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Bury bin collection days

Bury sorts household waste into four wheelie bins and does not use the same rhythm for each. The grey rubbish bin, the blue bin for plastics, glass and cans, and the green bin for paper and card are each emptied once every three weeks, while the brown bin that takes both garden and food waste comes every two weeks. Food waste is not collected on its own: it goes loose, or in a compostable liner, into the brown bin.

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

What goes in each bin

Grey rubbish bin · General waste

Bin · Every three weeks

Yes please

  • Plastic packaging and packets that cannot be recycled
  • Pet waste in a tied bag
  • Tissues and used paper towels
  • Wet wipes
  • Nappies in a tied bag
  • Sanitary products in a tied bag
  • Bagged waste you cannot recycle

Not in this one

  • Recycling
  • Overloaded waste, because the lid must close fully
  • Batteries and mobile phones

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

Blue recycling bin · Mixed recycling

Bin · Every three weeks

Yes please

  • Plastic bottles
  • Plastic pots, tubs and trays, including black trays
  • Glass bottles and jars
  • Aluminium or steel food containers, trays and drink cans
  • Empty aerosol cans
  • Clean aluminium foil

Not in this one

  • Hard plastics such as toys, plant pots, coat hangers, toothbrushes and storage crates
  • Thin or flexible plastics such as carrier bags, food wrappings, film and toothpaste tubes
  • Mixed materials such as pet food pouches, crisp packets and blister packs
  • Batteries and mobile phones

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

Green recycling bin · Paper and card

Bin · Every three weeks

Yes please

  • Newspapers and magazines
  • Catalogues and phone directories
  • Paper and shredded paper
  • Flattened cardboard boxes and packaging
  • Toilet and kitchen roll tubes
  • Wrapping paper, greetings cards and envelopes
  • Cardboard food and drink cartons
  • Books and junk mail

Not in this one

  • Plastic bags
  • Metallic wrapping paper
  • Plastic film, polystyrene and plastic packaging
  • Wet wipes, tissues and used paper towels
  • Cotton wool and makeup pads
  • Nappies and sanitary products
  • Wallpaper

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

Brown recycling bin (garden waste) · Garden waste

Bin · Every two weeks

Yes please

  • Grass cuttings
  • Hedge clippings
  • Cut flowers and plants
  • Leaves
  • Bark and twigs
  • Small branches
  • Small wooden logs

Not in this one

  • Large amounts of soil
  • Large wooden logs
  • Plant pots
  • Plastic bags and any type of packaging

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

Brown recycling bin (food waste) · Food waste

Bin · Every two weeks

Yes please

  • Raw or cooked meat, fish and bones
  • Raw or cooked fruit, vegetables and peelings
  • Dairy products such as eggs and cheese
  • Bread, cakes and pastries
  • Rice, pasta and beans
  • Uneaten food waste
  • Tea bags and coffee grounds

Not in this one

  • Any type of packaging
  • Plastic bags
  • Liquids such as fruit juice or milk
  • Cooking oil or liquid fat

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

Check your bin day

We can’t check Bury addresses yet

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

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

How often each bin is collected

Collection frequency by bin for Bury
BinCollected
Grey rubbish bin · General wasteEvery three weeks
Blue recycling bin · Mixed recyclingEvery three weeks
Green recycling bin · Paper and cardEvery three weeks
Brown recycling bin (garden waste) · Garden wasteEvery two weeks
Brown recycling bin (food waste) · Food wasteEvery two weeks

Food waste and the national recycling rules

Bury has a transitional arrangement for weekly food waste. Bury has no separate weekly food waste collection. Food waste goes in the brown recycling bin, loose or in compostable liners, together with garden waste, and the bin is emptied every two weeks. The council supplies one free roll of 52 compostable liners a year, usually delivered with the new bin calendar in December. Bury is also one of the councils with a later legal start date for weekly food waste collections.

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

Garden waste

Garden waste is collected free of charge. As of 3 October 2026 the council's pages do not describe a garden waste subscription: garden waste goes in the brown recycling bin, which is emptied every two weeks. What it charges for is the bin itself. Blue, brown and green recycling bins cost £17.50 each and a grey rubbish bin costs £46, and all bins are paid for in advance. Each property can have only one brown bin. The brown bin is emptied once every two weeks on your collection day. The pages read give no winter break.

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

If your bin was missed

Wait until after 5pm on your collection day, then report the missed grey, brown, blue or green bin on the council's website, using the separate form for each bin. Do not report it if the bin was not out at the collection point by 7am, if the lid was not fully closed, if it held incorrect items, or if the rest of your street was missed too. The council posts a list of collections missed because of access or operational problems on the same page. After a missed blue, green or grey bin it posts official bags for use until the next collection. For a missed brown bin it returns within 5 working days, and for a missed assisted collection within 3 working days. Report it after 5pm on the collection day and before 1pm the next day.

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

Your nearest tip

Good to know in Bury

  • Put bins out by 7am on collection day and take them back in as soon as they have been emptied. Terraced homes present them at the back, either at the kerbside or the usual collection point, and other houses at the front. If you are unsure, copy your neighbours.
  • Bin handles should face the road, every lid should be fully closed, and parked vehicles must not block the lorry. The council also suggests writing your house number on your bins to deter theft.
  • Since the council added more plastics to the blue bin, pots, tubs and trays go in alongside bottles, including black trays. Stack or squash them, rinse them, and leave plastic bottle lids off where you can, because lids can contaminate the glass; the council asks for loose lids to go in the grey bin.
  • Plastic carrier bags, film and polystyrene are not recycled in Greater Manchester and go in the grey bin. Hard plastics such as broken toys and garden furniture can go to a household waste and recycling centre instead.
  • Batteries and mobile phones go in none of the four bins, as they are a fire risk. The council points people to Recycle Now to find a drop-off point.
  • If a bin is full after squashing and flattening, a household can request an extra blue or green bin online. An extra grey bin needs evidence of household size and of recycling effort, is reviewed each year and has a red lid. The council provides only one brown bin per property.
  • The Bury and Radcliffe centres are shut only on 25 December and 1 January. A car may visit 52 times a year, while vans, pick-ups and cars with double-axle trailers have 18 visits and need a permit. As of 3 October 2026 the pages read gave no dated Christmas collection timetable.

Bin questions in Bury

How often are bins collected in Bury?

The grey, blue and green bins are each collected every three weeks. The brown bin for garden and food waste is collected every two weeks. All collections are on your usual collection day, and the council has an online checker with email reminders.

Where does food waste go in Bury?

Food waste goes in the brown recycling bin with garden waste, loose or in compostable liners marked with the seedling logo. The council gives one free roll of 52 liners each year. There is no separate weekly caddy collection.

What can I recycle in the blue bin in Bury?

Plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays (including black trays), glass bottles and jars, food and drink cans and tins, empty aerosols and clean foil. Carrier bags, plastic film, crisp packets and hard plastics do not go in it.

How much does a bulky waste collection cost in Bury?

Each collection costs £49 and covers up to five items, though larger items count as several. People who receive Council Tax benefit can book one half-price collection a year by phone. You can book up to three weeks ahead.

How much does a replacement bin cost in Bury?

A grey rubbish bin costs £46 and a blue, brown or green recycling bin costs £17.50, paid in advance. A new-build home can request a full set of four bins by phone.

Guides that may help

Nearby councils