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Household rubbish bin collections

Your household rubbish will be collected every 2 weeks.

We do not collect bins on Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Year's Day.

Depending on your circumstances, each household has been allocated one of the following two options:

  • standard: 180 litre black rubbish bin
  • bag and box: 2 authorised blue sacks per fortnight

For bag and box households, you can request sacks below. There is a charge of £12.50 for 52 sacks.

Using your household rubbish bin

Please make sure you put your bin out by 5am on your collection day.

Make sure the lid is closed and the bin is at the edge of your property, where the waste collection team can see it from the road and collect it easily.

Please do not put out any extra rubbish bags for collection.

If your bin is too heavy to be wheeled to the back of our collection vehicle, we will not be able to empty it.

What you can put in your household rubbish

  • disposable nappies
  • plastic film and polystyrene
  • broken glass (wrapped in paper)
  • cold ashes
  • pet waste (including cat litter)
  • medical and sanitary waste
  • disposable razors (wrapped in paper)
  • tissues and paper towels
  • polystyrene
  • lateral flow testing kit (the test, plastic packaging and bag provided)
  • personal protective equipment (masks and gloves)
  • foil based wrapping paper

What you cannot put in your household rubbish

  • garden waste
  • recycling (use recycling bin or box)
  • hot ashes
  • commercial and business waste
  • clinical (such as syringes)
  • hazardous waste (such as paints, oils, chemicals, gas bottles and low energy light bulbs)
  • commercial waste
  • industrial, construction or landscaping waste (such as bricks, rubble and stony debris)
  • batteries (put in carrier bag and place on top of the recycling bin on collection day)
  • textiles - please take these to a household recycling centre or recycling bank
  • upholstered seating and soft furnishings for example bean bags and floor cushions - please take these to a household recycling centre or bank

Rubbish bins left on highways and footpaths

You should only place your bin on a highway or footpath on your collection day. Your bins should be within 1 metre of the edge of your property. You must put your bins out no earlier than 6pm on the day before your collection day, and you should remove them by 8pm on the day they are collected and returned to you.

If a bin is causing an obstruction and is reported, we may send you a notice and information about how to put out and bring in your bin appropriately. In some cases of major obstruction, we may issue a fixed penalty fine.

Fixed penalties may be issued if:

  • the obstruction has a negative impact on local amenities, such as shops and public facilities
  • buggy or wheelchair users are forced to move onto the road because the pavement is obstructed
  • bins are left out for several days and block access, or are likely to attract rats and foxes
  • ripped bin bags, open bins or overturned bins are left out without an attempt to fix the issue

Assisted collections

If you cannot put your bin out for collection due to being disabled or physically unable, you can apply for an assisted collection. You should only ask if there is no one else at the property who can help.

Further guidance

Please see our BCP Council household waste collection guidance document for more information.

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