A recycling bin (or recycle bin) is a container used to hold recyclables before they are taken to recycling centers. Recycling bins exist in various sizes for use inside and outside of homes, offices, and large public facilities. Separate containers are often provided for paper, tin or aluminum cans, and glass or plastic bottles, with some bins allowing for commingled, mixed recycling of various materials.

Bins are sometimes in different colors so that the user can differentiate between the types of materials specified for each bin. While there is no universal standard color for recycling, the color blue is commonly used to indicate recycling in public settings. Other regions also use the color green to differentiate between types of recyclable materials. Recycling bins, cans, or wheeled carts (toters) are common elements of municipal kerbside collection programs, which frequently distribute eye-catching bins to encourage participation.

The idea of the waste bins is believed to have been conceived by Eugène-René Poubelle (15 April 1831- 15 July 1907), French lawyer who introduced waste containers to Paris. In 1883 “Poubelle law” was established in Paris which implemented the usage of closed containers that separated waste by type. His decree provided for the sorting of waste into three categories: compostable materials, paper and cloth, and glass, which gave way to the idea of separate receptacles according to type of waste.

Recycling has become far more commonplace since the mid 20th century. Originally, the majority of households disposed of their wastes into land. In 1942, during World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the War Production Board, which had people and companies focus on prioritizing the distribution of materials to war needs. Nazi Germany also implemented recycling techniques, not motivated by nature conservation but for resource allocation for the war effort. Their recycling policy involved separating waste into three containers: general waste, metal-containing waste, and food waste. Nazi policies were met with resistance by the countries they occupied. Notably, the Dutch cross contaminated the waste to reduce its efficiency.

After World War II, people in the United States were becoming more aware of the landfill effects. In response to public concern, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was formed by President Richard Nixon.

The United States was not the only country concerned about the effects of landfilled waste. In 1972, Dutch activists Babs Riemens-Jagerman and Miep Kuiper-Verkuyl, installed a container in Zeist to collect glass_.

In 1974, Missouri, the first recycling bin designed to collect paper, “The Tree Saver”, was introduced. While beneficial in some respects, the "Tree Saver" had limitations, as it required people to transport the materials or leave them in front of their homes for pickup.

Also, in 1974, Jack McGinnis, an American expat living in Toronto who enjoyed roaming the beaches and picking up cans and bottles, founded the Is Five Foundation, the first curbside multi-material pickup of recycling materials serving Toronto and its suburbs. Today, the blue box recycling system, as well as similar systems are in place in hundreds of cities around the world.