Thrifty bin for mixed waste
All homes in Reykjavík have gray waste bins for mixed household waste. A thrifty bin is 120-liters in size, so it is both smaller and cheaper than a gray bin.
How much does the thrifty bin cost?
What can go in the thrifty bin?
Mixed waste
- Food contaminated packaging
- Composite packaging
- Vacuum cleaner bags
- Disposable diapers
What can NOT go in the thrifty bin?
- Metals
- Glass
- Textiles
- Plastics
- Recyclable paper or cardboard
- Refundable beverage containers
- Garden waste, earth material or stones
- Batteries
- Toxic waste, medicines, or other hazardous waste
- Timber, fragment metal, plaster battering, or other coarse waste
Note that loose metals were previously allowed in the thrifty bin. These should be taken to drop-off points or recycling stations.
Questions and answers
Gray bins (including the thrifty bin) are for mixed household waste. Examples for mixed household waste:
- Vacuum cleaner bags
- Disposable diapers
- Disposable sanitary pads
- Wet wipes
What cannot go in the gray bin:
- Food leftovers
- Recyclable paper or cardboard
- Textiles
- Refundable beverage containers
- Garden waste
- Masonry fragmentation
- Minerals
- Coarse waste, such as timber and scrap metals
- Electrical equipment
- Batteries
- Toxic waste
- Medicines
Residents must have access to a bin for mixed waste at their home.
The gray bin is designed to hold up to 240 liters of mixed waste, but single-family households with smaller amounts of waste may opt for the 120 liter thrifty bin, which is more cost-effective than the gray bin.
Residents of multi-family housing may request a 660 liter container, if conditions allow.
For pricing information on gray bins and thrifty bins, please refer to the Waste Collection Fees.
These fees are included with property taxes, and in Reykjavík they vary based on the number of bins, container size, collection rate, distance to unload the container, and the type of waste. The fees will be updated the same week a request to change the bins is made.
Gray bins and thrifty bins are generally collected every 14 days.
You can check the waste collection calendarto find out when your waste will be collected. This calendar is organized by City district.