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Cheshire West and Chester bin collection days

In Cheshire West and Chester it is the lid colour that tells you what goes where. The black bin is for general waste and is emptied every two weeks on the opposite week to the recycling. Paper, card and cartons go in the blue-lidded bin, and everything else recyclable goes in the red-lidded bin. Food waste has its own brown bin collected every week, and garden waste is a paid, calendar-year subscription.

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

What goes in each bin

Black bin, 180L, for domestic non-recyclable waste · General waste

Bin · Every two weeks

Yes please

  • General waste
  • Polystyrene
  • Pet waste

Not in this one

  • Construction waste
  • Recycling
  • Extra waste beside or on top of the bin: it is not taken

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

Blue-lidded bin for paper, card and cartons · Paper and card

Bin

Yes please

  • Corrugated card, folded flat if there is a lot
  • Cardboard such as cereal boxes and tea bag boxes
  • Cartons (Tetra Pak)
  • Envelopes with windows
  • Paper and shredded paper

Not in this one

  • Carbon paper and laminated paper
  • Cards with embellishments such as feathers and glitter
  • Food-contaminated paper or card
  • Hard back books and metallic wrapping paper
  • Tissues, kitchen roll, wet wipes and paper towels

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

Red-lidded bin for the rest of your recycling · Mixed recycling

Bin

Yes please

  • Clean plastic bottles, lids, pots, tubs and trays
  • Glass bottles and jars
  • Cans and tins
  • Tin foil and foil trays
  • Empty aerosols
  • Black plastic packaging

Not in this one

  • Broken glass, panes of glass and Pyrex
  • Drinking glasses, mirrors, vases and glass ornaments
  • Plastic bags, cling film and hard plastics
  • Toys and polystyrene packaging or trays
  • Paint cans, which go to a recycling centre
  • Pet food and baby food pouches

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

Green box for paper, card and cartons · Paper and card

Box

Yes please

  • Corrugated card, folded flat if there is a lot
  • Cardboard, cartons and envelopes with windows
  • Paper and shredded paper

Not in this one

  • Carbon paper and laminated paper
  • Cards with glitter or other embellishments
  • Food-contaminated paper or card

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

Grey (or red) box for cans, glass and plastic · Mixed recycling

Box

Yes please

  • Cans and tins, tin foil and foil trays
  • Empty aerosols
  • Glass bottles and jars
  • Plastic bottles, lids, pots, tubs and trays, but no black plastic

Not in this one

  • Broken glass, panes of glass and Pyrex
  • Black plastic
  • Paint cans, which go to a recycling centre

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

Brown food waste bin, 23L, with a 7L caddy · Food waste

Caddy · Every week

Yes please

  • Bread, cakes and pastries
  • Dairy products and eggs with their shells
  • Fruit and vegetables, raw and cooked
  • Meat and fish, raw and cooked, including bones
  • Rice, pasta and beans
  • Tea bags and coffee grounds
  • Uneaten pet food

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

Green garden waste bin (subscription) · Garden waste

Bin · Every two weeks

Yes please

  • Cut flowers
  • Grass and hedge clippings
  • Leaves
  • Small branches under 10cm and twigs

Not in this one

  • Plastic bags
  • Food waste, which has its own brown bin

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

Check your bin day

We can’t check Cheshire West and Chester addresses yet

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

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

How often each bin is collected

Collection frequency by bin for Cheshire West and Chester
BinCollected
Black bin, 180L, for domestic non-recyclable waste · General wasteEvery two weeks
Brown food waste bin, 23L, with a 7L caddy · Food wasteEvery week
Green garden waste bin (subscription) · Garden wasteEvery two weeks

Food waste and the national recycling rules

Cheshire West and Chester collects food waste every week. Food waste is collected every week from a brown 23L food bin, with a 7L caddy for the kitchen, alongside fortnightly black bin collections.

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

Garden waste

Garden waste is a paid-for service. The garden waste service is an opt-in subscription costing £55 per bin per calendar year, whenever you subscribe during the year. It is not added to your council tax bill. People receiving full council tax reduction when they apply get £10 off one bin permit; the reduction does not apply to single person discount. Collections are fortnightly over 40 weeks of the year. In 2026 they run between Monday 9 March 2026 and Friday 11 December 2026. A bin without a valid subscription and a displayed permit is not emptied, and the bin should be out before 6am.

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

If your bin was missed

Check that the bin was out at your collection point before 6am and holds the right waste, then report the miss online. The form shows collection information for your street, which can show whether the crew was delayed or changed route. Missed collections must be raised within three working days of the collection date. The council says crews have until 6pm to collect, and they will not take extra bags beside bins, bins that are too heavy, or bins with the wrong waste in them.

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

Your nearest tip

Good to know in Cheshire West and Chester

  • Blue and red lids split the recycling. Paper, card and cartons go in the blue-lidded bin, and bottles, cans, foil, aerosols, glass and plastic go in the red-lidded one. The council says the red-lidded bin takes black plastic packaging, which many councils do not.
  • Some homes have boxes rather than bins. The council lists a green box for paper, card and cartons, and a grey (or red) box for cans, glass and plastic, where black plastic is not accepted.
  • The standard set for a house is one 180L black bin, two 180L recycling bins, a 23L food waste bin and a 7L caddy. The council says additional general waste capacity is assessed separately and is not part of the standard allocation.
  • Put containers out before 6am. The council gives the earlier time so that crews can respond to severe weather and circumstances beyond their control, and says they have until 6pm to collect.
  • Extra waste beside or on top of the black bin is not taken, and waste on top of a bin with the lid open will be removed. Return containers to within the grounds of your property soon after they are emptied.
  • Garden waste collections in 2026 run from 9 March 2026 to 11 December 2026, fortnightly over 40 weeks of the year.
  • The council's 'What cannot be recycled?' list also names compostable cups and cutlery (it says the current recycling process cannot compost them) and plastic bags. The list does not say which bin it applies to, so BinWeek does not show those items as food waste rejects.
  • As of 3 October 2026 the council said Tattenhall household waste recycling centre was closed from 1 October for urgent repairs and was expected to reopen on 1 November, with Chester the nearest alternative. The council has also introduced a registration system that allows up to 30 visits a year per household.

Bin questions in Cheshire West and Chester

How often are bins collected in Cheshire West and Chester?

The black bin is collected every two weeks, on the alternate week to the blue-lidded and red-lidded recycling bins. Food waste in the brown bin is collected every week.

What time do I put my bin out in Cheshire West and Chester?

Before 6am on the day of collection. The council asks for this earlier time so crews can respond to severe weather, and says they have until 6pm to collect.

How much is garden waste collection in Cheshire West and Chester?

The service costs £55 per bin per calendar year, whenever you subscribe. Collections are fortnightly over 40 weeks, and in 2026 they run from 9 March 2026 to 11 December 2026.

How long do I have to report a missed bin in Cheshire West and Chester?

Within three working days of the collection date. Check first that your bin was out before 6am, as crews have until 6pm to collect.

Guides that may help

Nearby councils