Liverpool's bin rules sit across several council pages. The quickest route is to check your address first, then use the right form for a missed bin, bulky item or paid garden-waste collection.
The service details and green-bin fees below were checked against Liverpool City Council and the Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority in July 2026.
The short version
- Use the council's postcode checker for your exact collection date.
- Put bins and bags out before 6.30am.
- Purple takes general waste; blue takes household recycling.
- Food-waste collections run weekly where the phased rollout has reached your address.
- Green garden-waste collections require a paid subscription.
- Report a missed purple or blue bin by 2pm on the next working day.
Find your collection day
Use the Liverpool City Council postcode checker. Collection dates can differ between nearby streets, so a neighbour's schedule is not a safe substitute.
Bins and bags must be out before 6.30am on collection day. Keep the lid closed and put all waste inside the bin; the council does not collect extra bags left beside it.
Purple, blue and green bins
The council's bin-sorting guide gives the full current list.
Purple bin
Use the purple bin for household waste that the council cannot recycle at the kerb. Keep electrical items, building waste and garden waste out.
Blue bin
The blue bin takes accepted glass bottles and jars, cans, paper, cardboard, cartons and listed plastic packaging. Empty containers and keep food, liquids, plastic bags and electrical items out.
If you are unsure about an item, check the council list. Putting the wrong material in the blue bin can stop the crew collecting it.
Green bin
The green bin takes garden waste such as grass cuttings, hedge clippings, leaves, weeds and small twigs. Soil, turf, plant pots, food and household rubbish do not belong in it.
Food-waste collections
Liverpool is introducing free weekly food-waste collections in phases. The council sends a letter before a street joins the service and provides an indoor caddy, an outdoor caddy and liners.
The service takes food scraps, meat, fish, dairy, eggshells, tea bags, coffee grounds, rice, pasta, bread, fruit and vegetables. Packaging, liquids and cooking oil stay out.
If you have received the outdoor caddy, check its date through the normal collection schedule. If the rollout has not reached your street, keep following the council's current instructions for your purple bin.
Green-bin fees in 2026
The green-waste service runs fortnightly from the last week of February to the last week of November. The annual fee covers collection, not the cost of the bin.
| Green bins | Annual collection fee |
|---|---|
| 1 | £50 |
| 2 | £93.75 |
| 3 | £125 |
| 4 | £156.25 |
| 5 | £187.50 |
A new green bin costs extra. Check the payment page before ordering because fees can change after this article's July 2026 check. The council also publishes help with the collection fee and refund rules.
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