I live in a... household with wheelie bins Click to get info
When is my next bin collection day?
Bin collection days vary depending on the type of bin you have and your postcode.
On collection day:
- put your bins out ready for collection by 6am
- your bins should be collected by 10pm
Please also ensure:
- your bins are in the correct position (see FAQ section below, as this changed in January 2019)
- bins are not kept on the public path or street
- bins are easy for us to access
- you’ve put the correct items into your bins
- you use the bins provided by us only
Frequency of collections
| Bin colour | Contents | Collections |
|---|---|---|
| Black wheelie bin | General rubbish | Weekly |
| Green wheelie bin | Recycling | Weekly |
| Brown wheelie bin | Food and garden waste | Fortnightly |
What if I've got too much rubbish to fit in my bins?
We will not collect extra rubbish or recycling from bags, boxes, other types of bins, or loose rubbish.
You can leave any oversized recycling items by the side of your green bin for collection. Please flatten cardboard boxes.
Wheelie bin FAQs: where to put them for collection Click to get info
Where should I put my bins for collection?
Under the new system, which is starting from January 2019, you’ll need to put your bin right out to the boundary of your property for collection.
Properties with a small front garden
Move your bin to the front boundary of your property. If you have a small garden, don’t block the entrance to your home, but leave the bin as close as possible to the entrance, so that the collection crew can easily pick it up.
Properties with a driveway
Move your bin to the front boundary of your property.
Why are these changes happening?
We’re changing where you need to put your bin so we can make savings which will allow us to continue making weekly bin collections. We know this is important to you, because you’ve told us. This change is a standard practice among many London boroughs.
Who do these changes apply to?
The changes will apply to all houses and flats (with less than five units) that have wheelie bins. It says: It will apply to normal household waste (black bins) as well as recycling (green bins) and food and garden waste (brown bins).
If I forget to put my bin out will you come back to collect it?
If you don’t put your bin in the correct place for collection it will still be collected. We will put a reminder letter through your door.
Will you collect additional waste e.g. bags that are not contained within the bin?
No. You will need to wait for the following collection when you can make sure the bags fit within the bin, or you can take them to one of our local refuse and recycling centres:
- Gateway Road Household Waste and Recycling Centre, Leyton
- South Access Road Household Waste and Recycling Centre, Walthamstow
- Kings Road Reuse and Recycling Centre, Chingford (recycling only, no general waste)
I have a disability, illness or mobility issue which means that I am unable to move my bin. How do I request a supported collection?
Find out if you're eligible, and arrange a supported collection online.
Alternatively you can call Waltham Forest Direct on 020 8496 3000.
Please note that we may visit you to check that your circumstances meet the service requirements.
Does the new policy apply to all wheelie bin collections - normal waste, recycling, food and garden waste?
Yes, the new policy will apply to all wheelie bin collections, regardless of whether they are collected weekly (normal waste or recycling) or collected fortnightly (food and garden waste).
The area around the front of my property is quite small – do I still need to move my bin for the collection?
Yes. This new policy applies to all properties where there is space sufficient space to allow the bin to be moved to the boundary of the property next to the front entrance.
Contact
If you have any further questions about the changes, please contact us at: wasteteam@walthamforest.gov.uk
I live in a... flat with communal bins Click to get info
On collection day, your bins should be collected by 10pm.
Make sure you’ve put the correct items into your bins.
We will only collect from bins that have been provided by us. We won’t collect from other types of bins, and we won’t collect bags, boxes or loose rubbish left by the side of communal bins.
Frequency of collections
| Bin colour | Contents | Collections |
|---|---|---|
| Communal black bin | General rubbish | Weekly |
| Communal green bin | Recycling | Weekly |
| Communal grey bin | Food waste | Fortnightly |
I live in a... flat above a shop Click to get info
On collection day, your rubbish and recycling bags should be collected by 9am.
Make sure:
- your refuse and recycling sacks are tied up
- you place your sacks on the closest edge of the pavement but not on a cycle path
- you put them outside on the pavement visible for the collection crew between 6am and 9am only, on collection day.
Please note, you may receive a fine if you put your sacks on the street outside these times.
See the list of roads which receive sack collections
Frequency of collections
| Sack colour | Contents | Collections |
|---|---|---|
| Black refuse sacks | General rubbish | Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday (6am to 9am) Additional collection times in some town centres - see below |
| Green recycling sacks | Recycling | Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday (6am to 9am) Additional collection times in some town centres - see below |
Additional collection days
In early 2019, we will be introducing evening waste sack collections in a number of town centre streets. This will be in addition to the regular daytime collection.
Streets with additional evening collections:
- Leytonstone High Road and Church Lane – from 21 January 2019
- Leyton High Road – from 18 February 2019
- Lea Bridge Road – start date to be confirmed
- Hoe Street – start date to be confirmed
- Walthamstow High Street – start date to be confirmed
If you’re a resident of one of these streets, we’ll send you a letter saying when your additional evening collections will begin.
Once you get a letter, you can put your waste out between 9pm and 11pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays for evening collection.
How to report a missed bin collection Click to get info
You can do this from our missed bin collections page.
For properties with wheelie bins, or flats with communal bins - you can do this after 10pm on the day of collection.
For flats above shops - you can do this after 9am on your collection day.