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Ribble Valley bin collection days

Ribble Valley collects the burgundy rubbish bin every week. The blue recycling bin, the green garden bin and the white paper sack are every other week, on the burgundy day, and the blue and green weeks alternate. The collection is run in-house. The contact centre is 01200 425111.

Last checked against 5 sources (www.ribblevalley.gov.uk).

What goes in each bin

Burgundy bin · General waste

Bin · Every week

Yes please

  • General waste that is not recycled
  • Food waste, which the green bin page says must go in the burgundy bin, including bones

Not in this one

  • Extra bags of general waste or recycling at the kerbside
  • Garden waste, which stays in the green bin

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

Blue bin · Mixed recycling

Bin · Every two weeks

Yes please

  • Glass bottles and jars
  • Plastic food tubs, pots, bottles and packaging marked 1, 2 or 5
  • Tetra-pak cartons
  • Aluminium cans, trays and foil
  • Empty toothpaste tubes
  • Empty non-black plastic plant pots marked 1, 2 or 5

Not in this one

  • Textiles, polystyrene, cutlery and carrier bags
  • Pyrex, window glass, batteries, vapes and electrical items
  • Gas cylinders
  • Paper and cardboard, which go in the white sack

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

White paper sack · Paper and card

Sack · Every two weeks

Yes please

  • Clean paper, newspapers, magazines and brochures
  • Tetrapak containers and telephone directories, including yellow pages
  • Junk mail without plastic covers
  • Grey and brown cardboard, greeting cards, and envelopes with the plastic windows removed

Not in this one

  • Tissues, face masks and padded envelopes
  • Bubble wrap, plastic covers on junk mail, sticky tape and labels

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

Green garden bin · Garden waste

Bin · Every two weeks

Yes please

  • Grass and hedge cuttings, leaves and prunings
  • Weeds and flowers
  • Cut up Christmas trees
  • Straw and sawdust

Not in this one

  • All food waste, and bones
  • Large branches, soil and stones
  • Anything that will not rot

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

Check your bin day

Use Ribble Valley’s own page for your bin day

The council publishes only a generic calendar, not a per-address lookup BinWeek can read, so the page links to the council's own finder.

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

How often each bin is collected

Collection frequency by bin for Ribble Valley
BinCollected
Burgundy bin · General wasteEvery week
Blue bin · Mixed recyclingEvery two weeks
White paper sack · Paper and cardEvery two weeks
Green garden bin · Garden wasteEvery two weeks

Food waste and the national recycling rules

Ribble Valley does not collect food waste every week. There is no separate food caddy. The green bin page says Lancashire County Council stopped the mixed food and garden processing, so food waste, including bones, goes in the burgundy bin and only garden waste goes in the green bin.

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

Garden waste

Garden waste is collected free of charge. Exchanging a 140 litre green bin for a 240 litre green bin is free, and so is swapping back, as long as the bin you return is empty. The council supplies one green bin, not two. The green bin is collected every other week, on the same day as the burgundy bin, on alternate weeks with the blue bin. The service page says green bins can be emptied up until 3pm. Food waste is not accepted in the green bin.

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

If your bin was missed

Report a missed bin through the MyRibbleValley account. Check the neighbours first. A yellow sticker means the wrong waste was inside and it will not be collected until that is removed. White sacks and wheeled bins are different vehicles, so they may not arrive together. If a collection is disrupted, the white sack page says the aim is to collect the following morning. The missed bin page does not state a deadline in days. It does say the bin has to be at the collection point no later than 7.30am, or it waits until the next scheduled collection.

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

Your nearest tip

Good to know in Ribble Valley

  • The standard bins are 140 litre. The green bin can be exchanged for a 240 litre one at no charge. A new set of bins, if you are buying them, is £49.70 for one, £86.80 for two and £117.90 for three. A stolen bin is replaced free only after you give the council a police incident number. Until a bin arrives, the service page says crews are advised to take waste in black bags from those properties.
  • The white sack page says the sack must be out by 7am. The missed bin page says no later than 7.30am. The service page says you may put bins and sacks out after 6pm the evening before. Do not tie the white sack. Some streets put the white sack out with the green bin, and some with the blue bin. The collection search marks that as green or blue.
  • The blue bin page lists Tetra-pak cartons in the blue bin. The white sack page lists tetrapak containers in the sack. Those two pages do not agree. Paper and cardboard are in the white sack rejects on the blue bin page.
  • Recycling goes in loose. Rinse it. Lids must be closed, and extra bags are not taken. Bins left on the footpath after collection can draw a fixed penalty. The service page does not state the amount. Handles should face the highway.
  • The green bin page says the mixed food and garden plant closed after an announcement in January 2016, so food no longer belongs in the green bin. Garden waste that is compacted may not be emptied. The larger green bin must not be used for bottles and cans.

Bin questions in Ribble Valley

Which Ribble Valley bin goes out every week?

The burgundy bin, for general waste and for food waste. The blue bin, green bin and white sack are every other week. Check the collection search for which week the white sack follows.

Is the larger Ribble Valley green bin free?

Yes, if you hand back the 140 litre bin. Swapping the 240 litre bin back is also free if it is empty. You cannot have two green bins. Food waste still goes in the burgundy bin.

What time do Ribble Valley bins have to be out?

The missed page says no later than 7.30am. The paper sack page says 7am. The service page says you can put them out after 6pm the night before, and that green bins can be emptied up until 3pm. Call 01200 425111 about a replacement sack or bin.

Guides that may help

Nearby councils