Gravesham empties a black 180 litre rubbish bin every two weeks and a weekly food bin with an orange lid on the same weekday. Recycling is a 240 litre black bin with a green lid, or clear sacks, collected every other week. Garden waste is a paid fortnightly extra, in a 240 litre bin, a 140 litre bin, or sacks. Rubbish from the borough goes to the energy-from-waste plant at Allington.
Last checked against 5 sources (www.gravesham.gov.uk).
What goes in each bin
Black rubbish bin (180 litre) or black sacks · General waste
Bin · Every two weeks
Yes please
Pet waste and nappies
Plastic bags, cling film, bread bags and crisp packets
Broken toys, plant pots and other hard plastic
Light bulbs, used tissues, cotton wool and sanitary items
Broken glass, vases and mirrors, wrapped in paper
Not in this one
Food waste and garden waste
Electrical items, batteries and vapes
Builder's waste, paint, hazardous waste and clinical waste
Black rubbish bin (180 litre) or black sacks · General waste
Every two weeks
Food bin (orange lid, or a larger bin for flats) · Food waste
Every week
Garden waste bin or sacks · Garden waste
Every two weeks
Food waste and the national recycling rules
Gravesham collects food waste every week. Food waste is collected every week, on the same day as refuse and recycling, from more than 90% of households. Houses use a 23 litre black bin with an orange lid. Flats may have a 140 litre black wheelie bin. The handle should be in the locked position. The waste goes to Blaise Farm near Kings Hill to be composted.
Garden waste is a paid-for service. The council charges a small fee for a fortnightly garden waste service. You can choose a 240 litre bin, a 140 litre bin, or garden sacks if you have only a little garden waste. The pages we read do not state the price. Garden bin day can change, so the council tells subscribers to check the bin day finder before assuming the old day still applies. Missed garden bins are reported on the same missed-bin form as other containers.
Use the missed bin or sack form only after you have checked the day, the contents and that the bin is one the council supplied. Side waste next to the black bin is not collected. Vehicles have CCTV, which the council says it will check. Contaminated recycling is left and a letter is sent. Put the bin out before 7am. If it is more than two working days since the miss, wait for the next scheduled day. Bank holiday changes show on the bin day checker.
The rubbish page lists what the black bin is for, including hard plastic, light bulbs and wrapped broken glass. It will not take food, garden waste, electricals, batteries, vapes, paint or wood. About 16,000 tonnes a year is sent to Allington to be incinerated.
The recycling page does not print an accepted list. It says the full list is on Recycle Now, and it does name the contaminants that will stop a bin being emptied: black sacks, food, nappies, animal waste, batteries, vapes, clothing, shoes, wood, garden waste, plastic bags and wrappers, and polystyrene. About 6,500 tonnes a year is sorted at a materials facility in Crayford.
Flattened boxes can be left next to the recycling bin, and other extra recycling can go in a cardboard box beside it. That is the opposite of the black bin, where sacks beside the bin are not taken.
Homes the lorries cannot reach, or homes with no room for a bin, use black sacks for rubbish and clear sacks for recycling. The council will not empty a wheelie bin it did not supply.
Food waste is about 3,000 tonnes a year and is composted at Blaise Farm near Kings Hill. Put the bin out by 7am with the handle locked.
A garden bin that contains soil, compost, earth, peat, flower pots or trays is not collected. The garden waste page says the collection day may have changed and tells subscribers to check before they report a miss.
Bin questions in Gravesham
How often does Gravesham collect bins?
Rubbish is once every two weeks. Recycling is every other week. Food waste is every week on the same day as the other collections. Garden waste, if you pay, is fortnightly.
What size is the Gravesham food bin?
Houses usually have a 23 litre black bin with an orange lid. Flats may have a 140 litre black wheelie bin. The council says it collects food from more than 90% of homes.
How do I report a missed bin in Gravesham?
Check it was the right day, that it was out before 7am, and that you are reporting within two working days. Side waste by the black bin is not a miss. Use the council's missed bin or sack form.
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