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Isles of Scilly bin collection days

On St Mary's and St Martin's the Council of the Isles of Scilly collects black residual sacks and recycling every week. St Agnes and Bryher do not get a kerbside round. Residents there get reusable recycling sacks and deal with the off-island waste contract. Put St Mary's and St Martin's containers out by 8:30am and bring them back the same day.

Last checked against 2 sources (www.scilly.gov.uk).

What goes in each bin

Black residual sack · General waste

Sack · Every week

Yes please

  • Nappies, feminine hygiene products, black trays and polystyrene
  • Food waste that is not home composted, sweet wrappers and toothpaste tubes
  • Animal bedding, pet waste and pet litter
  • Pouches and drinks cartons, including composite ones
  • Broken or unbroken drinking glasses, wrapped, and paper or card with glitter or glue

Not in this one

  • Unbagged waste and side waste
  • More than the weekly sack allowance without agreeing it with the waste team

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

Blue paper and card sack · Paper and card

Sack · Every week

Yes please

  • Clean flattened cardboard boxes and tubes, except crisp tubes
  • Paper that is not shredded, newspapers, printed paper and photographic paper
  • Glossy magazines and envelopes

Not in this one

  • Shredded paper inside the blue sack. The page says shredded paper can be collected in a separate bag, ideally a clear one
  • Crisp tubes

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

Red plastics and metals sack · Mixed recycling

Sack · Every week

Yes please

  • Foil, cans, aerosols and tins
  • Plastic pots, tubs, trays and bottles
  • Items that are clean, rinsed, dry and squashed

Not in this one

  • The page's red-sack list does not include glass, paper, food waste or black plastic trays

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

Black glass box · Glass

Box · Every week

Yes please

  • Wine and beer bottles
  • Jam jars, makeup jars and perfume bottles
  • Glass that is clean, rinsed and dry

Not in this one

  • Broken glass, heatproof glass and cookware
  • Drinking glasses, sheet glass, ceramics and pottery

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

Check your bin day

Use Isles of Scilly’s own page for your bin day

BinWeek's lookup service has no supported way to read this council's collection dates, so the page links to the council's own finder.

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

How often each bin is collected

Collection frequency by bin for Isles of Scilly
BinCollected
Black residual sack · General wasteEvery week
Blue paper and card sack · Paper and cardEvery week
Red plastics and metals sack · Mixed recyclingEvery week
Black glass box · GlassEvery week

Food waste and the national recycling rules

Isles of Scilly does not collect food waste every week. The household page does not describe a separate food caddy. Food waste that is not home composted goes in the black residual sack. Kerbside collections of residual waste and recycling are weekly on St Mary's and St Martin's.

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

If your bin was missed

Email zerowaste@scilly.gov.uk or call 01720 424450. If the council or its contractor missed a collection, a report by 12 noon on the collection day is collected the same working day. A report after 12 noon is collected by 12 noon the next working day, not at the weekend or on a bank holiday. Waste that was not out by 8:30am is not treated as the council's miss, and they do not return until the next scheduled day unless the circumstances are exceptional. Same day, by 12 noon, if you want a same-day return. The page does not give a later cut-off in days.

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

Your nearest tip

Good to know in Isles of Scilly

  • The weekly allowance is up to two 90-litre black sacks you provide yourself, one red sack for plastics and metals, one blue sack for paper and card, and one black box for glass bottles and jars. The council sacks are 95-litre red, 120-litre blue and 55-litre black for glass. Ask zerowaste@scilly.gov.uk before you put out more than that. The phone is 01720 424450.
  • The council does not supply dustbins or wheelie bins. It suggests storing black sacks in a bin no larger than 120 litres, or in a seagull-proof sack from Carn Gwaval Sports Hall or Porthcressa Library. Flats are pointed toward 1100-litre drop-sided bins. Rural St Mary's properties present at the nearest safe point on the highway. The vehicle does not usually drive an unmetalled road.
  • St Mary's collection days are listed street by street. The table on the page is dated 2 February 2026 and runs Tuesday to Friday. Church Road is a Tuesday example. Old Town Road is a Wednesday example. The full list is on the council page.
  • Porthmellon Waste and Recycling Centre takes household waste the council does not collect. Slots are on Tuesdays and Thursdays and have to be booked. Batteries can go to Porthcressa Library or Carn Gwaval Wellbeing Centre. Soft plastics, film, bags and crisp packets can go to the Co-Operative Food on Hugh Street. Clothes, shoes and fabrics can go to the Salvation Army bank at Rechabite Slipway, Hugh Town.
  • Self-catering holiday lets are commercial waste, not this household service. A business run from part of a home has to treat that part's waste as commercial. The household policy was approved in October 2024. The page links the policy as a PDF.
  • There is a separate electrical item collection. The household page points to that service rather than listing the appliances.

Bin questions in Isles of Scilly

What if a Scilly collection has not happened by the afternoon?

The kerbside page says material has to be at the boundary by 8.30a.m. If it is still there at 4.30p.m, email zerowaste@scilly.gov.uk or call 01720 424450. That number is voicemail only on this page. It also says a bin with a lid, a wheelie bin up to 240ltrs, or a seagull-proof sack bought from the council will keep waste contained.

How often is rubbish collected on the Isles of Scilly?

Every week on St Mary's and St Martin's, residual sacks and recycling together. St Agnes and Bryher are not kerbside rounds. Days on St Mary's depend on the street. The published table is as of 2 February 2026.

What time do Scilly bins have to be out?

By 8:30am on St Mary's and St Martin's, and back inside the boundary the same day. Anything later is not collected until the next scheduled day. A council miss reported by 12 noon comes back the same working day.

Is there a food waste collection on Scilly?

Not as its own container. Food that you do not compost at home goes in the black residual sack, with nappies, black trays, pet waste and the other items on that list.

Guides that may help

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