Missed bin collection

Sometimes we may not be able to empty your bins on the day we said we would.

This can be due to events we can’t control, such as:

• roads being blocked by badly parked cars
• heavy traffic or delays at tipping sites
• snow, ice or flooding on roads
• a vehicle breakdown

If all the bins on your road have been missed

You do not need to contact us if all the bins on your road were missed.

If all the bins on a road have been missed, we will normally return to collect them within 2 working days – Monday to Friday – usually the following day.

Where it’s not possible to collect them within 2 working days, we will return on your next scheduled collection day – you don't need to report it to us.

If only your bin has been missed

Your bin will not be emptied if:

• it wasn’t at the edge of your property by 6am
• it contained the wrong type of waste – check what goes in your bins
• there was too much waste and the bin lid wasn't fully shut

If there are no obvious problems with your bin, we'll empty it on your next bin collection day.

Reporting that your bin was missed

If there were no obvious problems with your bins but we didn't collect them, you can report it to us.

We are unable to return for any missed bins you report, or give you an individual response, but your report will help us check for problems within our bin rounds.

You can make a report online from the day after your collection was due. This can be for individual households or when all the bins in a road were missed.

Report a missed bin collection

About bin collections

Each morning our teams set out to empty more than 40,000 bins.

We collect bins throughout the day, which means your recycling, refuse and kitchen and garden waste may be collected at different times.

Our drivers will only take vehicles down a road if they decide it’s safe to do so without putting other road users, property or staff at risk.