Bin
Types of waste

Rubbish

Your black bin is for anything that can’t be recycled, including:

  • nappies and incontinence pads
  • hygiene waste such as tissues, plasters and wound dressings
  • sanitary products
  • empty blister packets
  • broken household items such as a drinking glass, crockery and toys (not electrical) 
  • black plastic
  • soft plastic wrapping and film - you could take this to supermarket recycling points instead
  • pet waste

You will need to recycle as much as possible to reduce the amount of waste in your bin. Large items which don’t fit in your bin need to be taken to one of our recycling centres.

For some properties it isn't practical to have a black bin. If this is the case for your property, we'll collect up to four sacks per collection, or two sacks if the collection is weekly. Please check your collection calendar or download the app to see when your collection occurs.

Your container should be put out on the edge of your property for collection, by 6.30am on your scheduled collection day. Your collection point at the edge of your property might look like:

  • the end of your driveway where it meets the public footpath
  • the end of a private road where it meets the main road
  • at the rear of your property outside a back gate in a parking area
  • on the public footpath outside your property (please return the bin to your property as soon as possible after collection)
  • a communal bin collection point for a set of properties

We only collect from bins that we have supplied.

DIY waste

Some items are considered construction or DIY waste, and these should not go in your black bin.

For more information on what we consider to be this type of waste, and where and how to dispose of it properly, please see our DIY waste webpage. 

If you can't close the lid

We won’t collect your wheeled rubbish bin if you can’t close the lid, and we won’t collect any additional bags of waste that have been left by the side of your bins. These need to be taken to a recycling centre.

Bins and moving house

The black bin at your property belongs to the council. If you move house please make sure you leave the bin for the new residents. 

It is one bin per property, additional bins will be removed.

If you require a replacement bin due to damage or if it has gone missing, please note that we reuse bins so the replacement delivered may not be brand new. 

While recycling is better for the environment than throwing items away, the process still requires energy and resources. It is better to reduce waste where possible and reuse what we can.

Find out more about reducing your waste

Additional waste capacity

If you regularly find you can't fit all your non-recyclable waste in your black bin then support is available from a waste minimisation officer. 

The majority of households manage fine. During the changeover to three weekly collections we are asking households to give it a go, you may be surprised. 

If the extra waste isn't a regular problem, for example if it's a result of a party or seasonal event such as Christmas, excess waste can be taken to a recycling centre. 

Food waste

If you do have extra waste, the first step is to check you are recycling everything possible, including food waste. Food waste makes up on average 27% of the black bin, so recycling this frees up lots of room in your bin. 

Extra boxes

You can order additional recycling boxes too. As part of the changes to collections from 9 June 2025, this includes being able to recycle all your plastic bags and soft plastic wrapping. Extra recycling frees up more space in the bin for non-recyclable items. 

Qualifying for extra capacity

If you find you struggle with a three-weekly black bin collection due to medical needs, children in disposable nappies or a larger household, you may qualify for additional waste capacity for your non-recyclable waste. 

An application form to request this will be available from the end of June. An officer will then contact you. If approved, additional waste capacity may be a bigger bin or sacks to put out an extra sack per collection.