Household waste frequently asked questions

How will the elderly or people with disabilities manage to move a wheeled bin?

We understand that not everyone will be able to manage a wheeled bin, and, if necessary we will offer an Assisted Collection service, whereby the wheeled bin is fetched and returned to a point nearer to your house.

This service is open to people who through illness, age or disability are unable to pull the bins to their property boundary. This service is only available when there is no-one in the household who is physically able to move the bins.

See assisted bin collections for more information or contact Customer Services for more information.

What if my bin is damaged or stolen?

If your bin has been stolen, please report this to us.

We will be making a charge to replace stolen bins to encourage residents to take responsibility for their bins and to bring them in after they have been emptied. You should clearly mark your house name or number on your bins.

We can, however send you a replacement bin out free of charge if your bin goes missing on the day of your collection, as long as you have not made a similar claim in the last three years.

You should contact Customer Services by 5pm the day after collection to order your replacement bin.  You must have previously marked your house number on your bin to be eligible for a free replacement.

Damaged Bins

If your bin has been damaged by our crews then we will issue you with a free replacement. However, if you need a replacement because your bin has been damaged as a result of misuse or general wear and tear, you will be expected to pay for the replacement.

For the cost of replacements please see our fees and charges page.

What happens if I can’t get all my rubbish into my black bin?

We may be able to offer you a larger refuse bin, however, this depends on the size of your family. If there are four or more in your family and you are recycling all that you can we can exchange your existing bin or a larger one.  However, a charge now applies.

We can only empty bins which have the lid closed and can only empty your bin - any other bags of refuse will be left behind. This may seem harsh but it is vital if we are to reduce the amount of rubbish we send for disposal and increase our recycling rate.  We wish to encourage residents to recycle as much of their waste as possible and on your recycling collection day we will also take any extra recycling you may have.

We wish to encourage residents to recycle as much of their waste as possible, and one extra recycling bin can be purchased on top of the standard allocation of bins.

Do the council collect bulky items, such as large electrical items or furniture?

The council operates a bulky waste collection service for larger household items for which there is a charge, please see our bulky waste page for more details.

What if I don’t want a wheeled bin?

Unless there are genuine reasons for not being able to have wheeled bins, such as access problems or storage space, you will be asked to use bins for disposal of your waste and recycling. A supervisor can visit your property to access the situation.