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Highland bin collection days

Highland households have a grey rubbish bin, a blue paper and card bin and a green bin for plastic, metal and cartons. A silver food caddy and a brown garden bin exist only in selected areas. Each bin can be on its own schedule, so the day comes from the council's checker rather than one Highland-wide frequency.

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

What goes in each bin

Grey bin for non-recyclable waste · General waste

Bin · Varies by area, so check your address

Yes please

  • Nappies and sanitary products
  • Polystyrene packaging, plastic film and wrappers
  • Bagged pet waste, bagged cold ashes and vacuum cleaner contents
  • Broken toys that do not contain batteries

Not in this one

  • Soil, rubble and heavy items
  • Hot ashes, corrosive substances and liquids
  • Items with batteries, including vapes, plus glass and electrical items
  • Paper and card, plastics and metals, and food, which have their own containers where those collections exist

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

Blue bin for paper, card and cardboard · Paper and card

Bin

Yes please

  • Newspapers, magazines, catalogues, phone books and shredded paper
  • Envelopes including windowed ones, cereal boxes and cardboard packaging
  • Greetings cards without glitter or ribbons

Not in this one

  • Tissues, napkins, kitchen towels, padded envelopes and wallpaper
  • Food-stained paper or card, hardback books, disposable cups and plastic-coated packaging
  • Anything in a plastic bag

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

Green bin for plastic, metal and cartons · Mixed recycling

Bin

Yes please

  • Plastic bottles, tubs and trays
  • Food tins, drink cans and empty aerosols
  • Cartons, also called Tetrapak, and aluminium food trays

Not in this one

  • Dirty or bagged recycling, and containers with food residue
  • Plastic bags, plastic film, polystyrene and bubble wrap

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

Silver food caddy, in selected areas · Food waste

Caddy · Every week

Yes please

  • Fruit, vegetables, bread, dairy, rice, pasta and egg shells
  • Fish and meat, including bones, teabags and ground coffee

Not in this one

  • Plastic packaging, plastic bags, liquids, oils and animal waste
  • Homes that do not get a food collection; the council points those households to home composting

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

Check your bin day

We can’t check Highland addresses yet

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

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

Set your own bin day

These dates are the ones you enter. BinWeek does not get them from Highland. Check them on the council’s site (opens in a new tab) (www.highland.gov.uk).

Grey bin for non-recyclable waste · General waste
Blue bin for paper, card and cardboard · Paper and card
Green bin for plastic, metal and cartons · Mixed recycling
Silver food caddy, in selected areas · Food waste

The council’s pages say this is collected every week. Your round may differ, so use the pattern you were given.

Add to calendar

A private calendar link for the pattern you entered, with an alert at 6pm the evening before. The link contains those days. BinWeek does not keep a copy, and anyone with the link can see them.

Email me the night before

You can still add these days to your calendar.

How often each bin is collected

Collection frequency by bin for Highland
BinCollected
Grey bin for non-recyclable waste · General wasteVaries by area, so check your address
Silver food caddy, in selected areas · Food wasteEvery week

Garden waste

Garden waste is a paid-for service. A brown garden bin is available in selected areas for grass cuttings, leaves and other garden materials, and a permit is required. The household bins page does not state the permit price.

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

If your bin was missed

Before reporting, check the bin was out by 7am at the right point, the lid was shut and it was not overflowing, and there is no sticker saying it was too full or held the wrong items. The online report asks for the address, the type of bin and the missed collection date.

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

Good to know in Highland

  • The green bin is dry recycling, not garden waste. Garden waste is the brown bin, and only where that collection is offered, with a permit.
  • Food caddies are free where the council collects food waste, with a small kitchen caddy and a larger lockable outdoor caddy. Tie the last compostable liner to the outdoor handle and the crew leaves a new roll. Do not substitute plastic bags, paper bags or newspaper.
  • An overloaded grey bin, or one with the wrong items, may not be emptied. Glass does not go in the grey bin or the green bin; the grey page lists glass among the things to leave out.
  • Plastic bags and film are refused in the blue and green bins. The green bin page says they can be recycled in many places across Scotland, not in the household bins.
  • The waste team phone on the bin pages is 01349 886 603, and the email is recycle@highland.gov.uk. Items that will not go in the household bins can be taken to a recycling facility. The grey page does not name the sites.

Bin questions in Highland

Does every Highland home get a food caddy?

No. The silver caddy is for homes that get a food waste collection. If yours does not, the council's food page points you to home composting instead of a kerbside caddy.

How often is the Highland grey bin emptied?

The household bins page does not state one frequency. It says each bin's schedule may vary by location and sends you to check your bin collection days.

What should I check before reporting a missed Highland bin?

That it was out by 7am, at the correct point, with the lid shut and not overflowing, and that there is no sticker about it being too full or containing the wrong items.

Guides that may help

Nearby councils