The BinMinder Blog
Notes from the team — product updates, what we're learning, and the occasional milestone worth marking.
UK food waste collections: what goes in the caddy (and what changes in 2026)
Separate weekly food waste collections are becoming standard across England. Here's what goes in the caddy, what stays out, and how to keep it from smelling.
Read more7 recycling mistakes that get whole bins rejected in the UK
Contaminated recycling costs councils millions and can send a whole lorry-load to landfill. These are the seven most common mistakes — and the 30-second habit that avoids all of them.
Read moreHow to cut your household waste by a third (without going zero-waste)
You don't need a mason jar of annual rubbish to make a real dent. These practical, low-effort changes cut the average UK household's bin waste by roughly a third.
Read moreAustralia's bin system explained: red, yellow, green — and the 10c trick
Red lid, yellow lid, green lid — Australia's kerbside bins follow a national colour standard, but the rules vary by council. Here's what goes where, plus FOGO and container deposit refunds.
Read moreNew Zealand food scraps collections: how they work and what goes in
Councils across Aotearoa are rolling out kerbside food scraps collections. Here's what goes in the little bin, what stays out, and how to keep it fresh in a Kiwi summer.
Read moreCanada's green bin: mastering your organics collection
Green bin programs now cover most urban Canadians — and they're the single biggest way to shrink your garbage. What goes in, how liner rules vary, and how to survive raccoons and -20°C.
Read moreBiotonne: Was darf rein — und was auf keinen Fall?
Die Biotonne ist wertvoller als ihr Ruf — wenn sie richtig befüllt wird. Was hineingehört, welche Tüten erlaubt sind, und wie die Tonne auch im Sommer frisch und im Winter frei von Festgefrorenem bleibt.
Read moreWertstoffhof & Recyclinghof: Der praktische Guide für alles, was nicht in die Tonne passt
Elektroschrott, Altöl, Dämmwolle oder die alte Matratze: Der Wertstoffhof nimmt, was der Hausmüll nicht darf. Was Sie wo abgeben, was es kostet — und wann Sperrmüll die bessere Wahl ist.
Read moreMatavfallet: Så sorterar du rätt — och slipper lukt, plast och frysta kärl
Matavfallet blir biogas och biogödsel — men bara om det är rent. Vad som hör hemma i bruna påsen, hur du håller den fräsch på sommaren och hur du får loss innehållet ur ett iskallt kärl i januari.
Read moreGrovsopor och trädgårdsavfall: Så blir du av med det skrymmande — utan böter
Gammal soffa, kvistar efter beskärningen eller kartonger från flytten? Så fungerar hämtning av grovsopor och trädgårdsavfall i Sverige, vad som räknas som vad — och misstagen som kan bli dyra.
Read moreFOGO bins explained: getting the most from your food and garden organics
More Australian councils are rolling out FOGO — the lime-green lidded bin that takes food scraps along with garden waste. What goes in, what the caddy rules really are, and how to keep it bearable in summer.
Read moreBatteries, paint, e-waste: where Australia's tricky items actually go
None of your kerbside bins want batteries, chemicals or old TVs — but Australia has a free drop-off network for almost everything. A room-by-room guide to disposing of the awkward stuff properly.
Read moreYard waste in Canada: collection rules, seasons and smart raking strategy
Kraft paper bags, bundle limits, Christmas tree weeks — Canadian yard waste rules are precise and they change with the seasons. How the programs work, and the mistakes that leave bags sitting at the curb.
Read moreHoliday waste decoded: what Canadians can recycle after the celebrations
Wrapping paper, ribbon, cardboard mountains and a natural Christmas tree — holiday waste follows its own rules. What's recyclable, what's wish-cycling, and how to handle the busiest collection weeks of the year.
Read moreUK garden waste collections: charges, subscriptions and what goes in
Garden waste collections are free in some areas and an annual subscription in others. Here's what UK councils typically charge, what belongs in the bin, and why collections may stop in winter.
Read moreAssisted bin collections: who qualifies and how to get help
If age, disability or illness makes moving bins difficult, your council may collect them from your property. Learn who qualifies, how to apply, and what to expect from an assisted collection.
Read moreHow to recycle tricky common items: batteries, cartons and more
Batteries, Tetra Paks, crisp packets, electricals and textiles are recyclable — but often not in your household recycling bin. Here's where each item really needs to go in the UK.
Read moreMülltrennung in Deutschland: Der große Leitfaden zu Tonnen und Farben
Gelbe Tonne, blaue Tonne, Biotonne, Restmüll — welcher Müll gehört wohin? Der komplette Überblick über das deutsche Trennsystem, inklusive Glascontainer und Pfand.
Read moreGelbe Tonne & Gelber Sack: Was gehört wirklich hinein?
