Our bins

Illustrated icons for four waste collection categories.

Reykjavík and neighboring municipalities use a unified recycling system. The Act on the Circular Economy requires household waste to be sorted into four categories at home.

Blue bin for paper, green bin for plastic, brown bin for food waste, and gray bin for mixed household waste.

Order/ return bins More about sorting on the SORPA website

Blue bin for paper

The blue bin is intended for paper and cardboard. The paper and cardboard should not be in a plastic bag when it goes in the bin. Food residues of the paper materials must be cleaned before placing them in the bin.

What can go in the blue bin?

  • Pizza boxes
  • Cardboard boxes
  • Beverage cartons and other cartons
  • Cartons with plastic caps can be thrown in
  • Photocopy paper
  • Envelopes
  • Staples and paper clips can be thrown in
  • Breakfast cereal boxes
  • Biscuit boxes
  • Packaging cardboard
  • Egg trays
  • Advertising mail
  • Paper handouts
  • Soft and hardcover books

What can NOT go in the blue bin?

  • Excessive waste
  • Plastic bags
  • Food leftovers
Illustration of a blue bin for paper waste.

Green Bin for Plastic

Green bins are intended for both hard and soft plastic materials. Plastic can be placed unbagged in the bins. All food and chemical residue must be cleaned from the plastics and the volume must be reduced before it goes in the bin.

What can go in the green bin?

  • Plastic bags
  • Plastic film
  • Bubble wrap
  • Plastic trays
  • Plastic containers of various kinds used for cleaning agents, food products, dairy products, and meat products
  • Foam plastic and smaller parts made of plastic

What can NOT go in the green bin?

  • Food leftovers
  • Paper or cardboard
  • Toxic waste or containers of toxic waste
  • Metals
  • Electrical appliances or batteries
Illustration of a green bin for plastic.

Brown bin for food waste

All households must now separate food waste from mixed waste. The brown bin is intended for food waste and other organic kitchen waste.

Waste should be in paper bags, not plastic, compostable, or bioplastic bags. You can also wrap waste in a newspaper and place it in the bin. If waste is not contained in the bin, it becomes dirty and can become smelly. Residents are responsible for cleaning bins.

What can go in the brown bin?

  • Food waste (including bones)
  • Fruit and vegetables
  • Bread and cakes
  • Coffee grounds and paper tea bags (paper filters are acceptable)
  • Paper towels and uncolored napkins
  • Cut flowers and plants

What can NOT go in the brown bin?

  • Plastic and plastic bags
  • Recyclable paper or cardboard
  • Refundable beverage containers
  • Garden Waste
  • Biodegradable packaging (for example, labeled "compostable")
  • Excessive waste
  • Cat litter and animal waste
  • Chewing gum
  • Metals
  • Batteries
  • Toxic waste
  • Glass
  • Garments
  • Medicines
Illustration of a brown bin for food waste.

Gray bin for mixed waste

All homes in Reykjavík have gray waste bins for mixed household waste. A gray bin is 240-liters in size, but if you live in a multi-family dwelling, you can request a larger container for mixed waste.

If you have a small amount of mixed household waste, you can get a smaller gray bin, a thrifty bin, which is both smaller and cheaper.

What can go in the gray bin?

  • Vacuum cleaner bags
  • Disposable diapers
  • Disposable sanitary pads
  • Wet wipes

What can NOT go in the gray bin?

  • Metals
  • Glass
  • Textiles
  • Plastics
  • Food leftovers
  • Recyclable paper or cardboard
  • Refundable beverage containers
  • Garden waste
  • Masonry fragmentation
  • Minerals
  • Coarse waste, such as timber and scrap metals
  • Electrical equipment
  • Batteries
  • Toxic waste
  • Medicines
Illustration of a gray bin for general waste.