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Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole bin collection days

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole collects rubbish and recycling every two weeks and food waste every week, all on the same day but by different crews. Most households have a 180 litre black rubbish bin and a 240 litre recycling bin, and homes that cannot take bins can use an authorised sack service instead.

Last checked against 8 sources (www.bcpcouncil.gov.uk).

What goes in each bin

Black rubbish bin, 180 litre · General waste

Bin · Every two weeks

Yes please

  • Disposable nappies, medical and sanitary waste
  • Plastic bags and wrapping, which can also go to local disposal points
  • Broken glass and disposable razors, wrapped in paper
  • Cold ashes
  • Pet waste, including cat litter
  • Tissues, paper towels and polystyrene
  • Lateral flow testing kits, masks and gloves
  • Foil-based wrapping paper

Not in this one

  • Garden waste and recycling
  • Hot ashes
  • Commercial, business, industrial, construction and landscaping waste
  • Clinical waste such as syringes
  • Hazardous waste such as paints, oils, chemicals, gas bottles and low energy light bulbs
  • Batteries, vapes and other electrical items
  • Textiles and upholstered seating such as bean bags and floor cushions

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

Recycling bin, 240 litre · Mixed recycling

Bin · Every two weeks

Yes please

  • Paper and cardboard, including newspapers, magazines, envelopes, cereal boxes and greetings cards
  • Wrapping paper that is not foil based, photos and small amounts of shredded paper wrapped to stop it escaping
  • Most rigid household plastics in any colour: bottles, pots, tubs, trays and lids put back on
  • Tins, cans, aerosols, aluminium foil and metal lids
  • Tetra Pak cartons
  • Glass bottles and jars

Not in this one

  • Plastic bags and wrapping, crisp packets and plastic toothpaste tubes
  • Anything compostable or biodegradable, and paper cups
  • Polystyrene, paper tissues and paper towels
  • Sheet glass, windowpanes, broken glass, Pyrex and light bulbs
  • Food and liquids, nappies, textiles and clothes
  • Batteries, vapes and other electrical items
  • Lateral flow testing kits, masks and gloves

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

Food waste bin, 23 litre, with a 7 litre kitchen caddy · Food waste

Caddy · Every week

Yes please

  • Meat, fish and bones
  • Fruit and vegetable peelings
  • Cheese and dairy produce
  • Cakes, bread and pastries
  • Leftovers, including plate scrapings
  • Tea bags and coffee grounds
  • Pasta, rice and egg shells

Not in this one

  • Carrier bags and plastic bags
  • Nappies and pet waste
  • Food packaging
  • Liquids, oil and liquid fats
  • Paper cups of any kind and wooden sticks or skewers

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

Garden waste bin · Garden waste

Bin

Yes please

  • Grass cuttings and hedge and shrub clippings
  • Plants, weeds, leaves and cut flowers
  • Twigs, branches and bark
  • Houseplants

Not in this one

  • Cardboard
  • Soil, turf, ash and garden chemicals
  • Any type of plastic, including bags, liners and pots
  • Food or kitchen waste, animal waste or bedding
  • Invasive weeds such as Japanese knotweed and giant hogweed
  • Stones, rubble, gravel, sand, DIY rubbish and sawdust
  • Logs, large branches or wood

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

Check your bin day

We can’t check Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole addresses yet

Live bin day lookups for Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole are planned. Until then, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole’s own page will show your collection day.

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

How often each bin is collected

Collection frequency by bin for Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
BinCollected
Black rubbish bin, 180 litre · General wasteEvery two weeks
Recycling bin, 240 litre · Mixed recyclingEvery two weeks
Food waste bin, 23 litre, with a 7 litre kitchen caddy · Food wasteEvery week

Food waste and the national recycling rules

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole collects food waste every week. Food waste is collected every week on the same day as rubbish and recycling, by a separate crew. Houses get a 7 litre indoor caddy and a 23 litre outdoor bin; flats with communal bins get an indoor caddy and a shared 140 litre outside bin with a brown lid.

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

If your bin was missed

Check that the bin was out by 5am, the lid was closed, the waste was sorted and the bin was not too heavy or compacted, then report the miss online. If your whole road was missed, do not report it, because the council will already know. Leave the bin out until the crew returns. Do not report until the next working day, because crews empty bins from 5am until 9pm. Report within 2 working days of your usual collection day; the council aims to return within 5 working days of your report.

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

Good to know in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole

  • Bins must be out by 5am on collection day. Crews work from 5am until 9pm, so a bin put out later can be passed by, and the council will not return for a bin that was not put out correctly.
  • Recycling goes in loose, not bagged, and must be clean, dry and empty. The council says that if recycling is not sorted or includes items it cannot recycle, the bin may not be collected.
  • Soft plastics are not accepted in the recycling bin. Plastic bags, wrapping and crisp packets are listed as items that cannot go in it, and the council points to the Recycle Now locator for places that take them.
  • Homes without a wheelie bin can use the bag alternative: 2 authorised sacks a fortnight for rubbish and 2 for recycling. The council asks you not to put out extra rubbish bags.
  • Food waste is collected by a separate team. Because the containers are smaller and harder to spot, the council asks you to place the outdoor food bin where the crew can see it, at the kerbside with your other bins. Flats with bin stores do not need to put communal food bins out.
  • If your bin is too heavy to be wheeled to the back of the collection vehicle, or has been compacted so waste will not fall out, the crew will not empty it.
  • The council says it does not collect bins on Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Year's Day. It has not published its 2026 Christmas collection dates on the pages BinWeek read.

Bin questions in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole

How often are bins collected in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole?

Household rubbish and recycling are each collected every 2 weeks. Food waste is collected every week on the same day as your rubbish and recycling, by a separate crew.

What time do I put my bin out in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole?

Put it out by 5am on your collection day, with the lid closed, at the edge of your property where the crew can see it from the road.

Can I put crisp packets and plastic bags in the recycling bin in BCP?

No. Plastic bags and wrapping and crisp packets are on the council's list of items that cannot go in the recycling bin. Use the Recycle Now locator to find a drop-off point.

How long do I have to report a missed bin in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole?

Wait until the next working day and report within 2 working days of your usual collection day. The council aims to return within 5 working days of your report, and asks you to leave the bin out.

Guides that may help

Nearby councils