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Cotswold bin collection days

Cotswold collects a grey wheelie bin every two weeks and recycling every two weeks in boxes and bags: a box for glass, a white bag for plastics and tins, a second box for paper and a blue bag for cardboard. Food caddies are every week. Garden waste is a paid green bin, or brown sacks where a bin will not fit, at £73 for the year from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027.

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

What goes in each bin

Grey wheelie bin · General waste

Bin · Every two weeks

Yes please

  • Non-recyclable household rubbish
  • Ashes, once they have cooled

Not in this one

  • Stones, gravel and rubble
  • Garden waste and soil
  • Sharp objects
  • Hot ashes
  • DIY home improvement waste
  • Carpet and underlay
  • Trade or building waste

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

Recycling boxes and bags · Mixed recycling

Box · Every two weeks

Yes please

  • Glass bottles and jars
  • Plastic bottles, tubs, punnets, pots and trays, including black plastic, and flexible flowerpots
  • Tins, cans, empty aerosols, clean foil and cartons
  • Paper, envelopes, catalogues, newspapers, magazines and plain wrapping paper
  • Cardboard and greetings cards without ribbon or glitter
  • Small electrical items, textiles and household batteries in a carrier bag inside a box

Not in this one

  • Broken glass, drinking glasses, light bulbs, fluorescent tubes, Pyrex and sheet glass
  • Crisp packets, pet food pouches, cling film, bubble wrap, plastic film, wrappers, coat hangers and takeaway coffee cups
  • Cartons or plastic wrappers in the paper box
  • Televisions, monitors and car or motorbike batteries

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

Food waste caddy · Food waste

Caddy · Every week

Yes please

  • Uneaten food, plate scrapings and out-of-date food
  • Eggs and egg shells
  • A small amount of liquids, oil and fat, including lard
  • Tea bags and coffee grounds
  • Newspaper or approved compostable liners
  • Cat and dog food, and animal hair
  • Used kitchen roll and paper tissues

Not in this one

  • Plastic, except carrier bags and food or sandwich bags used to line the caddy
  • Packaging, metal, glass and cardboard
  • Animal faeces, bedding, pet litter and carcasses
  • Nappies
  • Any other household waste

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

Green garden bin · Garden waste

Bin · Every two weeks

Yes please

  • Grass cuttings, leaves, bark and tree prunings
  • Twigs and small branches
  • Bedding from rabbits, guinea pigs and other herbivores
  • Cut flowers, plants, weeds and vegetable waste from the garden
  • Windfall fruit
  • A real Christmas tree, cut up, with decorations removed
  • Cold wood ash

Not in this one

  • Food waste
  • Bricks, stones, soil and turf
  • Plastic bags, pots and seed trays
  • Ceramics, crockery, metal and glass
  • Cat and dog faeces or bedding, and waste from cats and dogs
  • Herbicides, pesticides, Japanese knotweed and ragwort
  • Fencing, posts, kitchen roll, tissues and cardboard
  • Liners

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

Check your bin day

Use Cotswold’s own page for your bin day

The council's bin collection date finder needs a browser, which BinWeek's lookup service does not run, so the page links to the council's own finder.

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

How often each bin is collected

Collection frequency by bin for Cotswold
BinCollected
Grey wheelie bin · General wasteEvery two weeks
Recycling boxes and bags · Mixed recyclingEvery two weeks
Food waste caddy · Food wasteEvery week
Green garden bin · Garden wasteEvery two weeks

Food waste and the national recycling rules

Cotswold collects food waste every week. Food caddies are emptied every week. Line the kitchen caddy with compostable liners, paper, or an old carrier, bread or sandwich bag. Food goes in the caddy, not the green garden bin. The caddies are dishwasher proof.

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

Garden waste

Garden waste is a paid-for service. A garden waste licence is £73 for 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027. The full fee is due whenever you join, with no refund. Council Tax and Housing Benefit claimants who give a 5 digit claim reference when they sign up get a 50% reduction. Claims after sign-up are not processed. Apple Pay, Google Pay and American Express are not accepted. Collections are fortnightly. The bin goes out by 7am with the sticker on the back, below the handles. The service pauses for 2 weeks over Christmas and New Year. Licences should arrive within 10 working days. A new bin is aimed at within 6 weeks. Sacks, only for homes that cannot take a bin, are sold in multiples of 50 and only the council's sacks are collected.

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

If your bin was missed

Report a missed bin or recycling after 4pm on collection day. Before you report, the bin should have been out by 7am, with the lid closed, no extra waste beside it, recycling in the right boxes, and a valid licence on the garden bin. If the street was missed for another reason, the council aims to collect on the next working day. Leave the bin out. Cold weather can freeze garden waste. Crews only empty it if the contents are loose. Tell the council within two days of the missed collection. The aim is to return within three working days of the report.

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

Good to know in Cotswold

  • Extra rubbish can go beside the grey bin in a beige sack. The sacks cost 84 pence each from council offices. A household of more than five people, or with children in nappies, may be able to get an extra bin or more beige sacks.
  • Lids and trigger sprays can stay on plastic bottles. Shredded paper goes inside a paper bag or envelope. Small electricals and tied textiles go inside a recycling box. Car and motorbike batteries do not.
  • Windfall fruit from the garden can go in the green bin. Once it has been in the kitchen it is food waste and belongs in the caddy. Do not fill the green bin with fruit. It is heavy and the crew may leave an overweight bin.
  • Food in a garden bin is refused because garden waste and food are treated differently, including under animal by-product rules. You have to sort it out before the next collection. Do not use a liner in the green bin.
  • The licence stays at the address if you move. It is not transferable. Each bin needs its own licence. Householders can share a bin, but the licence is registered to one address.
  • Standard light bulbs can go in the grey bin. Other glass that is not a bottle or jar goes to a recycling centre.

Bin questions in Cotswold

How much is the Cotswold garden bin?

£73 per licence from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027. There is no part-year refund. A 50% reduction applies if you give a Council Tax or Housing Benefit claim reference when you sign up. The sticker should arrive within 10 working days, and a new bin within 6 weeks.

When can I report a missed Cotswold bin?

After 4pm on collection day, and within two days. The bin should have been out by 7am with the lid closed. The council aims to come back within three working days of the report.

What goes in the Cotswold food caddy?

Uneaten food, plate scrapings, eggs, a small amount of oil and fat, tea bags, coffee grounds, pet food and used kitchen roll. Not packaging, animal waste or nappies. It is collected every week. A carrier bag or sandwich bag can line the caddy.

Guides that may help

Nearby councils