aberdeen City Council’s guidance is separate from Aberdeenshire’s, and local lists and opening information can change. Use the Zero Waste Scotland recycling sorter to check your authority and item, and check council guidance before travelling to a centre.

What goes in Aberdeen’s mixed recycling bin?

Aberdeen’s mixed recycling collection is the usual route for dry household recycling. The council lists paper, card, metal, plastic and glass; check its current guidance or the recycling sorter for your specific item. Put items in loose rather than inside plastic bags, rinse them where practical and flatten them where possible. Do not leave extra recycling beside the bin.

The public guidance does not provide an exhaustive answer for every type of packaging. For an unfamiliar item, check Aberdeen City Council’s mixed recycling guidance and the Zero Waste Scotland recycling sorter. Do not assume that every plastic object belongs in the recycling bin simply because it is made of plastic.

Food and garden waste: use the brown bin

If your Aberdeen property has the service, the separate brown bin is for food and garden waste. Check the council’s current brown-bin guidance for accepted items, garden-waste permits and local arrangements. Use your own collection calendar for dates.

When should you use an Aberdeen household recycling centre?

A household waste and recycling centre may provide a route for items unsuitable for kerbside collection, subject to the site’s acceptance and access rules. The council reported the opening of Bridge of Don at Claymore Drive in November 2025, replacing Scotstown Road. Its August 2026 archive also mentions Hazlehead. This is dated background, not a complete current centre inventory. See the council’s news archive.

Check current centre information before travelling, including opening hours, closures and site-specific acceptance for bulky, hazardous or specialist items. The council’s HWRC policy directs visitors to current centre listings and says temporary closures can occur. Use the separate HWRC appointment service when you need a booking; it is not a complete centre finder. Never leave waste at a closed gate: that can be treated as fly-tipping.

What do you need to take to an HWRC?

Aberdeen HWRCs are for household waste from Aberdeen residents. They are free for residents; bring proof of your Aberdeen address, such as a driving licence, recent Council Tax document or utility bill. The council policy requires this from all visitors. Commercial and industrial waste is excluded.

The council’s September 2021 HWRC policy allows cars and small vans carrying household waste to access without booking. An appointment is required for some larger vehicles or loads, including Transit-type vans, cars with trailers, people carriers with more than seven seats, pickup trucks and vans over 4 cubic metres. Paint or chemicals require an appointment regardless of vehicle. The policy also limits bookings to four visits per household per month and lists prohibited vehicle types. Check the full HWRC policy and current appointment information before travelling if you are unsure.

Electricals and batteries need a separate route

Do not put electrical items or batteries in either standard recycling or general waste bins. Aberdeen has small-electrical collection points at locations including supermarkets, community centres and recycling points. The council’s local small-electricals directory can help you find a point, but check the signage because acceptance can vary.

For larger electrical items, use an appropriate HWRC or retailer take-back route. GOV.UK guidance on batteries and electrical waste explains that most portable batteries can go to collection points at supermarkets or large shops, and that retailers have take-back duties in some circumstances. Follow its safety advice for batteries, including protecting lithium-battery terminals where practical. Remove personal data from devices before reuse or recycling where possible.

Could someone reuse the item?

If an item is clean, complete and usable, reuse may be more appropriate than recycling. The council links to a reuse facilities map for charity shops and other reuse schemes. Contact a scheme first to check its accepted items.

Acceptance, condition rules, capacity and collection availability vary. Contact the organisation first, especially before taking furniture, electricals or a large donation. The council’s Instant Neighbour listing is one local example of a reuse route for clothing, household goods, electricals, furniture and toys or games.

Bulky and specialist items

Large household items that do not fit a normal bin may need the council’s bulky uplift rather than kerbside recycling. The Aberdeen bulky uplift service currently describes collection of up to four items for a stated charge, with a reduced rate for some households receiving housing or Council Tax benefits; council tenants may have a different tenancy arrangement. Prices and eligibility can change, so check the service when booking.

Do not take asbestos or commercial waste to a city HWRC. The council HWRC policy directs asbestos to a licensed specialist disposal contractor. If an item is hazardous or you cannot identify its correct route, check the current council guidance before moving it.

A quick Aberdeen recycling decision guide

  1. Is it clean, loose dry packaging made from a locally accepted material? Start with the mixed recycling bin.
  2. Is it food or garden waste, and does your property have the brown-bin service? Use that separate route.
  3. Is it larger, unusual or not accepted at kerbside? Check the live HWRC information and whether your vehicle or material needs an appointment.
  4. Is it electrical, battery-powered, reusable, bulky or hazardous? Use the relevant specialist, take-back, reuse or uplift route instead.
  5. Are you in Aberdeen City or Aberdeenshire? Confirm the authority before following instructions, because their services are separate.

For an uncertain item, start with the recycling sorter and follow the relevant local service instructions.

You can also check OutBasket availability.

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