Skip to main content

Orkney Islands bin collection days

Orkney collects grey refuse and green recycling on alternate weeks on the Mainland and Shapinsay, out by 8am. The outer isles except Shapinsay use weekly bags, also out by 8am. The household page names the pattern and the islands. It does not list what goes in the grey or green bin. A downloadable welcome pack on the same page is labelled as generated by an AI model, so those lists are not used here.

Last checked against 2 sources (www.orkney.gov.uk).

What goes in each bin

Grey refuse bin on the Mainland and Shapinsay · General waste

Bin · Varies by area, so check your address

Yes please

  • Household refuse, collected on the week the green recycling bin is not collected

Not in this one

  • The household page does not publish an item list for the grey bin
  • Ropes, bungees and heavy weights must not be used to hold the lid; a weight of up to 2kg or a piece of electrical tape is what the windy-weather note allows

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

Green recycling bin on the Mainland and Shapinsay · Mixed recycling

Bin · Every two weeks

Yes please

  • Recycling, collected on the alternate week from the grey refuse bin

Not in this one

  • The household page does not list which materials go in the green bin
  • A linked welcome pack is marked as generated by an AI model, so its recycling lists are not repeated here

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

Check your bin day

We can’t check Orkney Islands addresses yet

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

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

Set your own bin day

These dates are the ones you enter. BinWeek does not get them from Orkney Islands. Check them on the council’s site (opens in a new tab) (www.orkney.gov.uk).

Grey refuse bin on the Mainland and Shapinsay · General waste
Green recycling bin on the Mainland and Shapinsay · Mixed recycling

The council’s pages say this is collected every two weeks. Your round may differ, so use the pattern you were given.

Add to calendar

A private calendar link for the pattern you entered, with an alert at 6pm the evening before. The link contains those days. BinWeek does not keep a copy, and anyone with the link can see them.

Email me the night before

You can still add these days to your calendar.

How often each bin is collected

Collection frequency by bin for Orkney Islands
BinCollected
Grey refuse bin on the Mainland and Shapinsay · General wasteVaries by area, so check your address
Green recycling bin on the Mainland and Shapinsay · Mixed recyclingEvery two weeks

If your bin was missed

The household waste page links to a report a missed bin form. It does not describe the form's questions or a deadline. If a collection is cancelled for bad weather, the council will try to re-collect and cannot always do so; otherwise hold the waste for the next day or take it to a household waste recycling centre. Bins or bags should have been out by 8am.

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

Your nearest tip

Good to know in Orkney Islands

  • Outer isles days on the household page: Monday Sanday and Westray; Tuesday Flotta and Graemsay; Wednesday Eday and Shapinsay, which is the alternate weekly service; Thursday Hoy, North Ronaldsay, Papa Westray, Rousay, Stronsay, Egilsay and Wyre.
  • Stronsay bags are collected from the Island Link Office on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, 10am to 12 noon. Other outer isles residents call 01856 873535 for bags. Do not overfill bags, tie them, and keep them off the road.
  • Five sites are listed. Hatston, Garson and Bossack take black bag waste and large items. St Margaret's Hope and Cursiter take recyclables only. All upholstered furniture goes to Hatston because of fire-retardant chemicals. Sites are for domestic use; a van or trailer may be asked for a hire agreement.
  • Approved lid clips are Schafer clips at £5.50 from the Council Offices, School Place, Kirkwall, and the Warehouse Building, Stromness, or Caithness Beach Clean closers from StormWashed on Etsy. One clip per bin, no delivery. A weight of up to 2kg or electrical tape is the other wind advice. Ropes and bungees are refused.
  • Special bulky collections are charged from the council charges register, which this page does not quote. A three-piece suite counts as three items. Two people must be able to lift the item. Carpet, fitted kitchens, doors, fencing, sheds, boilers, gas bottles, tyres and building waste are not accepted. Book online or call 01856 873535.
  • Isles special collection dates run to 31 March 2027, with a booking deadline of 5pm on the Wednesday before the listed week. The household page prints a date for each island. Those dates are not copied here in case a single figure is mistyped; use the council page for the week that applies to the island.
  • Opening hours are printed site by site, from early morning to mid-afternoon, and they are not the same on Friday at Cursiter or at the weekend. Hatston is closed on Monday. The page is the place to read the day's hours before you drive.

Bin questions in Orkney Islands

How often is the Orkney grey bin emptied?

On the Mainland and Shapinsay, every other week, alternating with the green recycling bin. On the outer isles except Shapinsay, refuse is a weekly bag collection. Everything is out by 8am.

What can I put in the green bin?

The household waste page calls it the recycling bin and does not list materials. The welcome pack linked from that page is marked as AI-generated, so this page does not copy a materials list from it.

Can hazardous waste go in an Orkney bin?

No. Hazardous waste must not go in the household refuse bin or the recycling. Most of it can go to Hatston, Garson or Bossack if you tell staff when you arrive. Small amounts of household chemicals such as weedkillers can go to Bossack free of charge. Only bonded asbestos, double wrapped, is accepted, and only at Bossack in Tankerness.

Where do black bags go if I miss a collection?

The page says to hold them for the next collection if a weather cancellation cannot be repeated, or take them to Hatston, Garson or Bossack. St Margaret's Hope and Cursiter do not take black bags.

Guides that may help

Nearby councils