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Antrim and Newtownabbey bin collection days

Every household in Antrim and Newtownabbey should have three things: a 180L black bin for landfill waste, a 240L brown bin for food and garden waste, and a stacked Wheelie Box for dry recycling. The black and brown bins are emptied fortnightly on alternate weeks and the Wheelie Box is collected every week. Bins go out by 7am with handles facing out, lids fully closed, and nothing beside them.

Last checked against 7 sources (antrimandnewtownabbey.gov.uk).

What goes in each bin

180L Black bin · General waste

Bin · Every two weeks

Yes please

  • Household waste that cannot go in the wheelie box or brown bin; everything in it goes to landfill
  • Grass, weeds and plants recently treated with weedkiller
  • Mineral, clay or stone cat litter and non-organic animal bedding

Not in this one

  • Batteries, gas canisters and vapes: return them to the retailer or take them to a recycling centre
  • Extra bags beside the bin: only waste inside the main body of the bin is collected
  • Waste in a bin with a raised lid, which is not emptied
  • A larger black bin or a second black bin without prior council approval

Source: antrimandnewtownabbey.gov.uk (opens in a new tab), read

Wheelie Box top box (blue lid) · Paper and card

Box · Every week

Yes please

  • Paper: letters, envelopes, magazines, newspapers, brochures, catalogues and printed paper
  • Card and cardboard: egg cartons, cereal boxes, postal packages and printed cardboard packaging

Not in this one

  • Plastic bags and wrapping, which go to supermarket soft plastic points
  • Batteries, gas canisters and vapes

Source: antrimandnewtownabbey.gov.uk (opens in a new tab), read

Wheelie Box middle box (red flap) · Mixed recycling

Box · Every week

Yes please

  • Metal cans, tins, empty aerosols and clean foil
  • Plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays
  • Food and drink cartons such as Tetra Pak

Not in this one

  • Soft plastics such as carrier bags and wrapping, which are not collected by the council
  • Batteries, gas canisters and vapes
  • Glass, which goes in the bottom box

Source: antrimandnewtownabbey.gov.uk (opens in a new tab), read

Wheelie Box bottom box (green flap) · Glass

Box · Every week

Yes please

  • Empty, clean glass bottles and jars, with tops or lids left on

Not in this one

  • Glass in overflow bags
  • Batteries, gas canisters and vapes

Source: antrimandnewtownabbey.gov.uk (opens in a new tab), read

Textiles bag beside the Wheelie Box · Textiles

Bag · Every week

Yes please

  • Clean clothing
  • Shoes in pairs

Not in this one

  • Anything loose: textiles must be in a separate bag presented beside the wheelie box

Source: antrimandnewtownabbey.gov.uk (opens in a new tab), read

240L Brown bin with food caddy · Garden waste

Bin · Every two weeks

Yes please

  • Cooked and uncooked food, meat, fish, bones, fruit, vegetables, egg shells, tea bags and coffee grounds
  • Grass cuttings, hedge trimmings, leaves, twigs, untreated weeds and dead plants
  • Takeaway pizza boxes (without sauce pots), kitchen roll, napkins and shredded paper
  • Small amounts of organic cat litter or animal bedding, cold ashes and soil

Not in this one

  • Large amounts of soil
  • Plastic bags and plastic liners: only the council's compostable food waste bags, newspaper or kitchen roll
  • Dry recyclables and general waste
  • Garden waste treated with weedkiller, including the first 4 mowings after treatment

Source: antrimandnewtownabbey.gov.uk (opens in a new tab), read

Check your bin day

Use Antrim and Newtownabbey’s own page for your bin day

The council's bin checker runs inside its own site and the published calendars are generic alternative-date notices rather than a per-address feed BinWeek can read, so the page links to the council's checker.

Find my bin day on antrimandnewtownabbey.gov.uk(opens in a new tab)

Set your own bin day

These dates are the ones you enter. BinWeek does not get them from Antrim and Newtownabbey. Check them on the council’s site (opens in a new tab) (antrimandnewtownabbey.gov.uk).

180L Black bin · General waste

The council’s pages say this is collected every two weeks. Your round may differ, so use the pattern you were given.

Wheelie Box top box (blue lid) · Paper and card

The council’s pages say this is collected every week. Your round may differ, so use the pattern you were given.

Wheelie Box middle box (red flap) · Mixed recycling

The council’s pages say this is collected every week. Your round may differ, so use the pattern you were given.

Wheelie Box bottom box (green flap) · Glass

The council’s pages say this is collected every week. Your round may differ, so use the pattern you were given.

Textiles bag beside the Wheelie Box · Textiles

The council’s pages say this is collected every week. Your round may differ, so use the pattern you were given.

240L Brown bin with food caddy · Garden waste

The council’s pages say this is collected every two weeks. Your round may differ, so use the pattern you were given.

Add to calendar

A private calendar link for the pattern you entered, with an alert at 6pm the evening before. The link contains those days. BinWeek does not keep a copy, and anyone with the link can see them.

Email me the night before

You can still add these days to your calendar.

How often each bin is collected

Collection frequency by bin for Antrim and Newtownabbey
BinCollected
180L Black bin · General wasteEvery two weeks
Wheelie Box top box (blue lid) · Paper and cardEvery week
Wheelie Box middle box (red flap) · Mixed recyclingEvery week
Wheelie Box bottom box (green flap) · GlassEvery week
Textiles bag beside the Wheelie Box · TextilesEvery week
240L Brown bin with food caddy · Garden wasteEvery two weeks

Garden waste

Garden waste is collected free of charge. The brown bin is part of the standard household set and there is no subscription. Additional brown bins and wheelie boxes can be bought from the Waste Management team on 028 9034 0056; bins belong to the household and move with you. Collected fortnightly all year, alternating with the black bin. Present the bin half full when the contents are wet: a bin over the lorry's lifter limit is left and the crew will not come back for it.

