Calderdale collects recycling and food waste every week and household rubbish every two weeks, so most homes have a heavier recycling round than rubbish round. Instead of one mixed recycling bin, the council asks you to sort into a black box, a white sack, a green sack and a carrier bag for textiles, with two brown caddies for food.
Last checked against 7 sources (new.calderdale.gov.uk).
What goes in each bin
Black wheelie bin for household waste (up to four blue bags where a wheelie bin is not possible) · General waste
Bin · Every two weeks
Yes please
Packaging that cannot be recycled, nappies, animal waste and Hoover dust
Broken glass, wrapped carefully
Waste from lateral flow test kits, placed in a bag
Not in this one
Anything the council collects for recycling: glass, cardboard, cans, plastics, paper, cartons, textiles and food waste
Cans (these go in the white recycling sack)
Extra waste left beside the bin, because the lid must close fully
Black wheelie bin for household waste (up to four blue bags where a wheelie bin is not possible) · General waste
Every two weeks
Black recycling box for glass, brown cardboard and small electricals · Glass
Every week
White recycling sack for plastics, tins, cans, aerosols and foil · Mixed recycling
Every week
Green recycling sack for paper, thin card and cartons · Paper and card
Every week
Carrier bag for clean textiles · Textiles
Every week
Brown food waste caddies (7 litre indoor caddy and 25 litre outdoor caddy) · Food waste
Every week
Green wheelie bin for garden waste (paid subscription) · Garden waste
Every two weeks
Food waste and the national recycling rules
Calderdale collects food waste every week. Food waste is collected every week from the brown caddies. The council gives each home a small 7 litre caddy for the kitchen, a larger 25 litre one for outside and a roll of liners. Its pages say it cannot offer a food waste collection to flats.
Garden waste is a paid-for service. The annual fee is £58, or £56 if you pay online. Each extra garden waste bin costs the full subscription again. You cannot renew before July and the renewal payment must arrive by the end of July. The subscription year runs from 1 August to 31 July, and the green bin is emptied every two weeks between March and November. The council says it can take up to 28 working days to deliver a bin after you subscribe.
Use the council's online form to report a household waste or recycling collection that was missed on the scheduled day. Give the crews until 5pm on the collection day before you report. Your containers must have been outside your property by 6am. If the crew could not get access, they return and try again the next day. You cannot report a missed collection more than 48 hours after the scheduled collection date.
The black recycling box takes glass, flattened brown cardboard and small electrical items. Thin card and paper go in the green sack, and plastics, tins, cans, aerosols and foil go in the white sack. If you are unsure, the council's page lists what to leave out of each container.
Put the sacks, box and caddies at the edge of your property, where it meets the road, by 6am on collection day. The wheelie bin must have its lid fully closed with no extra waste beside it. Where a property cannot have a wheelie bin, the crews take up to four blue bags.
The council's pages list items that must not go in the rubbish bin: garden waste, needles and syringes, gas bottles and cylinders, batteries, paint, hazardous waste and bulky waste. It sends needles and syringes to its clinical waste service and garden waste to the recycling centres or the garden waste subscription.
Flats more than three storeys high normally get communal recycling bins in a bin store for a mixed collection. The council says it cannot collect food waste from flats.
As of 3 October 2026 the council said its garden waste service was full and could not take new subscriptions. Residents can register their interest through a web form and the council says it will contact them when a place is free. It asks people not to phone or email to subscribe.
Calderdale's tips are free for residents but need a permit. A permit is valid until 30 April 2027, each household can hold two, and each is tied to a car registration. If you forget it, you can tip once by showing proof of address such as a Council Tax bill, then you must bring the permit next time.
Visitors without a vehicle cannot use the recycling centres, for safety reasons. Hire vehicles cannot get a permit, so bring the hire agreement and proof you live in Calderdale. Vans and trailers used for household waste need a separate van permit.
Bin questions in Calderdale
How often are bins collected in Calderdale?
The council says recycling is collected every week and household waste every two weeks. Food waste and textiles are weekly too. Garden waste, for subscribers, is every two weeks between March and November.
Can I join Calderdale's garden waste service now?
Not at the moment. On 3 October 2026 the council said it could not take new subscriptions because the service is at capacity. You can leave your details through its express your interest form and it will get in touch when a place is available.
What cannot go in the general waste bin in Calderdale?
The council lists garden waste, needles and syringes, gas bottles and cylinders, batteries, paint, hazardous waste and bulky waste. The lid must close fully, with no waste left at the side of the bin.
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