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Leicester bin collection days

Leicester collects household waste and recycling every week. Houses have a black bin for rubbish and orange bags for recycling. Most flats and student halls use shared bins instead, and some small blocks still use the orange bags. Garden waste is a paid fortnightly service on Mondays, and only between March and November.

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

What goes in each bin

Black general waste bin · General waste

Bin · Every week

Yes please

  • General household waste that is not recycled
  • Nappies, sanitary products and cotton wool
  • Tissues, cleaning wipes, kitchen roll and paper towels
  • Crisp packets, sweet wrappers, balloons and food or drink pouches
  • Polystyrene and bubble wrap
  • Hard plastics such as toys, coat hangers and CD or DVD cases
  • Black plastics, including black plant pots and black food trays
  • Mirrors, drinking glasses, Pyrex and ceramics
  • Food waste and pet bedding

Not in this one

  • Paper, card, cartons, glass bottles and jars, tins, cans, foil and plastic packaging, which go in the orange bags
  • Batteries, electrical items, paint, chemicals, asbestos, oils, wood, rubble, soil, tiles and textiles, which go to a recycling centre
  • Garden waste, including large branches
  • Waste left on the floor next to the bin

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

Orange recycling bags · Mixed recycling

Bag · Every week

Yes please

  • Newspapers, magazines, envelopes, leaflets, catalogues and wrapping paper without glitter or shine
  • Food packaging card, kitchen and toilet roll tubes, and greetings cards without glitter, shine or ribbons
  • Empty cardboard boxes, folded flat
  • Food and drink cartons, including Tetra Pak
  • Glass bottles and jars
  • Tins, cans, chocolate and biscuit tins, clean foil and foil trays, and jar lids
  • Plastic bottles and lids, pots, tubs, trays, punnets, plastic takeaway containers and plant pots

Not in this one

  • Black bags, which the crew will not collect
  • Glittery or shiny paper and card
  • Nappies, sanitary products, tissues, wipes and kitchen roll
  • Crisp packets, sweet wrappers and food or drink pouches
  • Polystyrene, bubble wrap and hard plastics
  • Black plastic plant pots and black food trays
  • Mirrors, drinking glasses, Pyrex, ceramics, food waste and pet bedding
  • Any bag other than the council's orange bags at houses

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

Green garden waste bin · Garden waste

Bin · Every two weeks

Yes please

  • Grass cuttings, leaves, weeds, flowers, bark and garden or house plants
  • Hedge trimmings
  • Small twigs and branches under 150mm thick
  • Garden waste put in loose, with no bag

Not in this one

  • Food waste
  • Plastic bags, including compostable or biodegradable bags
  • Soil, turf, gravel, rubble, stones and pond sludge
  • Logs or branches over 150mm thick, and treated wood
  • Plant pots, seed trays and other plastic packaging
  • Animal faeces, dead animals and garden twine
  • Japanese knotweed
  • Extra waste beside the bin

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

Check your bin day

We can’t check Leicester addresses yet

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

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

How often each bin is collected

Collection frequency by bin for Leicester
BinCollected
Black general waste bin · General wasteEvery week
Orange recycling bags · Mixed recyclingEvery week
Green garden waste bin · Garden wasteEvery two weeks

Food waste and the national recycling rules

Leicester does not collect food waste every week. Leicester's recycling rules tell residents to put food waste in the black bin, not in the orange recycling bags. The household collection pages describe a black bin and orange bags, and do not describe a separate food caddy.

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

Garden waste

Garden waste is a paid-for service. A 12-month subscription is £68, or £63 if you pay by Direct Debit. Each extra bin is £28. The council supplies a green 240 litre bin, which stays the council's property. Garden waste is collected fortnightly on Mondays, from March to November. There are two calendars: one for households whose black bin is collected on Tuesday or Wednesday, and one for Thursday or Friday black bin days.

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

If your bin was missed

Report a missed bin or bag on Leicester City Council's online form if it was out on time and held only the right items. A collection can be missed because bags or bins were not out by 7am, held the wrong items, or the bin was too heavy. Put bins and bags out by 7am on collection day, and no earlier than 7pm the night before. In hot weather the council asks for them by 6am, because crews may start earlier.

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

Your nearest tip

Good to know in Leicester

  • Orange bags are the only bags the council will take from houses. Flats that share a recycling bin should put recycling in loose, or in a transparent bag. Black bags are left behind because the crew cannot see what is inside. Flattened cardboard goes under the orange bags.
  • Rinse and dry food and drink containers before they go in the orange bag. Food waste stays in the black bin. Batteries, electrical items, paint, wood, rubble, soil, textiles and garden waste are for a recycling centre, not the kerbside bags or the black bin. Some hazardous waste, including chemicals and asbestos, is only taken at Freemen's Common.
  • Put containers at the edge of the property, or at the designated point, without blocking the pavement. Bring the bin back in by the end of collection day. Leaving bins out at other times, or waste on the floor beside them, is something the city wardens can fine.
  • If you cannot move waste to the collection point because of a disability, health condition, pregnancy or mobility problem, and nobody else can help, you can ask for an assisted collection.
  • Waste from halls owned by the University of Leicester is collected by a private contractor, not the council's household round.
  • A bulky collection can be one free visit every two months, of up to five items, or a paid visit of up to five items for £22. Collections start from 7am, and items have to be at the front of the property by then. Wet mattresses and sofas that are too heavy to lift are not taken. The service is for people who live in the city, not for Leicestershire districts, landlords or businesses.
  • The two recycling centres are Gypsum Close, Leicester, LE4 9AB, and Freemen's Common on Islington Street, LE2 7SQ. As of 3 October 2026 those were the only two named on the council's recycling centres page.
  • If you move inside Leicester, take the green garden bin with you and tell the council the new address. If you move outside the city, leave the bin and email gardenwaste@leicester.gov.uk so it can be collected.

Bin questions in Leicester

How often are Leicester's black bin and orange bags collected?

Both are collected every week, on the same day. Check the day with your postcode on the council's household waste page. Houses use a black bin and orange bags. Most flats use shared bins.

Does Leicester collect food waste separately?

No. The recycling rules say food waste goes in the black bin. It is one of the items that cannot go in the orange recycling bags.

How much is a Leicester garden waste subscription?

£68 for 12 months, or £63 by Direct Debit, and £28 for each extra bin. Collections are fortnightly on Mondays from March to November, in a green 240 litre bin.

Is bulky waste collection free in Leicester?

You can have one free collection every two months, of up to five items. A further collection of up to five items costs £22. If the items are not out at the right time, that visit still counts and is not refunded.

Guides that may help

Nearby councils