Source: antrimandnewtownabbey.gov.uk (opens in a new tab), read

If your bin was missed

Phone the Waste Management team on 028 9034 0056 (or email waste@antrimandnewtownabbey.gov.uk) and leave the bin out. The council returns only where the miss was not the resident's fault and resources allow; it will not come back for bins put out after 7am, presented with a raised lid or overfilled, or rejected as unauthorised larger bins. After 9am on the next working day and within 24 hours of the missed collection.

Source: antrimandnewtownabbey.gov.uk (opens in a new tab), read

Your nearest tip

Good to know in Antrim and Newtownabbey

  • The Wheelie Box is three boxes in one: paper and card in the top box under the blue lid, metals, plastics and cartons in the middle box behind the red flap, and glass bottles and jars (lids on) in the bottom box behind the green flap. Extra recycling can go out in overflow bags or containers with one material per bag, but never glass. Clean clothes and paired shoes go in a separate bag beside the box.
  • Soft plastics such as carrier bags and film are not collected; the council points residents to supermarket bag recycling points and says the harmonised collection system should make a kerbside solution possible later.
  • The brown bin takes all food waste plus garden waste, pizza boxes, kitchen roll, napkins and shredded paper, but there are careful rules on treated gardens: grass cut in the first 4 mowings after weedkiller stays on the lawn or goes in the black bin, and treated weeds and plants also go in the black bin. Only small amounts of organic cat litter, animal bedding, ashes and soil are allowed.
  • Caddy liners changed in 2026: each household now gets two free rolls a year delivered by the brown bin crew (one in July/August, one at the start of December), so put the brown bin out in the notified delivery week even if it is nearly empty. Extra rolls are free from Mossley Mill, Antrim Civic Centre, Clotworthy House, leisure centres and recycling centres, limited to two rolls per visit. Supermarket liners with the seedling logo, newspaper, kitchen roll or no liner at all are also accepted; plastic liners are not.
  • Bin lorries have a weight limiter, so an overfull wet brown bin is left behind and the crew does not return: the council suggests presenting it half full. A raised lid also means no collection, and the council says plainly it lacks the resources to go back for bins that were late or rejected.
  • Bins are the household's property: take them when you move, and buy new ones from the council if a new home has none. Larger-capacity black bin collections need an application and are assessed on criteria such as 6 or more permanent residents, 2 or more babies in nappies, or a medical condition; assisted lifts are available for residents who cannot move their bins because of age or disability.
  • Since 1 July 2025 each household gets one free bulky collection per financial year (1 April – 31 March) of up to 3 items; further collections cost £10 for up to 3 items. If a collection would take more than 15 minutes because of quantity or access there may be a charge after assessment. Break wood, fences, greenhouses and window frames down to 4ft lengths with glass removed, cover mattresses and sofas to keep them dry, and leave items outside by 7am the next working day after booking; collection can take up to 10 working days.
  • There are five recycling centres: Newpark in Antrim, Bruslee, Crumlin, O'Neill Road and Craigmore at Randalstown. They are for borough residents with photographic proof of address; cars with trailers are allowed, but medium and large vans must book online or on 028 9034 0056 first. Asbestos, tyres and chemicals are refused everywhere, and Newpark closes only on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and 12 July.

Bin questions in Antrim and Newtownabbey

How often are bins collected in Antrim and Newtownabbey?

The black bin and the brown bin are each collected fortnightly, on alternating weeks, and the Wheelie Box recycling is collected every week. Use the council's bin checker for your dates and a list of future collections.

What goes in each part of the Wheelie Box?

Top box (blue lid): paper and cardboard. Middle box (red flap): cans, tins, empty aerosols, clean foil, plastic bottles, pots, tubs, trays and cartons. Bottom box (green flap): glass bottles and jars with lids on. Clothes and paired shoes go in a bag alongside.

Will Antrim and Newtownabbey take extra bags beside my black bin?

No. Only waste inside the main body of the black and brown bins is collected, and a bin with a raised lid is left. Extra recycling can go in overflow bags (one material per bag, no glass) on collection day.

How do I get food caddy liners in Antrim and Newtownabbey?

Two free rolls a year are delivered by the brown bin crew, in July/August and early December. Extra rolls are free from Mossley Mill, Antrim Civic Centre, Clotworthy House, leisure centres and recycling centres, two rolls per visit. Seedling-logo supermarket liners, newspaper or no liner are fine; plastic liners are not.

How do I report a missed bin in Antrim and Newtownabbey?

Phone 028 9034 0056 after 9am on the next working day and within 24 hours of the missed collection, and leave the bin out. The council does not return for bins that were out after 7am, had a raised lid, were overfilled or were unauthorised larger bins.

Is bulky waste collection free in Antrim and Newtownabbey?

One collection of up to 3 items is free per household each financial year; additional collections cost £10 for up to 3 items. A collection that would take more than 15 minutes may be charged after assessment. Book online or on 028 9034 0056.

Do I need to book for Antrim and Newtownabbey recycling centres?

Only if you arrive in a medium or large van. Cars, including cars with trailers, can turn up with photographic proof of address. Van bookings are made online or by phone Monday to Friday.

Guides that may help

Nearby councils