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Rhondda Cynon Taf bin collection days

Rhondda Cynon Taf is a bag-based council. Dry recycling goes out every week in clear bags, food waste every week in a lockable green bin, and non-recyclable rubbish every three weeks in up to 3 black bags of 70 litres each that you buy yourself. Bags go to the collection point between 7pm the night before and 7am on the day, and the council stickers rather than collects anything that breaks the rules.

Last checked against 7 sources (www.rctcbc.gov.uk).

What goes in each bin

Black bag waste · General waste

Sack · Every three weeks

Yes please

  • Day-to-day rubbish that cannot be recycled or composted
  • Broken glass and sharp items, wrapped in paper first
  • Dog poo, cat poo and cat litter, bagged first
  • Cooled coal and wood ash
  • Feeding tubes, stoma bags, catheter and colostomy waste

Not in this one

  • Food waste, which goes in the green food waste bin
  • Needles, syringes and contaminated dressings, which are clinical waste
  • Nappies and incontinence waste, which have their own free weekly collection once you register
  • Anything that fits the clear recycling bag
  • More than 3 bags or bags over 70 litres, which are stickered and left

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

Clear bag recycling · Mixed recycling

Bag · Every week

Yes please

  • Glass bottles and jars
  • Metal cans, tins, aerosols and foil
  • Plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays
  • Food and drink cartons
  • Paper and cardboard
  • Soft plastics such as carrier bags, bread bags, salad bags, cereal box liners and biscuit wrappers

Not in this one

  • Food waste
  • Nappies and incontinence waste
  • Clothing and toys, which go to a charity or community recycling centre
  • Broken glass, which is wrapped and put in the black bag
  • Polystyrene meat trays, bubble wrap, cling film and crisp packets
  • Food and refill pouches, and anything made of 2 or more materials stuck together
  • Batteries, vapes, knives and empty paint tins

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

Green food waste bin · Food waste

Caddy · Every week

Yes please

  • Fruit and vegetables
  • Meat, fish and bones
  • Bread and bakery items
  • Rice, pasta, lentils and cereal
  • Dairy products and sauces
  • Teabags, tea leaves and coffee grounds
  • Pet food

Not in this one

  • Plastic bags, packaging and containers
  • Glass, metal, tins, cans and foil
  • Cardboard and paper
  • Oil, liquid fats and other liquids
  • Flowers and garden waste
  • Clothing

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

Green waste sacks (registered households) · Garden waste

Sack · Every week

Yes please

  • Grass cuttings
  • Hedge trimmings
  • Leaves and flowers
  • Flower root balls
  • Sawdust and bedding from small hutch animals

Not in this one

  • Food waste and general waste
  • Soil, mud, clay blocks and rubble
  • Invasive plants such as knotweed
  • Wood, branches and logs
  • Garden ornaments and toys
  • Any sack other than the council's own green waste sack

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

Check your bin day

We can’t check Rhondda Cynon Taf addresses yet

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

Find my bin day on www.rctcbc.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 Rhondda Cynon Taf. Check them on the council’s site (opens in a new tab) (www.rctcbc.gov.uk).

Black bag waste · General waste

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

Clear bag recycling · Mixed recycling

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

Green food waste bin · Food waste

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

Green waste sacks (registered households) · Garden waste

The council’s pages say this is collected every week. 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 Rhondda Cynon Taf
BinCollected
Black bag waste · General wasteEvery three weeks
Clear bag recycling · Mixed recyclingEvery week
Green food waste bin · Food wasteEvery week
Green waste sacks (registered households) · Garden wasteEvery week

Garden waste

Garden waste is collected free of charge. Collections are free once you register your address. Two green waste sacks come with registration, and extra sacks cost £3.20 each. Sacks are registered to the address and stay with the house if you move. Summer collections run from 16th March 2026 to 20th November 2026 and happen automatically on your usual collection day. From 23rd November 2026 to 12th March 2027 each winter collection has to be booked individually; winter bookings open on 9th November 2026.

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

If your bin was missed

Crews can run late, so the council asks you to wait until the day after your scheduled collection before reporting a missed collection online. Check first whether the bags were stickered: bags that were out after 7am, over the 3 black bag allowance, too heavy or wrongly sorted are not collected, and the sticker says what to change. Store the bags off the kerb until the next collection day. Report from the day after the scheduled collection day.

