Skip to main content

Cherwell bin collection days

Cherwell District Council runs its own collections with four containers: a green bin for rubbish, a blue bin for recycling, a brown bin for garden waste on subscription and a silver caddy for food. It uses an alternate week system. The green bin goes out one week, the blue and brown bins the next, and the food caddy is emptied every week.

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

What goes in each bin

Green rubbish bin · General waste

Bin · Every two weeks

Yes please

  • Non-recyclable rubbish
  • Broken toys
  • Cling film, plastic bags and polystyrene
  • Crisp packets, sweet packets and wrappers
  • Duvets and pillows
  • Nappies

Not in this one

  • Hazardous materials
  • Heavy materials such as car parts, stones or rubble
  • Hot ashes
  • Large items
  • Liquids

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

Blue recycling bin · Mixed recycling

Bin · Every two weeks

Yes please

  • Paper including shredded paper, newspapers, magazines, junk mail, leaflets, brochures and catalogues
  • Cardboard, cartons and inner tubes from toilet and kitchen rolls
  • Greeting cards that are not glittery, and envelopes including ones with windows
  • Plastic bottles, tubs, trays and pots, plus soft plastic food pots and trays
  • Cans, tins, aerosols, biscuit and sweet tins, bottle tops, and clean foil and foil trays
  • Empty toothpaste tubes
  • Glass bottles and jars of any colour, from the kerbside glass service that began on 1 January 2026

Not in this one

  • Carrier bags and black bags
  • Bubble wrap, cling film, crisp packets, sweet and chocolate wrappers and pet food pouches
  • Polystyrene and blister packs
  • Broken glass, drinking glasses, Pyrex, window panes and mirrors
  • Ceramics, chinaware and light bulbs
  • Clothes, shoes, bedding and other textiles
  • Nappies, needles, kitchen paper and tissue paper
  • Hard plastics such as storage boxes and flower pots

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

Silver food waste caddy · Food waste

Caddy · Every week

Yes please

  • Tea bags and coffee grounds
  • Leftovers, and out of date or mouldy food with no packaging
  • Bread, cakes and pastries
  • Rice, pasta and beans
  • Vegetables and fruit
  • Meat and fish, raw or cooked, including bones
  • Dairy products such as cheese and eggs
  • Pet food

Not in this one

  • Food packaging
  • Plastic bin liner bags, cling film and carrier bags
  • Glass bottles and jars
  • Large amounts of liquid such as milk

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

Brown garden waste bin (subscription) · Garden waste

Bin · Every two weeks

Yes please

  • Grass cuttings
  • Leaves, branches and hedge trimmings
  • Weeds and cut flowers
  • Untreated sawdust
  • Straw from non meat eating pets

Not in this one

  • Soil, stones and bricks
  • Cardboard and paper
  • Textiles and wood
  • Flower pots and plastic bags
  • Cat or dog waste
  • Fats and oils

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

Check your bin day

We can’t check Cherwell addresses yet

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

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

How often each bin is collected

Collection frequency by bin for Cherwell
BinCollected
Green rubbish bin · General wasteEvery two weeks
Blue recycling bin · Mixed recyclingEvery two weeks
Silver food waste caddy · Food wasteEvery week
Brown garden waste bin (subscription) · Garden wasteEvery two weeks

Food waste and the national recycling rules

Cherwell collects food waste every week. Cherwell collects food waste every week in a silver outdoor caddy, with the household's indoor caddy emptied into it. Glass bottles and jars have gone into the blue recycling bin since 1 January 2026, and the council is gradually removing bottle banks as kerbside glass collections roll out.

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

Garden waste

Garden waste is a paid-for service. Garden waste collection is a subscription service. The 2026/27 charge is £59 per subscription, covering 1 March 2026 to 28 February 2027, and there is no limit on how many subscriptions a household can buy. The council also sells garden waste sacks for households that cannot have a bin, at £56 for 40 sacks. Cancelling does not bring a refund. Brown bins are emptied every other week, on the same week as the blue recycling bin, and only bins showing a valid subscription label are collected. The council allows 28 days for the welcome pack to arrive and says collections still happen in the meantime. Collections can be suspended in severe weather or on bank holidays, without refunds.

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

If your bin was missed

Check the bin was out by 7:00am at the kerbside, held the right items and has no crew sticker explaining why it was left, then use the council's online missed bin form. Crews record bins that were not put out, and a bin logged as not presented cannot be reported as missed. The council reviews its vehicles' live reporting records before it sends a crew back. Food waste caddies are not returned for, so put the caddy out again on the next collection day. Report within 3 days of your scheduled collection day. The form will not accept a report until after 5:00pm on the day, and the council says it will return within seven working days, Tuesday to Friday, so leave the bin out.

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

Your nearest tip

Good to know in Cherwell

  • The council's own crews empty bins from Tuesday to Friday, at any time between 7:00am and 5:00pm, so put bins at the kerbside by 7:00am and bring them back as soon as you can. Bins left permanently in a public area can be investigated and removed.
  • Extra recycling is taken if it sits next to the blue bin in a box or a clear plastic bag, never a black bag. Extra rubbish and extra garden waste left beside the green or brown bin is not taken, and a bin that is too heavy for the lifting arms will not be emptied.
  • The green bin is normally slightly smaller, at 180 litres, than the other bins because the council expects around 80 per cent of household waste to be recyclable or compostable. Smaller bins are available for tight spaces, and larger or extra bins depend on household size.
  • The first set of bins is free, and extra blue recycling bins cost £40 each, up to a maximum of 2 of each bin. Broken bins are repaired free of charge, or replaced if they cannot be fixed.
  • Kerbside glass is new: from 1 January 2026 glass bottles and jars go in the blue bin or approved recycling sacks. Rinse them, leave the lids and labels on, and never leave glass next to a full bin, because boxes split and broken glass is a hazard.
  • On 3 October 2026 the council's bin collection search page said the search function was not available because of technical difficulties. The same page still offers printable 2026 calendars for north and south Cherwell, and a number to call for flats: 01295 227003.
  • Small electricals and battery powered items can be recycled on your collection day, but they must not go inside a bin. Flats are handled through managing agents and landlords, and some flats are emptied on different days from neighbouring houses.
  • The household waste recycling centres at Alkerton and Ardley are run by Oxfordshire County Council rather than by the district. Cherwell's pages send you there for garden waste if you do not subscribe, and for anything that will not fit in your bins.

Bin questions in Cherwell

How often are bins collected in Cherwell?

Cherwell uses alternate weeks. The green rubbish bin is emptied once a fortnight, and the blue recycling bin and brown garden waste bin are emptied on the other week. The silver food waste caddy is collected every week.

Can I put glass in my blue bin in Cherwell?

Yes. Since 1 January 2026 glass bottles and jars of any colour can go in the blue recycling bin or approved recycling sacks. Drinking glasses, Pyrex, window panes, mirrors and light bulbs still cannot be recycled this way.

How much is garden waste collection in Cherwell?

The 2026/27 subscription is £59 per subscription, for 1 March 2026 to 28 February 2027. A household can buy as many subscriptions as it wants, and garden waste sacks cost £56 for 40.

How do I find my bin collection day in Cherwell?

Cherwell has a bin collection search where you enter your postcode and pick your address, plus printable 2026 calendars for north Cherwell and south Cherwell. If you live in a flat, the search may show nothing, so contact customer services on 01295 227003.

Where is the nearest tip for Cherwell residents?

Cherwell's pages name the household waste recycling centres at Alkerton and Ardley. They are run by Oxfordshire County Council, which has the opening times and booking details.

Guides that may help

Nearby councils