Waste collection
Reykjavík City's Waste Collection handles waste from the city’s households. All households are required to have containers for four categories. Residents can increase or decrease the number of bins at their home as needed. When we sort, we handle resources better and positively impact the environment.
Report bins that have been damaged or worn through normal use, such as during collection.
What do you want to explore?
- Waste collection calendar When will your waste be collected at your home?
- Frequent questions about waste collection Common questions we receive.
- Waste collection fees How much does this all cost?
- Smart waste collection Sorptunnur í eigu borgarinnar merktar með örflögum.
- Multi-family residence How does waste collection work in multi-family housing?
- Sorting in Reykjavík How to sort waste in Reykjavík
- Our bins What do the colors on the bins mean? How do I sort my household waste?
- Access and maintenance of waste bins How do we ensure good access to our waste bins? What about maintenance?
- Recycling drop-offs and recyclable material collection Where can I take excess waste from my home?
- Underground containers What are underground containers, and what rules apply to their installation?
Unified recycling system
Let’s use the correct bin
What do the colors on the bins mean?
Blue bin for paper, green bin for plastic, brown bin for food waste, and gray bin for mixed household waste.
Multi-family residence
In multi-family residences, residents need to consult each other about changes to the number and types of bins. This is because these changes affect the fees residents pay for waste collection.
Access and maintenance of waste bins
It is important that waste collectors get to waste bins safely and unhindered. It saves time during collection, reduces damage, impacts the health of workers, and ensures your home receives better and cheaper services. Is access to your bins adequate?
Smart waste collection
Reykjavík City is tagging city-owned waste bins with microchips and labels. The project aims to improve bin registration and management, simplify tracking for the number, type, and location of bins, and support better services overall.
Each bin receives a microchip with a unique identifier linking it to details such as the address, waste category, and size. The back of each bin will also feature a label displaying the same information. If multiple addresses share a bin, this will be noted on the label.
The label includes a QR code linking to the Reykjavík City waste collection website. On the site, residents can find more information about the project, view the waste collection calendar, and submit service requests.
These microchips primarily serve to identify bins and track City assets. In the future, they could also enhance communication with residents—for instance, if a bin cannot be emptied on its regular collection day.
Fees
It is cheaper to throw away less and sort more! If there are changes in the number of waste containers, or the frequency of unloading, the change in fees is based on the week in which the change is requested.
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Contact us
Suggestions related to Reykjavík Waste Collection Department services can be submitted through Reykjavík City's Suggestion Portal.
Reykjavík City's service center can be reached at 411-1111.
Email: info@reykjavik.is