[Vocabulary] Garbage / litter / trash / refuse etc...

[euromike]

Which should I use in the following situations? I'm in the UK, so this is a question mainly about BrE usage, although if some AmE experts would like to reply, that would also be helpful!

(1) plastic bin under my kitchen sink - what do I call stuff that goes in it, and what do I call that bin?
(2) bin next to my desk in the office - mostly for paper - same question as (1)?
(3) large bin for all residents of the building, into which (1) gets emptied every few days?
(4) bins in the street, for tourists/shoppers/etc to throw their newspapers, empty sandwich boxes etc in?

thank you all for replies

 

[bhaisahab]

Which should I use in the following situations? I'm in the UK, so this is a question mainly about BrE usage, although if some AmE experts would like to reply, that would also be helpful!

(1) plastic bin under my kitchen sink - what do I call stuff that goes in it, and what do I call that bin? Rubbish/rubbish bin.
(2) bin next to my desk in the office - mostly for paper - same question as (1)? Waste paper/waste paper basket.
(3) large bin for all residents of the building, into which (1) gets emptied every few days? Rubbish/communal rubbish bin.
(4) bins in the street, for tourists/shoppers/etc to throw their newspapers, empty sandwich boxes etc in? Litter/litter bin.

thank you all for replies

In the UK you most probably have a recycling bin as well.

 

[euromike]

thanks, this is interesting. So "rubbish" is just for stuff I discard in my house, but the moment I take the same empty bottle and put it in a bin in the street it becomes "litter"?

Is "trash" only American?