1Photo ready
Name or photograph the item
Designed for the moment you are standing beside the bin.
Know where it goes in seconds.
Type the item or use a photo. Get a quick, practical answer with the caveats that actually matter.
Household lookup
What are you holding?
Beta
How it works
Built for the moment you are already holding the item.
1
2Pizza boxCheck rules
Recycle the clean top.
Read the plain answer
The result leads with action, then adds why and watch-outs.
3BatteriesCablesBulbs
Save awkward things
Batteries, cords, bulbs, and paint can wait without becoming clutter.
Possible premium helpers
Useful if this becomes part of your weekly household rhythm.
- Unlimited item lookups
- Photo scans for hard-to-name items
- Saved “deal with later” items across devices
- Expanded local disposal guidance
- Early access to new item packs and city support
Deal with later
A small home memory for things that should not go in tonight's bin.
Some items need a drop-off day, a hardware-store errand, or one more local check. Keep them visible without turning disposal into a task manager.
Possible premium helpers
Useful if this becomes part of your weekly household rhythm.
- Unlimited item lookups
- Photo scans for hard-to-name items
- Saved “deal with later” items across devices
- Expanded local disposal guidance
- Early access to new item packs and city support
Saved for a better moment
0 savedNothing saved yet
Save batteries, cords, bulbs, paint, or anything else that needs a later errand.
Popular household questions
The everyday things that make people pause.
Built for practical uncertainty: food residue, mixed materials, dangerous items, and local-rule edges.
Can you recycle pizza boxes?
Usually the clean top. Greasy cardboard should be composted or trashed.
Read guideCan you recycle frozen food boxes?
Often trash unless your local program accepts coated paperboard.
Read guideWhat to do with batteries
Save them for hazardous drop-off or a retail collection box.
Can broken glass be recycled?
Most broken household glass belongs wrapped in trash, not curbside bins.
Where do old chargers go?
Working chargers can be donated. Broken ones belong with e-waste.
Latest guides
Fresh answers from the blog.
Household guide
Can compostable packaging go in curbside compost?
Compostable cups, bags, plates, and takeout containers only go in curbside compost if your local program accepts them. When in doubt, keep them out.
Read guide
Household guide
Can batteries go in the trash?
Most batteries should stay out of curbside recycling. Here is what to do with alkaline, rechargeable, lithium, and button batteries at home.
Read guide
Household guide
Weekly Review: Coffee Grounds, Foam, Cords, and the Junk Drawer Problem
A practical week for compost piles, trash calls, e-waste drawers, and the stuff people keep putting in the wrong bin.
Read guide
Household guide
Do coffee grounds go in compost?
Coffee grounds can usually go in compost, but filters, pods, and curbside rules make the answer less automatic.
Read guideFAQ
A few answers before you stand at the bin.
Quick notes on how What Bin Is This handles local rules, photos, and the items that need extra care.
Is the answer the same in every city?+
No. The app gives practical household guidance first, then flags the items where local recycling, compost, or hazardous-waste rules are likely to change the final answer.
Can I use a photo instead of typing?+
Yes. What Bin Is This is designed for quick item lookups by name or photo, especially when packaging, residue, or mixed materials make the choice less obvious.
What happens with hazardous items?+
Items like batteries, paint, bulbs, propane tanks, and some electronics get extra caution. The guidance will usually point you toward drop-off, retail collection, or local hazardous-waste instructions.
Does this replace my city recycling guide?+
No. It is meant to reduce hesitation and help you understand the likely bin. For final instructions, especially for local programs, your municipal guide is still the source of truth.
Honest by design
Clear guidance, without pretending every city is the same.
What Bin Is This gives general household guidance first, then names the places where local rules matter. It is made to reduce hesitation, not replace your municipal program.
Guidance categories
RecycleTrashCompostDonateE-wasteHazardousLocal rules
Low-confidence answers are intentionally quiet and direct users toward local verification.
Hazardous, e-waste, and mixed-material items receive extra caution so the answer stays useful in the real world.
Stay in the loop
A quieter way to answer the bin question.
Product updates only. No household guilt. No weekly lecture.