Northumberland County Council collects general waste and recycling from separate wheeled bins, each once a fortnight, with an optional paid garden waste service from March to November. It does not name bin colours on its pages, so the bin guide is the place to check what goes where. Weekly food waste has not reached every home yet, and the council is planning a larger change to dry recycling in early 2027.
Last checked against 7 sources (www.northumberland.gov.uk).
What goes in each bin
Household general waste bin · General waste
Bin · Every two weeks
Yes please
Shredded paper, tissues and paper towels
Birthday and Christmas paper with glitter or bling
Tin foil and foil trays
Disposable nappies
Plastics that are not bottles, such as carrier bags, cling film, plant pots, yoghurt pots, food trays, margarine cartons and bubble wrap
Bin liners and polystyrene
Single-use coffee cups and gloss photo paper
Food waste
Glass and Tetra Paks, unless you take them to a tip
Not in this one
Clean paper, card, tins, aerosols and plastic bottles, which go in the recycling bin
Garden waste, which has its own optional service
A bin that is too heavy, damaged or blocked, which crews tag white and leave
Northumberland does not collect food waste every week. As of 2 October 2026 Northumberland has no county-wide weekly food waste collection. The council said weekly food collections would begin from autumn 2026 for around 90,000 households in south-east Northumberland (the former Blyth Valley and Wansbeck areas), Morpeth, Pegswood and Ponteland, with wider rollout depending on funding in 2027/28. It also expected to start a phased new dry recycling service in early 2027, with a separate fibre bin for paper and card.
Garden waste is a paid-for service. The council says a new garden waste customer's bin is included in the sign-up fee and is kept for as long as the service is used. Its page does not state the price. The service gives 20 collections each year from March to November, with no collections from December to February. As of 2 October 2026 sign-ups for the 2026 season were closed, and the council said it would take sign-ups for the 2027 season in early 2027. You have 14 working days from payment to cancel.
Check that your bin was out by 7am, that no disruption is listed on the Council Alerts page, and that there is no red tag (wrong items in recycling) or white tag (too heavy, no access or damaged) on the bin. If none applies, report a missed residential bin collection online and the council will collect as soon as possible. A bin that was not ready is emptied on the next collection day, 2 weeks later. The council gives no deadline for reporting. It asks that the bin was out by 7am.
Put your bin at the side of the kerb outside your property by 7am and take it back in once it has been emptied. If the bin is not ready when the crew arrives, it waits until the next scheduled day, which is 2 weeks later.
Recycling goes in loose, clean and dry. Bin bags in the recycling bin are not accepted. If the crew finds wrong items, such as food, nappies, pet waste, plastic bags or wet cardboard, they leave a red tag, and you are sent a letter before the next recycling collection.
Today the recycling bin does not take glass, Tetra Paks or plastic pots, tubs and trays. The council says it must also collect those materials under the national rules and that its new service is waiting on infrastructure upgrades, with a phased start expected in early 2027. Until then, use a tip or bottle bank for glass.
After the change, residents are expected to have two recycling bins: a new 240 litre fibre bin with a black body and burgundy lid for paper, card and cardboard, and the existing bin for metals, plastics, glass and cartons, each emptied on a four-week cycle.
A new or replacement standard 240 litre bin costs £49.50, and the council repairs damaged lids for free on 0345 600 6400. If you have no space for a wheeled bin you may be able to use sacks, with 3 sacks per collection provided free.
Households with six or more people, or special medical needs, can ask for a larger 340 litre general waste bin for a charge of £61.50. The Household Waste Recovery Centres need proof that you live in Northumberland, and you cannot arrive on foot or bring waste in a wheelie bin.
Bin questions in Northumberland
How often are bins collected in Northumberland?
General waste and recycling are each collected once a fortnight, and garden waste is an optional paid service. The council says a bin that was not ready is emptied 2 weeks later on the next scheduled collection day.
Does Northumberland collect food waste?
Not county-wide yet. As of 2 October 2026 the council said weekly kerbside food waste would begin from autumn 2026 for around 90,000 households in south-east Northumberland, Morpeth, Pegswood and Ponteland, and that further rollout depends on funding in 2027/28.
How much does a bulky waste collection cost in Northumberland?
Up to three items cost £45 and four to six items cost £90. Residents receiving housing benefits or council tax support get a 25% discount, apart from the single person discount. Collections run between 7am and 5pm on the day you choose. Call 0345 600 6400 to book.
When is garden waste collected in Northumberland?
The garden waste service gives 20 collections each year from March to November, and there are none from December to February.
BinWeek is paid for by Google ads on guide and council pages. Choose whether Google may store and read information on this device to show and measure ads. Until you choose, and if you reject, nothing is stored for advertising and no ad is shown. Your postcode and address never go to Google. Privacy policy