Household refuse collections

Collections from sacks/ordinary dustbins

This information is for households receiving weekly waste collections using ordinary dustbins or black sacks. If you live in a block of flats you will have a shared wheeled bin to dispose of your waste. If you live on a main road or town centre you will have a nightly waste collection service.
Rubbish and recycling collections are carried out on the same day each week, including all public holidays except Christmas Day (25 December) and New Year's Day (1 January). These collections operate from Monday to Saturday.
Find your collection day

Refuse must be ready for collection by 6.30am on collection day, or by 7am on Saturdays.

Households with front gardens

Refuse should be ready for collection in the front garden.
Refuse should ideally be in tied refuse sacks and placed in a dustbin with a clip-on lid. This helps prevent scavenging animals from causing litter and lets our collection crew remove your rubbish without lifting the bin. However, as long as your rubbish is in tied refuse sacks or dustbins we can collect it - you are not required to use both.
Please help us by leaving it as near to the entrance as possible, but do not put it on the public pavement.

Households without front gardens

If you do not have a front garden your refuse should be put on the pavement by your front door. Put it in tied refuse sacks and leave it out any time after 6.30pm the day before collection is due. Do not leave your refuse or recycling by lamp-posts, litter bins, trees and so on.

Wheelie bins

Please do not use a wheelie bin - we cannot empty them safely and your refuse will not be collected.

Scavenging animals and pests

It is your responsibility to ensure your refuse does not cause litter, and to clear it up promptly if it does. Containing your waste properly should help to ensure this does not happen. If you experience fox problems find out how to discourage foxes scavenging through your rubbish.
It is okay to use bird feed within the boundaries of your property, but do not scatter food for pigeons in public spaces. Not only do they spread diseases which affect humans, but this act can be seen as littering.
Refuse and recycling will not normally be collected from back gardens, back alleys or landings. If you are not able to move refuse and recycling to the front of your property or do not know where to put them, phone us 020 8871 8558.