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Argyll and Bute bin collection days

Argyll and Bute's blue bin is mixed recycling, emptied every 2 weeks: paper and card, tins and cans, plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays, and cartons. Glass is not in it. Rubbish that the blue bin refuses, such as tissues and food-stained paper, is described as going in the green bin. Collection days depend on the area, from Tiree and Coll to Helensburgh and Dunoon.

Last checked against 2 sources (www.argyll-bute.gov.uk).

What goes in each bin

Green bin for rubbish that is not blue-bin recycling · General waste

Bin · Varies by area, so check your address

Yes please

  • Tissues and napkins
  • Metallic or glitter wrapping paper and cards
  • Paper and card contaminated with food, and painted paper or card

Not in this one

  • Blue-bin recycling: paper and card, metal, plastic bottles, pots, tubs, trays and cartons
  • Batteries of any type, and hot ashes
  • Side waste, bungee cords and straps
  • Garden waste, which the collection page says to compost at home or take to a site

Source: www.argyll-bute.gov.uk (opens in a new tab), read

Blue bin for paper, card, metal, plastic and cartons · Mixed recycling

Bin · Every two weeks

Yes please

  • Clean dry flattened paper and card, including shredded paper, newspapers, envelopes, books and cereal boxes
  • Empty rinsed tins, cans, aerosols and foil
  • Rinsed squashed plastic bottles, pots, tubs, trays, yoghurt pots and punnets
  • Rinsed squashed juice, milk, soup and sauce cartons

Not in this one

  • Glass bottles and jars, which go to a recycling point or centre
  • Oil and paint tins, clothing, plastic bags, polystyrene and hard plastics
  • Tissues, glitter wrap, food-stained paper and painted paper, which go in the green bin
  • Recycling inside plastic bags, except on Coll and Lismore where bags go inside the blue bin

Source: www.argyll-bute.gov.uk (opens in a new tab), read

Check your bin day

Use Argyll and Bute’s own page for your bin day

The council's bin collection date finder needs a browser, which BinWeek's lookup service does not run, so the page links to the council's own finder.

Find my bin day on www.argyll-bute.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 Argyll and Bute. Check them on the council’s site (opens in a new tab) (www.argyll-bute.gov.uk).

Green bin for rubbish that is not blue-bin recycling · General waste
Blue bin for paper, card, metal, plastic and cartons · Mixed recycling

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 Argyll and Bute
BinCollected
Green bin for rubbish that is not blue-bin recycling · General wasteVaries by area, so check your address
Blue bin for paper, card, metal, plastic and cartons · Mixed recyclingEvery two weeks

Garden waste

The council does not offer a garden waste collection. The bin collection page says to compost garden waste at home or take it to a recycling and civic amenity site. It does not describe a kerbside garden bin.

Source: www.argyll-bute.gov.uk (opens in a new tab), read

If your bin was missed

The bin collection page does not set out a missed-bin form. It says that if access is impossible the bin will not be emptied, and that the council will try to catch up if operational changes move the time. Bins must be out on the designated day, by the time stated for the area, lid closed, handle towards the kerb, and marked with the address. The contact centre is 01546 605514.

Source: www.argyll-bute.gov.uk (opens in a new tab), read

Good to know in Argyll and Bute

  • Do not bag blue-bin recycling, except residents of Coll and Lismore, who put recycling bags inside the blue bin. Colonsay and some streets in Campbeltown use recycling bags instead of blue bins, for the same materials.
  • There is no need to check recycling labels on grocery plastic if it is a bottle, pot, tub or tray. Glass bottles and jars, oil and paint tins, clothes and polystyrene stay out.
  • Mark every bin with the house and street, on the back under the handles, so crews know which bin is which. No excess waste, no hot ashes, no batteries, and no bungee cords. The lid is closed with the handle towards the kerb.
  • Option 2 on 01546 605514 is a 24/7 line for the next collection day. Option 3 orders one printed calendar. Assisted collections use the same number, the online form, or enquiries@argyll-bute.gov.uk, if nobody else in the household can put the bin out.
  • Homes on unadopted roads are collected if the bin lorry can use the road safely. If not, the council sets a communal point where the private road meets the public road.
  • Garden waste is home composting or a trip to a recycling and civic amenity site. Large items use the chargeable special uplift. The page says restrictions apply and does not print the price.
  • The area list on the collection page is Coll, Colonsay, Dunoon and Cowal, Helensburgh and Lomond, Islay and Jura, the Isle of Bute, Kintyre, Lismore, Mid Argyll and Tarbert, Mull and Iona, Oban and Lorn, and Tiree.

Bin questions in Argyll and Bute

How often is the Argyll and Bute blue bin emptied?

Every 2 weeks. The rubbish bin's frequency is not given as one figure. Look up the area calendar or call 01546 605514.

Can I put glass in the blue bin?

No. Glass bottles and jars go to a recycling point or centre. Tissues, glitter wrap and food-stained paper go in the green bin.

How do I get an assisted collection?

Apply if a mobility problem or illness means you cannot put the bin out and nobody else in the household can. Use the online form, call 01546 605514, or email enquiries@argyll-bute.gov.uk.

Guides that may help

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