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Cheshire East bin collection days

Cheshire East gives most homes a black bin for household waste and a silver grey bin for recycling, plus a green or brown garden bin for people who subscribe. There is no separate food waste collection yet: from late autumn 2026 the council says it will collect food waste every week and black bins every 3 weeks. The council has also been open about a run of missed and delayed collections this year, so the missed bin rules matter more here than in most places.

Last checked against 6 sources (www.cheshireeast.gov.uk).

What goes in each bin

Black household waste bin · General waste

Bin · Every two weeks

Yes please

  • Animal waste and disposable nappies
  • Sanitary products and face masks
  • Ash, bagged and cold
  • Polystyrene, bubble wrap and cling film
  • Hard plastics, chocolate wrappers and crisp packets (or a supermarket drop-off point)
  • Ceramics, cutlery, drinking glasses and Pyrex that cannot be reused
  • Broken glass, wrapped up
  • Cards and wrapping paper that contain glitter
  • Biodegradable face wipes
  • Food waste, if you do not subscribe to the garden waste scheme and do not compost at home

Not in this one

  • Clinical waste and needles or syringes, which are not accepted in any bin
  • Expired medicine, which goes back to a local pharmacy
  • Gas cylinders and camping gas canisters, because of the risk of explosion
  • Japanese knotweed
  • Trees with lights, which must not go in any household bin

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

Silver grey recycling bin · Mixed recycling

Bin · Every two weeks

Yes please

  • Food, drink, biscuit and sweet tins, rinsed, with labels and lids left on
  • Glass and plastic bottles and jars, rinsed, with lids on or off
  • Plastic yoghurt pots, tubs, trays, toiletry and cleaning bottles, rinsed
  • Tetra Pak cartons such as juice, milk and smoothie
  • Empty, undamaged aerosols
  • Cardboard including egg boxes and cereal boxes, flattened with the tape removed
  • Paper, newspapers, magazines, catalogues, junk mail and envelopes
  • Empty, clean and untied plastic bags and polythene
  • The clean parts of a pizza box and wrapping paper without glitter

Not in this one

  • Polystyrene, cling film and hard plastics
  • Plastic plant pots and plastic toys
  • Drinking glasses, ceramics and Pyrex
  • Photographs, CDs, DVDs and video tapes
  • Toothpaste tubes and trigger mechanisms from spray bottles
  • Camping gas canisters and non-empty aerosols
  • Sturdy bags for life, which are made from mixed materials

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

Green or brown garden bin (subscription) · Garden waste

Bin · Every two weeks

Yes please

  • Grass cuttings and lawn edgings
  • Hedge clippings, leaves, tree bark and weeds
  • Windfall fruit and plants from hanging baskets, without soil
  • Real Christmas trees
  • Food waste, if you have a current subscription

Not in this one

  • Tree cuttings and branches, which the council's composting method cannot handle
  • Japanese knotweed

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

Check your bin day

We can’t check Cheshire East addresses yet

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

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

How often each bin is collected

Collection frequency by bin for Cheshire East
BinCollected
Black household waste bin · General wasteEvery two weeks
Silver grey recycling bin · Mixed recyclingEvery two weeks
Green or brown garden bin (subscription) · Garden wasteEvery two weeks

Food waste and the national recycling rules

Cheshire East does not collect food waste every week. As of 3 October 2026 Cheshire East has no separate weekly food waste collection. The council says weekly food waste collections are coming from late autumn 2026 with an outdoor caddy, and that caddies will be delivered during summer and autumn 2026. Until then, subscribers can put food waste in the garden bin; everyone else can use the black bin or compost at home.

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

Garden waste

Garden waste is a paid-for service. The council says garden waste collection is an annual subscription service running from January to December, with bins emptied every 2 weeks except between mid-December and mid-January. The price is not stated on the pages BinWeek read.

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

If your bin was missed

Check that the right bin was out on the right day, at the kerbside by 6:30am, with the lid closed and not over the weight limit, then use the council's online form. The form shows the crew's reason if they could not empty it. Euro bins cannot be reported online and have their own phone line. Wait until after 6pm on the day, and report within 2 working days. The council tries to return within 5 working days but says it cannot guarantee it; if it cannot return before your next collection, you may leave up to 3 standard-sized bags beside a black or silver bin.

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

Your nearest tip

Good to know in Cheshire East

  • Today the pattern is a two-week cycle: the council says recycling and garden bins are collected one week and the black bin the following week, on the same day of the week. From late autumn 2026 it plans weekly food waste and black bins every 3 weeks, and says your collection day may change. It says the online calendar will be updated by mid-October so you can check your new day.
  • The council publishes an item-by-item list rather than a long description of each bin. The pattern is that rigid plastic (plant pots, toys, hard plastics) goes in the black bin, while rinsed bottles, pots, tubs and trays go in the silver grey bin. Pyrex, drinking glasses and ceramics are not recyclable with bottles and jars.
  • Soft plastic is accepted in the silver grey bin if it is empty, clean and not tied, which is unusual. The council says crisp packets and sweet wrappers go in the black bin or to a supermarket drop-off point, and sturdy bags for life are not accepted.
  • Food waste currently goes in the garden bin if you subscribe, and otherwise in the black bin or a home compost heap. The council says a new outdoor food caddy replaces this from late autumn 2026.
  • The garden waste scheme runs from January to December and the bin is emptied every 2 weeks except from mid-December to mid-January. You must hold a subscription for the current year or the crew will not empty the bin.
  • As of 3 October 2026 the council was working through a recovery and stabilisation plan after staff and HGV driver shortages, vehicle breakdowns, hot weather and rounds that no longer match the number of homes. Delays are possible, and the council says it is redesigning routes and recruiting.
  • Bins must be on the kerbside collection point by 6:30am unless you have an assisted collection, with the lid closed, and must weigh no more than 90kg. A bin that is frozen shut, too heavy or has the wrong waste in it is emptied on the next collection day for that bin.
  • If your bin has been missed and the council cannot return before your next collection, you may put up to 3 standard-sized bags next to the black or silver bin and the crew will take them. This does not apply to garden waste.

Bin questions in Cheshire East

How often are bins collected in Cheshire East?

The council says recycling and garden bins are collected one week and the black bin the following week, on a 2-week cycle. From late autumn 2026 it plans to collect food waste every week and black bins every 3 weeks.

What goes in the silver grey bin in Cheshire East?

Rinsed cans, bottles and jars, plastic pots, tubs and trays, Tetra Pak cartons, empty aerosols, flattened cardboard, paper and envelopes, and clean empty plastic bags. Polystyrene, cling film, hard plastics and plant pots go in the black bin.

Does Cheshire East collect food waste?

Not separately yet. The council says weekly food waste collections start from late autumn 2026 with an outdoor caddy. Until then you can put food waste in the garden bin if you subscribe, or in the black bin.

How long do I have to report a missed bin in Cheshire East?

Wait until after 6pm on the collection day and report within 2 working days, one bin at a time. The council aims to return within 5 working days but cannot guarantee it.

Why have bin collections been missed in Cheshire East?

The council has said staff and HGV driver shortages, more vehicle breakdowns, hot weather and out-of-date collection rounds all played a part, and it has published a recovery and stabilisation plan. It says it collects around a quarter of a million bins every week.

Guides that may help

Nearby councils