Plastikspielzeug? Kaffeepads? Blumentöpfe? Die gelbe Tonne ist die am häufigsten falsch befüllte Tonne Deutschlands. Diese Regeln räumen die häufigsten Irrtümer aus dem Weg.
Read moreMülltrennung in Österreich: So trennen Sie richtig
Gelbe Tonne, gelber Sack, blaue Tonne, Biotonne — und seit 2025 auch Einwegpfand. Der Überblick über das österreichische Trennsystem und die Regeln, die oft übersehen werden.
Read moreAltstoffsammelzentrum & Problemstoffe: Was wohin in Österreich?
Elektrogeräte, Batterien, Farben, Öle, Energiesparlampen: Was nicht in die Tonne darf, gehört ins Altstoffsammelzentrum. Ein Überblick über die wichtigsten Sonderfälle der österreichischen Abfalltrennung.
Read moreAbfalltrennung in der Schweiz: Der komplette Leitfaden
Gebührensack, PET-Sammlung, Karton und Grüngut: So funktioniert die Abfalltrennung in der Schweiz — und warum die getrennte Sammlung hier sogar Geld spart.
Read moreSperrgut, Sonderabfall & Co.: Was in der Schweiz nicht in den Kehrichtsack gehört
Matratzen, Elektrogeräte, Farben, Medikamente: Für vieles ist der Gebührensack tabu. Die wichtigsten Entsorgungswege in der Schweiz — von der Sperrgut-Marke bis zum Sonderabfallmobil.
Read moreSopsortering i Sverige: Den kompletta guiden till fraktionerna
Matavfall, förpackningar, pant och restavfall — så fungerar svensk sopsortering i praktiken, och de vanligaste felen som fördyrar återvinningen för alla.
Read moreÅtervinningscentralen och farligt avfall: Vad slängs var i Sverige?
Färgrester, batterier, elektronik och gamla möbler hör inte hemma i hushållssoporna. Så fungerar återvinningscentralen — och vad som kräver farligt avfall-insamling.
Read moreSegregacja odpadów w Polsce: kompletny przewodnik po kolorach pojemników
Niebieski, żółty, zielony, brązowy i czarny — co trafia do którego pojemnika, dlaczego worki psują recykling i jakie błędy popełniamy najczęściej przy segregacji.
Read moreOdpady problemowe w Polsce: co nigdy nie trafia do domowych pojemników?
Baterie, przeterminowane leki, stare lodówki, farby i gruz — gdzie legalnie i za darmo oddać odpady problemowe: PSZOK, apteka, sklep i odbiór odpadów wielkogabarytowych.
Read moreRecycling in New Zealand: the no-nonsense kerbside guide
Since 2024 the whole of New Zealand follows the same kerbside rules: plastics 1, 2 and 5 only, no soft plastics, and lids off. Here's what goes where — and what never does.
Read moreBatteries, e-waste and soft plastics: disposing of tricky items in New Zealand
New Zealand's kerbside bins can't take batteries, electronics, soft plastics or paint. Here's where each tricky item actually goes — most of them for free.
Read moreBlue box, green bin, black bin: a no-nonsense guide to Canadian recycling
Recycling rules differ from province to province — but the core system is the same across Canada. What goes in the blue box, what belongs in the green bin, and the mistakes that send loads to landfill.
Read moreBatteries, paint and electronics: where tricky waste goes in Canada
Batteries, paint, electronics and propane tanks never belong at the curb in Canada. Here's the free drop-off route for each — from Call2Recycle to household hazardous waste depots.
Read moreHow to check your bin day for any UK council (in 10 seconds)
The fastest way to check when your bins are collected — any UK council, no login, no digging through your council's website. Just your postcode.
Read moreMissed bin collection? Here's exactly what to do
Bin not emptied? Don't drag it back in yet. The rules councils actually follow for missed collections, what to report (and when), and how to stop it happening again.
Read moreWe just added 100+ new councils — yours might be one of them
BinMinder's coverage jumped from around 215 councils to 330 this month — more than 9 in 10 UK councils. If we told you 'not supported' before, it's time to check again.
Read moreWhich bin is which? A no-nonsense guide to UK bin colours
Green, blue, black, brown, grey — bin colours mean different things in different councils. Here's how to decode yours, and the mistakes that get bins left behind.
Read moreBank holiday bin collections: how the shuffle actually works
Most councils push collections back a day after a bank holiday — but not all, and Christmas rewrites everything. Here's how to know when your bin's really going out.
Read more12 things you (probably) can't put in your recycling bin
From vapes and batteries to greasy pizza boxes — the everyday items that contaminate recycling, and what to actually do with them.
Read moreMoved house? Your first-week bin survival guide
Which day, which bins, whose wheelie bin is that anyway? The bin admin nobody tells you about when you move — sorted in ten minutes.
Read more100 people never miss bin day
BinMinder just passed 100 subscribers. A short, honest note on how we got here, what we learned, and what's next.
Read more