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Ards and North Down bin collection days

Ards and North Down collects a grey bin from every household for waste its recycling services do not take, a blue bin for paper, card, plastics and metals, a separate glass box, and either a green or a brown bin for food and garden waste. The council collects the blue bin and the food waste bins every two weeks, and the glass box every 4 weeks. It says food does not stay in the green or brown bin any longer than it would in the grey bin.

Last checked against 3 sources (www.ardsandnorthdown.gov.uk).

What goes in each bin

Grey bin for waste the kerbside services do not take · General waste

Bin · Every two weeks

Yes please

  • Waste that cannot be recycled through the kerbside services or at a household recycling centre or community recycling bank

Not in this one

  • Recyclable paper, card, plastics and metals, which go in the blue bin
  • Food waste and glass, which the council checks grey bins for
  • Sharps such as needles, syringes and lancets, which must never go in any domestic bin

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

Blue bin for paper, card, plastics and metals · Mixed recycling

Bin · Every two weeks

Yes please

  • Paper, including newspapers, magazines, junk mail, plain envelopes, office paper, telephone books and catalogues
  • Cardboard, including cereal and egg boxes, corrugated cardboard, clean frozen food boxes, greetings cards and postcards
  • Plastic bottles and packaging, including milk, drinks, shampoo, detergent and sauce bottles, yoghurt pots, margarine containers, medicine and pill bottles, plant pots, sweet tubs and plastic food trays
  • Food and drink cans, metal biscuit tins, empty aerosol cans and roll-on deodorants
  • Rinsed tin foil and aluminium food dishes, drink, juice and milk cartons, and polyethylene cups

Not in this one

  • Batteries and electronic equipment
  • Plastic bags, wrapping and other soft plastics
  • Shredded paper, kitchen roll, napkins and tissues, which go in the green or brown bin
  • Glass bottles and jars, which go in the glass box

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

Glass collection box for bottles and jars · Glass

Box · Every four weeks

Yes please

  • Glass bottles and jars of every shape, size and colour, rinsed, with lids still attached

Not in this one

  • Broken glass
  • Glass placed in the grey bin or the blue bin

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

Green or brown bin for food waste · Food waste

Bin · Every two weeks

Yes please

  • Raw and cooked food, including meat and bones, fish, fruit and vegetables, pasta, bread, pastries, leftovers and out-of-date food
  • Tea bags, coffee grounds and egg shells
  • Food in a compostable caddy liner, not a plastic bag

Not in this one

  • Packaging, which must be removed
  • Plastic bags

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

Green or brown bin for garden waste · Garden waste

Bin · Every two weeks

Yes please

  • Flowers, weeds, grass, leaves, hedge cuttings, plants, shrubs, twigs and branches cut into short lengths
  • Small amounts of cold ashes from coal, peat or wood fires, placed loose in the bin
  • Wet paper and card, disposable paper plates, paper tissues, shredded paper, kitchen roll, napkins and cork
  • Compostable pet bedding and small amounts of dog and cat waste

Not in this one

  • Plastic bags
  • Food packaging

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

Check your bin day

We can’t check Ards and North Down addresses yet

Live bin day lookups for Ards and North Down are planned. Until then, Ards and North Down’s own page will show your collection day.

Find my bin day on www.ardsandnorthdown.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 Ards and North Down. Check them on the council’s site (opens in a new tab) (www.ardsandnorthdown.gov.uk).

Grey bin for waste the kerbside services do not take · General waste

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

Blue bin for paper, card, plastics and metals · Mixed recycling

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

Glass collection box for bottles and jars · Glass
Green or brown bin for food waste · Food waste

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

Green or brown bin for garden waste · 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 Ards and North Down
BinCollected
Grey bin for waste the kerbside services do not take · General wasteEvery two weeks
Blue bin for paper, card, plastics and metals · Mixed recyclingEvery two weeks
Glass collection box for bottles and jars · GlassEvery four weeks
Green or brown bin for food waste · Food wasteEvery two weeks
Green or brown bin for garden waste · Garden wasteEvery two weeks

Garden waste

Garden waste is collected free of charge. Garden waste goes in the same green or brown bin as food waste. Households receive either a green bin or a brown bin, not both, and the council says both bins take the same materials.

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

If your bin was missed

Report a missed bin or box only if it was out on time and held the right materials. The council already knows about breakdowns, bad weather, roadworks and blocked access, and it may check CCTV. Leave the container at the kerbside. A resident of the property, or someone connected with it, can report it. The council will not return for contamination, a container that was not at the kerbside, no access, an overloaded bin, or the wrong container. You have 72 hours from 3.30pm on the collection day. Wait until after 3.30pm that day. A Monday collection can be reported until 3.30pm on Thursday.

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

Good to know in Ards and North Down

  • Put the container out by 7:00am and leave it until 8:00pm, because collection times vary. A bank or public holiday can change the day.
  • You do not need both a green bin and a brown bin. The which-bin page says they take the same materials and are processed together.
  • The council gives a free food-waste caddy and delivers a roll of 100 compostable liners during the year. Plastic bags are not accepted. Takeaway pizza boxes can be ripped up and put in the green or brown bin.
  • Staff are checking grey bins for recyclables, food and glass. The first time, they leave a sticker. If it continues, they may refuse to empty the grey bin. The which-bin page says the council will give up to two chances before a grey bin that still contains food waste is left.
  • Sharps must never go in a household bin. A doctor can prescribe a sharps box, and pharmacies take them free of charge. Boxes can also be bought from a pharmacy.
  • Collection days sit on the Bin-ovation app. The frequently asked questions page also points to an address schedule, but the sentence on the page does not include the link.
  • The which-bin page says there are currently no plans to introduce bins for household glass. Red bins are communal glass bins for apartments.

Bin questions in Ards and North Down

How often are bins collected in Ards and North Down?

The council says the blue bin is collected every two weeks, food waste bins every two weeks, and glass boxes every 4 weeks. It says food waste does not stay in the green or brown bin any longer than it would in the grey bin.

Do I need both a green bin and a brown bin?

No. You receive either a green bin or a brown bin, not both. The same food and garden materials go in either bin.

Can I put glass in the blue bin?

No. Glass bottles and jars go in the glass box. The council says glass broken up among paper and card reduces the value of the other recycling.

How do I report a missed bin in Ards and North Down?

After 3.30pm on collection day, and within 72 hours of that time, a resident can report a bin or box that was presented correctly. Leave it at the kerbside.

Guides that may help

Nearby councils