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Bradford bin collection days

Bradford runs a two-bin system with a strict rule: only one green bin is emptied per household, and nothing goes beside it. General waste in the green bin and recycling in the grey bin alternate every other week, a weekly food waste bin is being rolled out, and garden waste is an optional paid service every four weeks.

Last checked against 5 sources (www.bradford.gov.uk).

What goes in each bin

Green bin for general waste · General waste

Bin · Every two weeks

Yes please

  • General waste that cannot be recycled
  • Black bags, for homes on a bag collection

Not in this one

  • Garden waste, which goes in a brown bin, to a tip or in a compost bin
  • Recyclable items put in the green bin, which can lead to enforcement action
  • Extra bags left beside the bin, which are treated as fly-tipping
  • Broken electrical items, which go to a tip or a booked electrical collection

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

Grey bin for recycling · Mixed recycling

Bin · Every two weeks

Yes please

  • Paper and cardboard
  • Glass bottles and jars
  • Cans and aerosols
  • Plastic bottles
  • Plastic food trays, yoghurt pots and margarine or butter tubs
  • Food and drinks cartons

Not in this one

  • Extra recycling left at the side of the bin
  • Wrong items: a contaminated bin is tagged and not collected, and is emptied once at most with a yellow tag

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

Food waste bin and kitchen caddy · Food waste

Caddy · Every week

Yes please

  • Plate scrapings and leftovers, cooked and raw
  • Mouldy and out of date food
  • Tea bags and coffee grounds
  • Meat bones and raw or cooked meat and fish
  • Pasta, rice, lentils and beans
  • Bread, rotis, pastries and cakes
  • Dairy goods such as cheese
  • Eggs and eggshells
  • Ready meals past their use-by date, without the packaging
  • Uneaten pet food

Not in this one

  • Packaging of any kind
  • Liquids and oil
  • Garden waste

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

Brown garden waste bin (optional, paid) · Garden waste

Bin · Every four weeks

Yes please

  • Grass cuttings, leaves and bark
  • Twigs and small branches cut into small pieces
  • Tree and hedge clippings
  • Garden plants, dead flowers and weeds

Not in this one

  • Giant hogweed and Japanese knotweed
  • Large branches
  • Turf, earth, soil, stone and gravel
  • Food, including fruit and vegetable peelings
  • Dog and cat mess, pet bedding and straw
  • Plant pots, seed trays, and wire or plastic plant ties
  • Glass, metal, cardboard and plastic, including plastic bags

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

Check your bin day

We can’t check Bradford addresses yet

Live bin day lookups for Bradford are planned. Until then, Bradford’s own page will show your collection day.

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

How often each bin is collected

Collection frequency by bin for Bradford
BinCollected
Green bin for general waste · General wasteEvery two weeks
Grey bin for recycling · Mixed recyclingEvery two weeks
Food waste bin and kitchen caddy · Food wasteEvery week
Brown garden waste bin (optional, paid) · Garden wasteEvery four weeks

Food waste and the national recycling rules

Bradford collects food waste every week. Weekly food waste collections are being rolled out across the district in stages, so some households are still waiting. Each household gets a kitchen caddy with liners and a 27 litre outdoor bin, collected weekly on the same day as the general waste or recycling collection.

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

Garden waste

Garden waste is a paid-for service. Garden waste collection is an optional annual service with a charge, and an extra brown bin costs £47 a year. Bins without a valid sticker are not emptied. The service runs from 1 June 2026 to 31 May 2027 with 12 collections, one every four weeks. There are no collections after 18 December 2026 for four weeks, and they restart on 19 January 2027.

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

If your bin was missed

Wait 2 working days after your collection day, bring the bin back in and wait for the next collection. If it happens again the next week, report it with the council's missed bin form (you register first) or by phone on 01274 431000. Check the bad weather and service disruption pages before reporting. Crews collect Tuesday to Friday between 6.30am and 5.15pm. If a vehicle breaks down, the council aims to collect later the same day or the next morning.

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

Your nearest tip

Good to know in Bradford

  • Only one green general waste bin is emptied per household, even if you own more than one or paid for an extra. The council says extra waste beside the bin counts as fly-tipping and may lead to enforcement action. Take surplus to a household waste recycling centre or book a bulky waste collection.
  • You can press the waste down to fit more in, but the lid must be closed when the bin goes out. Households with seven or more people can apply for a smaller extra green bin of 140 litres if they recycle properly.
  • Bin lorries carry cameras that record missed bins and spot wrong items in recycling bins. A contaminated recycling bin is tagged and not emptied. It is emptied once if it carries a yellow tag, which you request by phone, and after that the bin must only hold recycling.
  • Food waste bins are being delivered from August 2026 and collected weekly on the same day as your other collection. Take part even if you produce little food waste. If you compost at home, keep composting fruit and vegetable peelings, tea bags and crushed eggshells, and put cooked, oily, meat and dairy food in the food bin.
  • Everyone who lives in the district needs a free blue residents permit to use a household waste recycling centre, and you must show it. It does not expire. If you move to Bradford after March 2024 and have no permit, collect one with your council tax bill and ID showing your name and address from Bowling Back Lane or Royd Ings.
  • Vans need a large capacity vehicle permit rather than the residents permit.
  • Collections do not take place on Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Year's Day when they fall on a weekday. Garden waste has a longer winter break, with no collections for four weeks after 18 December 2026.

Bin questions in Bradford

How often are bins collected in Bradford?

General waste in the green bin and recycling in the grey bin are emptied every other week, on alternate weeks. Food waste bins are collected weekly where the service has reached your street, and the brown garden waste bin every four weeks if you subscribe.

What should I do if my bin has not been collected in Bradford?

Wait 2 working days after your collection day and bring the bin back in. If it is missed again the next week, report it online or call 01274 431000. Check for bad weather or service disruption first.

Do I need a permit to use the tip in Bradford?

Yes. Every household in the Bradford district gets one free blue permit, which works at all household waste recycling centres in the district. You must have it with you and photocopies are not accepted.

Guides that may help

Nearby councils