Missed waste collections

Common reasons your communal bins might not be collected include:

• overfilled bins – bins that are too full, with lids that cannot fully close, will not be collected as they cannot be safely lifted onto the collection vehicle and may cause waste to spill out. Any extra rubbish left on the ground beside the bins will also not be collected
• excessive weight – bins that are too heavy, often due to bulky or unsuitable items, cannot be safely lifted by the collection vehicle
• blocked access – crews could not gain access either to the bin store or bins due to, for example, locked gates, locked bin store doors, side waste blocking the bins or badly parked cars preventing access
• damaged container – if a bin has a broken lid, wheel, or other structural damage, it may be considered unsafe to move or load onto the truck. Replacement containers are chargeable, and a new bin may need to be purchased
• contamination – if the recycling bin contains items that shouldn’t be there, such as general waste, food waste, bulky items, or non-recyclable materials like rubble, the crew will refuse to empty it. If you notice a lot of contamination in your bins, contact the Waste, Highways and Environmental Services Team so we can help residents with education and enforcement where necessary

If any of the above listed situations occurred, it's advisable to contact your landlord, property manager, or housing manager to arrange the disposal of excess or incorrectly presented waste, or to report any broken containers.

Reporting missed communal waste collections

If the waste was presented correctly, but it was missed you can contact the Waste, Highways and Environmental Services Team to report your missed collection:

• after 4.00pm on your collection day
• within 1 working days of your collection day

Once we've logged your missed collection, we'll return at the earliest opportunity, this could be as early as the next day, including Saturday.

Also see

• Household waste collections
• Recycling collections
• Garden Waste Subscription Scheme