Last updated: 1 April 2025
Next review: 28 February 2026
Different bins are allocated to different property types. Before you order, please check what kind of bin collection you have.
Food Waste Caddies
Households in the borough (other than communal properties) have received all the equipment needed to begin food waste recycling.
If you require an indoor kitchen caddy or an outdoor caddy, you can request replacements or missing equipment through your My Account
If you live in a communal block with a food waste service and need a replacement kitchen caddy, please email recyclingteam@walthamforest.gov.uk and provide your full address.
Wheelie Bins
We charge for new and replacement wheelie bins:
- All wheelie bins in both sizes the standard (140 litres) and large (240 litres) are £30
- Indoor kitchen caddies and storage bags for recycling are free.
- There is no charge for the removal of damaged and unwanted bins.
- There is currently no charge for getting a new standard or large green recycling bin.
- There is no charge for swapping an existing large refuse bin (240 litres) for a standard refuse bin (140 litres).
- There is no charge for swapping an existing standard recycling bin (140 litres) for a large recycling bin (240 litres).
- There is no charge for swapping an existing standard garden waste bin (140 litres) for a large garden waste bin (240 litres).
If you move into a house the previous resident should have left the bins for you. If they haven't, you will need to order new bins.
The charge covers the cost of the bin including assembly, administration, and delivery. All bins must be delivered, they cannot be collected.
You will receive email confirmation of your bin order, We aim to deliver or remove bins within 10 working days of your order.
If you change your mind after ordering a bin you can request a refund but there is a £5 charge to cover admin fees.
If you don't want to pay for a replacement bin, you can choose to dispose of your rubbish yourself by taking it to one of our household waste recycling centres as we don’t accept rubbish in sacks, or empty any other type of unauthorised container. Doing this could result in a fixed penalty notice.
Additional wheelie bins
Households may only have one black refuse wheelie bin per property.
We supply refuse bins in the standard size (140 litres) as a new and replacement container unless a household requires a large one (240 litres). If you require a large refuse bin you will need to apply for this and provide relevant supporting documentation to support the request. The supporting documents that you can provide include but are not limited to birth certificates, Council Tax bill, Doctors letter.
You may apply for a large refuse two wheelie bin instead if you have additional waste because of reasons such as:
- Families of 6 or more persons permanently living at the same address
- Households with 1 or more children under 3 years old using disposable nappies
- Medical reasons cause large amounts of non-hazardous medical waste to be produced.
The Council will only supply a larger bin once satisfied that the household has made every reasonable effort to divert waste through recycling, and that the household requirement for extra capacity is genuine. No extra capacity will be provided for temporary visitors or animals.
If you order a black refuse bin and upon delivery, we find that there is already a refuse bin presented and you have not requested its removal, then the new refuse bin will not be delivered.
You can only order additional green recycling and brown garden waste wheelie bins and they are available in both sizes.
Damaged or stolen wheelie bins
We will not accept responsibility for stolen or damages caused by overfilling the bin, placing inappropriate items in it, or reasonable wear and tear (such as broken lids, cracked bins, damaged handles).
If your bin has fallen into the back of the collection vehicle, the crew will place a card through your letterbox and a replacement bin will be delivered free of charge within 5 working days.
Communal bins
Communal bins cannot be purchased from the Council and are only available for hire, please see our guidance for developers on bins for your property for more information.
Rubbish and recycling sacks
Residents of flats above shops, or other property with no frontage or other area to store bins, should present their waste in sacks and their recycling in Council-provided green recycling sacks. All sacks need to be presented on the correct days and at the correct times. To find out more please check your collection days
We deliver rolls of green single use recycling sacks to such properties four times a year
- February
- May
- August
- and November
They will be posted through the letter box.
If you need more, or do not have a letter box, you can pick them up from your local library
If your property does not currently receive a recycling sack delivery, please make a Waste Enquiry.
The Council do not provide recycling sacks to flats that have access to communal bins.
You can also order an indoor storage bag for recycling.