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Birmingham bin collection days

Birmingham's collections are in flux. When we checked on 2 October 2026 the council's own pages reported industrial action by Unite the Union, a suspended recycling service and suspended garden waste collections, alongside a food waste pilot in the north of the city that changes the pattern for some streets. Treat this page as a guide to the rules, and check the council's pages for what is running this week.

Last checked against 7 sources (www.birmingham.gov.uk).

Check your bin day

We only use your postcode to find your collections. It is not stored.

Service disruption

On 2 October 2026 the council's waste pages said recycling collections are suspended every day during industrial action, so the blue lid recycling bin should not be put out. The grey lid household waste bin goes out on the normal day, and if it is not collected it should be left out and the council will collect as soon as it can. This can change quickly.

This can change quickly. We last checked on ; the council’s own page has the latest.

What goes in each bin

Household waste (grey lid) bin · General waste

Bin · Varies by area, so check your address

Yes please

  • Non-recyclable household rubbish
  • Food waste
  • Up to 3 bags, for homes not suited to wheelie bins

Not in this one

  • Anything that belongs in the recycling bin
  • Asbestos and building waste such as soil and rubble
  • Garden waste and bulky waste
  • Electrical items and batteries
  • Wood and metal
  • Extra rubbish bags left next to a wheelie bin

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

Recycling bin (blue lid) with removable pod · Mixed recycling

Bin

Yes please

  • Plastic bottles, with lids off and put in separately
  • Pots, tubs and trays, but no black trays
  • Milk, juice and tetra pack cartons
  • Food and drink cans, aerosols, clean foil and foil trays
  • Glass bottles and jars, clear and coloured

Not in this one

  • Padded envelopes and soiled paper or card
  • Pizza boxes with food or grease on
  • Food waste
  • Drinking glasses, Pyrex, ceramics, light bulbs and mirrors
  • Plastic film and wrappers, polystyrene
  • Batteries, corks and metal items such as coat hangers

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

Pod in the recycling bin, or green lid bin or blue box · Paper and card

Bin

Yes please

  • Cardboard and paper
  • Extra cardboard in a neat pile beside the bin, in a cardboard box if you like

Not in this one

  • Soiled paper or card
  • Pizza boxes with food or grease on
  • Padded envelopes

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

How often each bin is collected

Collection frequency by bin for Birmingham
BinCollected
Household waste (grey lid) bin · General wasteVaries by area, so check your address

Food waste and the national recycling rules

Birmingham does not collect food waste every week. A food waste collection is being introduced through a pilot in North Birmingham and Sutton Coldfield from June 2026. Households there get an indoor and an outdoor caddy and are told by letter when the weekly collection starts.

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

Garden waste

Garden waste arrangements vary across the area. The council's garden waste page, last updated 9 September 2025, said the service was suspended until further notice because of strike action.

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

If your bin was missed

Sign in to your BRUM account, which is free to create, add your address and use the missed collection report. Check first whether the council already knows about the missed collection. A missed general waste collection can be reported after 1:30pm on the day. If the council can rearrange it, it will do so within 2 working days, and you should leave your bins out until then.

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

Your nearest tip

Good to know in Birmingham

  • The pilot in North Birmingham and Sutton Coldfield introduces a food waste collection from June 2026, and the council tells each household by letter when its weekly collection will start. Recycling moves to alternate with household waste fortnightly there: if household waste is collected one week, recycling is collected the next. If you have not had a letter, your collections continue as normal.
  • Most households have one recycling wheelie bin with a blue lid and a removable pod. Cardboard and paper go in the pod, and extra cardboard can be stacked neatly beside the bin. Plastic, metal and glass go in the main part of the bin. Homes with a second recycling bin use the green lid bin for paper and card and the blue lid bin for plastic, metal and glass.
  • Put the bin out before 6:00am on collection day, and not before 3:30pm the day before. Bring it back onto your property by midday the day after. The council may issue a Notice of Intent for bins left on the street, which can lead to a £60 fine.
  • Take lids off bottles and put them in separately. Plastic film, wrappers and black food trays are not accepted in the recycling bin.
  • Households with more than 6 people, or with someone who produces large quantities of non-hazardous clinical waste, can apply for a larger bin. When we checked there was a waiting time of around 3 months.

Bin questions in Birmingham

When can I put my bin out in Birmingham, and what is the fine for leaving it on the street?

Put the bin out before 6:00am on collection day and not before 3:30pm the day before, then bring it back onto your property by midday the day after. If a bin is left on the street and a Notice of Intent goes unanswered, the council says you may get a £60 fine and it may remove the bin.

When can I report a missed bin in Birmingham?

A missed general waste collection can be reported after 1:30pm on the day it was due. You cannot report it if the council already knows about the problem on your round, if the bin was marked as contaminated, or if it was not out before 6:00am.

Is garden waste collected in Birmingham at the moment?

The council's garden waste page said the service was suspended until further notice because of strike action. Check that page for the current position. The council lists five household recycling centres where garden waste can be taken.

Guides that may help

Nearby councils