Skip to main content

Lichfield bin collection days

Lichfield, in a joint waste service with Tamworth, gives homes a blue bin for glass, cans and plastics, a blue bag for paper and card, a black bin for rubbish, and a weekly food caddy. Rural homes may have a purple bin instead of the blue bag, emptied on the fortnight the blue bin is not. Garden waste is optional and paid. The black bin page does not give an item-by-item list of what the rubbish bin takes.

Last checked against 8 sources (www.lichfielddc.gov.uk).

Service disruption

Garden waste for 2026 is £42.50 per bin, up to 23 collections, not over Christmas and New Year. The garden page says collections are suspended over winter and that 2026 collections start from the week of 26 January 2026. The terms say the bin goes out by 6am with a sticker, on the same day as the blue bin, and that the sticker should arrive within 10 working days. Call 0345 002 0022 if the sticker is lost. Loose grass, hedge clippings, weeds, plants, prunings and leaves only. Soil, turf, rocks, large branches, sawdust, pet waste and food stay out.

This can change quickly. We last checked on ; the council’s own page has the latest.

What goes in each bin

Black bin · General waste

Bin · Every two weeks

Yes please

  • Non-recyclable household waste

Not in this one

  • Food waste, which should go in the food waste caddy
  • Side waste left outside the bin
  • Toxic or hazardous clinical waste such as syringes, sharps, dressings or bodily fluids
  • Vapes and batteries

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

Blue bin for glass, cans and plastics · Mixed recycling

Bin · Every two weeks

Yes please

  • Plastic containers, including margarine and ice cream tubs, yoghurt pots, bottles and plastic food trays
  • Aluminium foil, food trays or cans that stay together when scrunched
  • Glass bottles or jars, and lids
  • Aerosol cans and roll-ons

Not in this one

  • Bin bags of any colour
  • Carrier bags and plastic wrappers
  • Cartons, including juice, milk and soup
  • General waste, food waste and nappies or sanitary products
  • Pyrex, garden waste, animal bedding and polystyrene
  • Rigid plastics such as garden furniture, toys and coat hangers
  • Plant pots, garden trays and bubble wrap
  • Foil that does not stay together when scrunched, such as crisp bags and pet food pouches
  • Textiles, mirrored glass, electricals, batteries and vapes
  • Wallpaper, used tissues, kitchen roll and paper towels

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

Blue bag or purple bin for paper and card · Paper and card

Bag

Yes please

  • Paper, including newspapers, magazines, telephone directories and wrapping paper without foil or glitter
  • Card, including flattened cardboard, food sleeves and toilet and kitchen roll inners
  • Shredded paper, loose or inside an envelope or box

Not in this one

  • Carrier bags
  • Paper or card cartons, including juice, milk and soup
  • Used animal bedding, even if it is paper
  • Wallpaper and wallpaper backing
  • Used tissues, kitchen roll or paper towels
  • Vapes and batteries

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

Food waste caddy · Food waste

Caddy · Every week

Yes please

  • Fruit and vegetable peelings
  • Tea bags and coffee grounds
  • Leftovers and out-of-date food
  • Bread, cakes and biscuits
  • Eggs and dairy produce
  • Meat and bones
  • Rice, pasta and beans

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

Garden waste bin · Garden waste

Bin · Every two weeks

Yes please

  • Grass cuttings
  • Hedge clippings
  • Weeds, plants and prunings
  • Leaves
  • Material placed loose, not in bags or sacks

Not in this one

  • Soils, turf, rocks and stones
  • Large branches and sawdust
  • Pet waste
  • Food

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

Check your bin day

We can’t check Lichfield addresses yet

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

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

How often each bin is collected

Collection frequency by bin for Lichfield
BinCollected
Black bin · General wasteEvery two weeks
Blue bin for glass, cans and plastics · Mixed recyclingEvery two weeks
Food waste caddy · Food wasteEvery week
Garden waste bin · Garden wasteEvery two weeks

Food waste and the national recycling rules

Lichfield collects food waste every week. The liner page says crews must be able to see the food inside the bag. It says not to use solid colour bags, and not to use compostable bags because they break down too quickly and clog the plant. Clear plastic liners or transparent bread bags are accepted. The caddy instructions list foods that can go in and do not list foods that must stay out.

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

Garden waste

Garden waste is a paid-for service. For 2026 the service costs £42.50 per bin. The charge stays the same whenever you join. The garden service page does not mention a concession. Fortnightly collections, up to 23 in the year, excluding Christmas and New Year, on the same day as the blue bin or bags. The service runs January to December. The page says 2026 collections start from the week of 26 January 2026 and that collections are suspended over the winter period. Check the bin calendar for the date.

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

If your bin was missed

The missed bin page is updated by 5.30pm. If your street is listed, leave the bin out. The council aims to return the next working day, and says it can take up to three working days. If your street is not listed, report a miss no earlier than 5.30pm on the day and no later than midnight the next day. A genuine miss is emptied within three working days. Bins that were not out by 6am, were contaminated, were too heavy or were frozen are not returned. Bins, bags and caddies go out by 6am at the usual point. Do not report before 5.30pm.

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

Good to know in Lichfield

  • The blue bin is emptied every two weeks, on the alternate week to the black bin, together with the blue bag. In rural areas the purple bin and the blue bin alternate: one fortnight the blue bin, the next fortnight the purple bin. Wash dirty items. Recycling goes in loose. Cartons, including juice, milk and soup, are refused in both the blue bin and the blue bag. A second blue bin or a second blue bag is free.
  • The black bin is every two weeks. The page says it is for non-recyclable household waste and that food should now go in the caddy rather than sit in the black bin for up to two weeks. It does not list the other items the black bin takes. It does refuse side waste, vapes, batteries, and toxic or hazardous clinical waste. Extra black bin capacity depends on household size: six or more people, or five or more with a child under three, or four or more with two children under three, or extra non-hazardous medical packaging.
  • The food caddy page lists peelings, tea bags, leftovers, bread, eggs and dairy, meat and bones, and rice, pasta and beans. It does not list what to keep out. The liner page is the reject list that was published: no solid colour bags, and no compostable bags. Clear plastic or a transparent bread bag is allowed. The outdoor caddy is emptied every week, including on the same day as any coloured bin.
  • Missed collections are checked on the missed bin page at 5.30pm. Report between 5.30pm and midnight the next day if the street is not already listed. A return is within three working days.
  • As of 3 October 2026 the food caddy instructions still had no list of foods to keep out. The liner rules are the restriction the council has published for that service.

Bin questions in Lichfield

How often is the Lichfield black bin emptied?

Every two weeks, on the alternate week to the recycling. Food waste goes in the caddy, which is emptied every week. The black bin page does not publish a list of other rubbish that belongs in it.

How much is Lichfield garden waste?

£42.50 per bin for 2026, with up to 23 collections and a break over Christmas and New Year. The charge does not fall if you join later. Collections are fortnightly on the blue-bin day. The page says 2026 collections start from the week of 26 January 2026.

Which liners can go in a Lichfield food caddy?

Clear plastic liners, or a transparent bread bag, so the crew can see the food. Solid colour bags are refused. Compostable bags are refused because they clog the processing plant.

Guides that may help

Nearby councils