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Oldham bin collection days

Oldham uses four colour-coded bins: blue for paper and card, brown for plastics, glass and cans, green for food and garden waste together, and grey for rubbish that cannot be recycled. The council's pages do not say how often each is emptied, so the dates for your own address are the only reliable guide.

Last checked against 5 sources (www.oldham.gov.uk, www.legislation.gov.uk).

What goes in each bin

Grey bin for rubbish that cannot be recycled · General waste

Bin · Varies by area, so check your address

Yes please

  • Nappies and polystyrene
  • Plastic bags and film, and other household plastics such as plant pots
  • Lids from glass jars and bottles
  • Wrapped broken crockery and glassware
  • Other broken non-electrical household items

Not in this one

  • Anything the council collects for recycling in the blue, brown and green bins

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

Blue bin for paper and card · Paper and card

Bin

Yes please

  • Newspapers, magazines, brochures, envelopes and junk mail
  • Cardboard, card packaging and egg boxes
  • Food and drinks cartons (Tetra Pak)
  • Shredded paper, wrapped in a sheet of newspaper or placed in a cardboard box

Not in this one

  • Plastics, glass and cans, which the council lists for the brown bin

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

Brown bin for plastics, glass and cans · Mixed recycling

Bin

Yes please

  • Plastic pots, tubs and trays, including black plastic trays
  • Plastic bottles, including trigger sprays and shampoo bottles
  • Glass bottles and jars
  • Food tins, drink cans, aerosols and foil

Not in this one

  • Plastic film, carrier bags, crisp packets and pet food pouches
  • Items that are not clean and empty of food or drink

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

Green bin for food and garden waste · Garden waste

Bin

Yes please

  • Garden waste: grass, flowers, and hedge and plant cuttings
  • Food waste: all cooked and uncooked food, fruit and vegetables, meat and bones, bread and pastries
  • Dairy such as cheese, egg shells, tea bags and coffee grounds
  • Out of date food, with no packaging

Not in this one

  • Soil, gravel, stones and wood
  • Invasive weeds such as Japanese knotweed or Himalayan balsam
  • Food packaging

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

Check your bin day

We can’t check Oldham addresses yet

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

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

How often each bin is collected

Collection frequency by bin for Oldham
BinCollected
Grey bin for rubbish that cannot be recycled · General wasteVaries by area, so check your address

Food waste and the national recycling rules

Oldham has a transitional arrangement for weekly food waste. Oldham Council is listed in the schedule to the Environment Act 2021 (Commencement No. 9 and Transitional Provisions) Regulations 2024 with a separate food waste collection date of 1 April 2034. Until then its green bin takes food and garden waste together, and the council points to compostable liners for indoor caddies.

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

If your bin was missed

Use the council's online missed bin form. Crews can start their rounds from 6am, so the bin must be out before then. Wait until after 6pm on collection day before you report, because the crew may still be working your area. The council asks you to report only if neighbouring bins on your street were emptied and yours was not, and to leave your bin out if crews could not safely get down the road. You must report a missed collection within 2 working days of your scheduled collection day.

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

Your nearest tip

Good to know in Oldham

  • Put every bin out by 6am on your collection day and bring it in by 8am the following day. The council says not to put bins out earlier than 6pm the evening before.
  • Terraced houses put bins out at the end of the alleyway collection point. Food caddies are the only containers that go at the front of a terraced property. Bins from non-terraced houses go out at the front.
  • The council will not empty a bin if it was not out by 6am, if its crew recorded the bin as not out, if the wrong things were in it, or if a missed collection was not reported within 2 working days.
  • The brown bin must hold only clean, empty items. Plastic film, carrier bags, crisp packets and pet food pouches are not accepted anywhere in the recycling bins and go in the grey bin.
  • If you often have more recycling than the bins hold, the council suggests taking it to your local tip, asking neighbours with spare space, or ordering bigger recycling bins.
  • As of 3 October 2026 the council's rubbish and recycling page said that when a street is not collected as expected it is most likely because the vehicle could not get through safely, and crews will return as soon as possible. It asks residents to park carefully and leave the bin out.
  • Reliance Street Recycling Centre was listed as closed from June 2025 to June 2026 for improvement works. Neighbouring centres at Chichester Street and Bayley Street, and a set of recycling banks at Moorhey Street, are also listed. Check the Recycle for Greater Manchester website for opening times.

Bin questions in Oldham

Which bin is which colour in Oldham?

Blue is for paper and card, brown for plastics, glass, cans, aerosols and foil, green for food and garden waste together, and grey for rubbish that cannot be recycled.

What time must bins be out in Oldham?

By 6am on your collection day, and no earlier than 6pm the day before. Take them back in by 8am the day after collection.

Can I use Oldham's recycling centres for free?

Yes, the council says its recycling centres can be used free of charge for waste and recycling from your home, including normal household activities and DIY projects. The one in Oldham is Arkwright Street.

Guides that may help

Nearby councils