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Lewisham bin collection days

Lewisham collects recycling, food waste and garden waste every week and general rubbish every two weeks, which is the reverse of the common alternate-week pattern. Houses and converted flats get a black bin, a green recycling bin and a grey food bin. Flats above shops use orange and clear sacks, and estates have communal bins.

Last checked against 5 sources (lewisham.gov.uk).

What goes in each bin

Black wheelie bin for rubbish (communal blue bins or orange sacks for some homes) · General waste

Bin · Every two weeks

Yes please

  • Household rubbish and items that cannot be recycled

Not in this one

  • Batteries, gas canisters and car or cooking oil
  • DIY waste, rubble and liquids
  • Metal, textiles and small electrical items
  • Recyclable items, food waste and garden waste
  • Large items such as furniture or large electrical items
  • Hazardous waste such as paint, chemicals and car batteries

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

Green wheelie bin or clear sacks for recycling · Mixed recycling

Bin · Every week

Yes please

  • Paper, magazines, newspapers, envelopes, junk mail, catalogues and non-plastic, non-metallic wrapping paper
  • Glass, with lids left on jars and bottles
  • Cans, including cleaned out food tins and drinks cans
  • Flattened cardboard food boxes, egg cartons, cereal boxes and kitchen or toilet roll inner tubes
  • Plastic drinks, shampoo and cleaning bottles, with lids on and not flattened
  • Cleaned plastic food containers including yogurt pots, fruit punnets and ice cream tubs

Not in this one

  • Plastic bags of any colour, including carrier bags and black bin liners
  • Wet, dirty, laminated or waxed paper and card, and food-soiled pizza boxes
  • Crisp packets, biscuit and sweet wrappers, cling film and bubble wrap
  • Hard plastics such as Tupperware, and polystyrene
  • Broken glass, light bulbs, window glass, Pyrex and ceramics
  • Food waste, nappies, pet waste, tissues and liquids
  • Small electrical items, batteries, gas canisters, textiles and garden waste

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

Grey food waste bin and kitchen caddy · Food waste

Bin · Every week

Yes please

  • Vegetable and fruit waste and fallen fruit
  • Food scraps, cooked and uncooked, including leftover, mouldy and out-of-date food
  • Bread and cheese
  • Egg shells
  • Tea bags and coffee grounds

Not in this one

  • Nappies and household waste
  • Garden waste or soil
  • Packaging such as food and drink cartons
  • Liquids such as milk, oil and liquid fat
  • Plastics of any kind, including bin liners
  • Stones, rubble, kitchen towel and tissue
  • Cat litter and dog poo

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

Brown garden waste bin (paid subscription) · Garden waste

Bin · Every week

Yes please

  • Grass clippings and leaves
  • Plants and prunings
  • Garden weeds
  • Small tree branches and hedge trimmings
  • Fallen fruit

Not in this one

  • Household waste and food waste
  • Bricks, stone, rubble and soil
  • Plastic, including plant and flower pots and bags
  • Nappies, cat litter and dog poo
  • Ceramics, garden furniture, hosepipes, timber and polystyrene
  • Potting mix
  • Japanese knotweed

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

Check your bin day

We can’t check Lewisham addresses yet

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

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

How often each bin is collected

Collection frequency by bin for Lewisham
BinCollected
Black wheelie bin for rubbish (communal blue bins or orange sacks for some homes) · General wasteEvery two weeks
Green wheelie bin or clear sacks for recycling · Mixed recyclingEvery week
Grey food waste bin and kitchen caddy · Food wasteEvery week
Brown garden waste bin (paid subscription) · Garden wasteEvery week

Food waste and the national recycling rules

Lewisham collects food waste every week. Food waste is collected weekly from kerbside homes, with a 23 litre outdoor bin and a 5 litre kitchen caddy. The council said on 2 October 2026 it was not currently collecting food waste from estate properties, and that where no food waste collection is listed for an address the service is not available there yet.

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

Garden waste

Garden waste is a paid-for service. The 2026/2027 subscription costs £100.63 a year for weekly collections of a 240L bin. The council says the Direct Debit option for 2026/2027 had closed, so new subscribers pay as a one-off payment. Garden waste is collected every week from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027. A valid 2026/2027 sticker permit must be displayed, and the council may remove a garden waste bin without one.

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

If your bin was missed

Report each missed bin separately on the council's online form. Collections can happen at any time of day, so wait until 1pm before reporting. Put bins out before 6am on collection day at the edge of your property. If a bin has a red tag, it contained the wrong items and was not collected, so remove them for the next scheduled collection. Report within 48 hours of the missed collection. For communal bins on flats and estates, email the council's recycling team rather than using the form.

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

Your nearest tip

Good to know in Lewisham

  • Which bins you have depends on your property. Houses and flats in converted properties get a 180 litre black wheelie bin, a 240L green wheelie bin and a 23L grey food bin with a 5L kitchen caddy. Flats above shops get orange sacks for rubbish and clear sacks for recycling, delivered quarterly, usually in March, June, September and December.
  • Blocks of flats and estates use large blue rubbish bins and green recycling bins in a communal bin area. Food waste is not yet collected from estate properties. Where your address shows no food waste collection, the service is not there yet.
  • The council says a contaminated recycling bin is not emptied as recycling. It is collected with the general waste and the household is sent a warning. A red tag on a bin means it held incorrect items and was left.
  • Metal and small electrical items do not belong in the black bin either. Lewisham points people to textile and small electricals recycling banks, and to bulky item and hazardous waste collections for larger or dangerous items.
  • Food bins must be kept locked against foxes and other pests, and put out before 6am on the weekly collection day. Line the caddy with a clear bag or newspaper. The council's rule is that plastics of any kind, including bin liners, do not go in the outdoor bin.
  • The garden waste subscription is £100.63 a year, which the council says works out at less than £2 a week for 52 weekly collections. Presenting a bin without the right sticker could lead to its removal, or a fine of up to £300.
  • The Landmann Way centre in New Cross needs no booking but is only for Lewisham residents, who must show photo ID and proof of address. Vans are allowed up to four visits a year and the site is closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day.

Bin questions in Lewisham

How often are bins collected in Lewisham?

The council says it collects recycling, food waste and garden waste every week, and general household rubbish every two weeks. Flats above shops and estates have sacks or communal bins with their own arrangements.

How much is garden waste collection in Lewisham?

The 2026/2027 subscription costs £100.63 a year for weekly collections of a 240L bin, from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027. The Direct Debit option had closed for that year, so new subscribers pay once.

Guides that may help

Nearby councils