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Guildford bin collection days

Guildford collects household waste in a black refuse bin, a green recycling bin and an outdoor food caddy. The silver kitchen caddy is not collected. Garden waste is a paid extra at £75 a bin for 2026/27. The council's own pages do not publish a single round frequency, so the dates come from Find your bin day rather than from a borough-wide pattern.

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

What goes in each bin

Black refuse bin · General waste

Bin · Varies by area, so check your address

Yes please

  • General waste that cannot go in the green recycling bin

Not in this one

  • Paint cans
  • Gas canisters
  • Asbestos, soil, rubble or building material
  • Batteries and vapes
  • Garden waste

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

Green recycling bin · Mixed recycling

Bin

Yes please

  • Paper, card, newspapers and magazines
  • Glass bottles and jars
  • Empty tins, cans and cartons
  • Empty aerosol cans
  • Clean foil and foil trays
  • Plastic bottles, tubs, pots and trays
  • Plastic carrier bags
  • Plastic and metal lids, caps and bottle tops

Not in this one

  • Black bags
  • Expanded polystyrene
  • Hard plastics, cling film or bubble wrap
  • Food waste, crisp packets or sweet wrappers
  • Textiles or nappies
  • Drinking glasses, crockery or Pyrex
  • Paint tins, garden waste or wood
  • Batteries and vapes

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

Outdoor food caddy · Food waste

Caddy

Yes please

  • Meat and fish, including the bones
  • Shells of fish, nuts and eggs
  • Dairy food
  • Fruit and vegetables
  • Bread, cakes and pastries
  • Rice, pasta and beans
  • Leftover, mouldy or expired food
  • Tea bags and tea and coffee grounds

Not in this one

  • Packaging that can be recycled
  • Black bin liners
  • Liquids
  • Oil or liquid fat

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

Check your bin day

Use Guildford’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.

How often each bin is collected

Collection frequency by bin for Guildford
BinCollected
Black refuse bin · General wasteVaries by area, so check your address

Garden waste

Garden waste is a paid-for service. Payments made on or after 1 January 2026 are for the 2026/27 subscription year, running from 23 March 2026 to 21 March 2027, at £75 for each bin. There is no refund if you cancel during the year. Homes that cannot have a bin can have up to four garden waste sacks. The council encourages existing subscribers to renew between January and March, though you can renew at any time. An extra bin ordered between 1 January and 28 February 2026 is delivered in March; one ordered after 1 March is delivered within 4 weeks. If you pay by direct debit, do not use the online form to renew.

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

If your bin was missed

Use the missed bin form only if the bin was at the collection point, usually the edge of the property closest to the road, and the crew did not leave a label explaining why it was left. A labelled bin is not a missed collection. The council only collects bins it issued. Bins must be out by 6.30am. Report a miss within two days of the collection date, or wait until the next collection.

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

Your nearest tip

Good to know in Guildford

  • The green bin takes paper and card, glass bottles and jars, empty tins, cans, cartons and aerosols, clean foil, plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays, carrier bags, and plastic or metal lids. It refuses black bags, expanded polystyrene, hard plastics, cling film, bubble wrap, food, crisp packets, textiles, nappies, drinking glasses, Pyrex, paint tins, garden waste, wood, batteries and vapes.
  • Extra recycling that will not fit can go beside the green bin in a see-through plastic bag. A contaminated bin is left, and the council says you may then wait up to two weeks for the next emptying. Two-wheeled bins must not exceed 50kg and four-wheeled bins must not exceed 250kg.
  • Put all food in the outdoor caddy. Do not line the silver caddy with a black bin liner. Plastic liners, newspaper, old carrier bags or a bag food came in, such as a bread bag, are the liners the council names. Liquids, oil and liquid fat stay out.
  • Batteries and vapes must not go in any household bin. Small batteries can go in a tied bag on top of the bin; the crew puts them in a cage on the vehicle each week if there is space. Drop-off points include supermarkets, the council's Millmead offices and community recycling centres.
  • Textiles and electronic waste can be left neatly beside the bins, textiles in a carrier bag and kept dry, batteries in a clear plastic bag. Only council-issued bins are collected.
  • Slyfield Recycling Centre is on Moorfield Road, Guildford, GU1 1RU. The rubbish and recycling page also points to an interactive map for other sites. Surrey's Zero Waste Map is a separate search for reuse and repair locations.
  • As of 3 October 2026 the pages read gave no Christmas collection timetable. Garden waste subscribers need a MyGuildford account, and moving outside the borough cancels the subscription with no refund.

Bin questions in Guildford

How often are Guildford bins collected?

The council's pages do not state a single frequency. Find your bin day shows the dates for your address, and there is a 2026 calendar PDF.

How much is garden waste in Guildford?

For the 2026/27 year, from 23 March 2026 to 21 March 2027, the charge is £75 for each bin. Payments on or after 1 January 2026 count towards that year. Cancelling does not produce a refund.

When should I report a missed bin in Guildford?

The bin has to have been out by 6.30am. Report within two days. If the crew left a label, it is not a missed collection and the form is not the right route.

Guides that may help