---
title: "What goes to general waste bin"
description: "19 things that belong in general waste bin, with why each one goes there and what happens if it goes elsewhere."
url: https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/kerbside-general/
site: "At One Place"
---

# What goes to general waste bin

19 things that belong in general waste bin.

| Item | Answer |
| --- | --- |
| Used cooking oil | Let it cool, seal it in a container, and put it in general waste — or take it to an oil bank. |
| Polystyrene and foam packaging | General waste almost everywhere. It is recyclable in principle and collected almost nowhere. |
| Incandescent and halogen bulbs | General waste, wrapped. They are not recyclable glass and not electrical waste either. |
| Crisp packets and snack wrappers | General waste, or a supermarket soft-plastics bin where one exists. Not the kerbside recycling. |
| Broken glass | Wrap it thickly and put it in general waste, unless it is a broken bottle or jar — those can go in the glass bin. |
| Dried-out paint and empty tins | Once the paint is solid, many councils take the tin in general waste or as scrap metal. Check yours, because this one genuinely varies. |
| Cling film | General waste. It is excluded even from soft plastic collections almost everywhere. |
| Till receipts | General waste. Thermal paper is coated, not printed, and it should not go in with paper or compost. |
| Wet wipes and makeup wipes | General waste. Never the toilet, whatever the packet says about flushability. |
| Dog waste | Bagged in general waste, or a dog waste bin. Not the food waste caddy, and not the compost heap. |
| Nappies | General waste, bagged. There is no kerbside recycling route for them anywhere in ordinary use. |
| Cat litter | General waste, bagged. Clay litter is not compostable, and cat faeces carry a parasite that keeps it out of the garden. |
| Medicine blister packs | General waste in most places, or a pharmacy collection scheme where one exists. |
| Greetings cards with glitter or foil | Tear off the plain card and recycle that; the glittery part goes in general waste. |
| Cigarette butts | Put it out completely, then bin it. Filters are cellulose acetate plastic, and a live butt starts bin fires. |
| Candle stubs and wax | General waste, or remelt the stubs. Never rinse wax down a sink. |
| Chewing gum | Wrap it and bin it. Gum base is synthetic rubber and it is not going to break down. |
| Face masks | General waste. Cut the ear loops first — wildlife gets caught in them. |
| Vacuum cleaner dust and hair | General waste. Hair alone can be composted; house dust is mostly synthetic fibre and cannot. |

- [Used cooking oil](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/cooking-oil/) — Let it cool, seal it in a container, and put it in general waste — or take it to an oil bank.
- [Polystyrene and foam packaging](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/polystyrene/) — General waste almost everywhere. It is recyclable in principle and collected almost nowhere.
- [Incandescent and halogen bulbs](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/incandescent-bulbs/) — General waste, wrapped. They are not recyclable glass and not electrical waste either.
- [Crisp packets and snack wrappers](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/crisp-packets/) — General waste, or a supermarket soft-plastics bin where one exists. Not the kerbside recycling.
- [Broken glass](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/broken-glass/) — Wrap it thickly and put it in general waste, unless it is a broken bottle or jar — those can go in the glass bin.
- [Dried-out paint and empty tins](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/paint-dried/) — Once the paint is solid, many councils take the tin in general waste or as scrap metal. Check yours, because this one genuinely varies.
- [Cling film](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/cling-film/) — General waste. It is excluded even from soft plastic collections almost everywhere.
- [Till receipts](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/receipts/) — General waste. Thermal paper is coated, not printed, and it should not go in with paper or compost.
- [Wet wipes and makeup wipes](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/wet-wipes/) — General waste. Never the toilet, whatever the packet says about flushability.
- [Dog waste](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/pet-waste/) — Bagged in general waste, or a dog waste bin. Not the food waste caddy, and not the compost heap.
- [Nappies](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/nappies/) — General waste, bagged. There is no kerbside recycling route for them anywhere in ordinary use.
- [Cat litter](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/cat-litter/) — General waste, bagged. Clay litter is not compostable, and cat faeces carry a parasite that keeps it out of the garden.
- [Medicine blister packs](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/blister-packs/) — General waste in most places, or a pharmacy collection scheme where one exists.
- [Greetings cards with glitter or foil](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/glitter-cards/) — Tear off the plain card and recycle that; the glittery part goes in general waste.
- [Cigarette butts](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/cigarette-butts/) — Put it out completely, then bin it. Filters are cellulose acetate plastic, and a live butt starts bin fires.
- [Candle stubs and wax](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/candles-wax/) — General waste, or remelt the stubs. Never rinse wax down a sink.
- [Chewing gum](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/chewing-gum/) — Wrap it and bin it. Gum base is synthetic rubber and it is not going to break down.
- [Face masks](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/face-masks/) — General waste. Cut the ear loops first — wildlife gets caught in them.
- [Vacuum cleaner dust and hair](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/vacuum-dust/) — General waste. Hair alone can be composted; house dust is mostly synthetic fibre and cannot.