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

Your nearest tip

Good to know in Rhondda Cynon Taf

  • The black bag allowance is 3 bags, each a standard 70 litre size, every three weeks, and unused allowance does not roll over. The council does not lift bags out of wheelie bins, and bags left anywhere other than the collection point count as fly-tipping. Carers, households with a coal fire or wood burner and cat owners can apply for an additional allowance and receive stickers to mark the extra bags.
  • Everything recyclable goes in one clear bag, including glass bottles and jars and soft plastics like carrier bags and bread bags. Bags are free from pick-up points around the county borough and you can put out as many as you need. Using a clear recycling bag for black bag waste can lead to a £100 fine.
  • Recycling is sorted at the Amgen Cymru centre in Llwydcoed, and black bag waste goes to an energy recovery facility in Cardiff that handles around 425,000 tonnes a year and generates electricity rather than sending waste to landfill.
  • Food waste needs the council's large lockable outdoor bin and corn-starch bags, or shop-bought bags to the EN13432 standard. A free bin set arrives within 2 weeks of a request. The council advises against stockpiling bag rolls because they weaken over time, and suggests doubling up bags for bones.
  • Garden waste is a free weekly service but only for addresses that have registered. Two sacks come free, extras are £3.20 each and hold 90 litres. Summer collections are automatic; winter collections between late November and mid March must be booked one at a time.
  • Nappy and incontinence waste collections are free weekly services that you register for separately. Neither belongs in the black bag or the clear bag.
  • Bulky collections cost £24 for up to 3 items, are non-refundable and cannot be moved to another date. Items go out between 7pm the evening before and 7am, and the crew calls between 7am and 6pm on the booked day. Only the items on the booking are taken.
  • The six community recycling centres share one set of hours: 8:30am to 4:30pm every day from 26th October 2026 to 28th March 2027, then 8:30am to 6:30pm from 29th March 2027 to 31st October 2027, closed over the Christmas and New Year bank holidays. Take proof of RCT residency. The centres refuse black bag waste, mixed recycling, food waste and nappies because each has a kerbside collection.
  • Vans and vehicles larger than a 4x4 must book before using a recycling centre; flatbed tippers, Luton vans over 1.5 tonnes and tractors with trailers are not admitted at all. Asbestos is only taken at Ty Amgen in Aberdare and must be booked.

Bin questions in Rhondda Cynon Taf

How often is rubbish collected in Rhondda Cynon Taf?

Black bags are collected every three weeks, with a limit of 3 bags of 70 litres each per household. Clear recycling bags and the green food waste bin are collected every week, and registered green waste sacks are collected weekly in the summer season.

Does RCT collect glass at the kerbside?

Yes. Glass bottles and jars go in the clear recycling bag together with cans, plastics, cartons, paper, cardboard and soft plastics, and the bag is collected weekly. Broken glass does not go in the clear bag; wrap it in paper and put it in the black bag.

Is garden waste collection free in Rhondda Cynon Taf?

Yes, for registered addresses. You get two green waste sacks on registering and can buy more at £3.20 each. Summer collections from 16th March 2026 to 20th November 2026 happen on your usual collection day; in winter, from 23rd November 2026 to 12th March 2027, each collection must be booked, with bookings opening on 9th November 2026.

What happens if I put out more than 3 black bags?

The extra bags are stickered and left. The council also stickers bags that were not out by 7am, are too heavy or contain the wrong items. Store them until the next collection or apply for an additional allowance if you are a carer, have a solid fuel fire or dispose of cat litter.

How much is a bulky item collection in RCT?

£24 for up to 3 large household or garden items, booked for a chosen date. The fee is non-refundable and the date cannot be changed. Put the items out between 7pm the night before and 7am on the day; the crew collects between 7am and 6pm.

How do I get a food waste bin in Rhondda Cynon Taf?

Request one online for free. Within 2 weeks you receive a small kitchen bin, a roll of bags and a large lockable outdoor bin. Line the bags, tie them tightly, lock the outdoor bin against animals and have it at the collection point by 7am on your weekly food waste day.

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