How to put bins and sacks out for collection

This page explains how to present your bins, sacks and food caddies for collection. It includes guidance to avoid a missed collection and when we may need to take more formal action.

The right day

The right address

Put your bins and sacks outside the correct address, even if your property shares a boundary with another street (as it could have a different collection schedule).

If you have garden waste collections, we'll only collect from the address you signed up with.

The right bin

We won't collect contaminated bins and sacks. Before you put these out, check for any items that don't belong. Learn more at What goes in each bin or sack.

We only collect our approved bins and sacks. Learn more at Request bins, sacks and caddies.

Don't put out too much waste

If you use wheelie bins:

all bin lids must be closed and contents must be loose (so we can empty and inspect easily)
for recycling - if your blue bin is full, put extra recycling in a clear bag on the bin lid or at the side of the bin
for rubbish - if your green bin is full, don't put out any extra rubbish as we won't collect it

If you use sacks:

for recycling - use as many clear recycling sacks as you need
for rubbish - we won't collect more than 3 lilac sacks
for garden waste - if you're signed up for garden waste collections, use as many eco sacks as you need

See What to do with extra rubbish.

Don't block the pavement or attract vermin

Bins and sacks can obstruct others, especially wheelchair users and people with pushchairs who can be forced onto the road. They are unsightly and can attract vermin if put out too soon and they can be overturned and damaged if left out.

To help reduce problems to others, our 'good neighbour' tips are:

put bins and sacks out by 7am on collection day but no sooner than 6pm the night before
remove empty bins from the pavement as soon as possible after collection
if you will be working late or going away, ask a neighbour to put your bin out and take it back in
if you feel the bins are unsightly when stored on your property, consider investing in a bin store

If you regularly put your bins out too soon or leave your bins out too long, we may write to you with a warning.

Make sure our crews can access your bins and sacks

Your bins and sacks must be clearly visible and accessible. Unless you have assisted collections, we will not:

walk onto your property
move any obstacles
open gates

You must put your bins and sacks out where the boundary of your property meets the public highway. If your road is narrow, put them as close as possible to the boundary of your property.

Incorrect bin presentation example

A paved garden fronted property with a blue bin and a green bin positioned at the far end, behind a wall and far away from the entrance.

This image shows a blue bin and green bin that are not presented correctly for collection. They are positioned at the far end of a property.

These bins will not be collected because our crews would need to walk onto the property to collect them. This issue will be logged on the live reporting system and we will not return until your next collection day.

Correct bin presentation example 1

This image shows a blue recycling bin and food caddy presented correctly. It is positioned outside the property and up close to the border.

Our collection crews can easily access the bin and caddy. They cause minimal obstruction to other users.

Correct bin presentation example 2

This image shows a blue recycling bin presented correctly. It is positioned at the entrance to a property.

Our collection crews can easily access this bin without walking onto the property.

Correct bin presentation example 3

This image shows a green rubbish bin presented correctly. It is positioned just to the side of the property entrance and there's no obstruction or gate to open.