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Richmond upon Thames bin collection days

Richmond upon Thames collects almost everything weekly, which sets it apart from the fortnightly pattern in many boroughs. Rubbish, the black box of plastics, glass and cans, the blue box of paper and card, and food waste all go out on the same day each week. The unusual part is that the council does not supply a rubbish bin: households use their own dustbin, wheelie bin or tied sacks, while the council provides the boxes and caddies.

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

What goes in each bin

Dustbin, wheelie bin or refuse sack (bought by the household) · General waste

Container · Every week

Yes please

  • Anything that cannot be recycled
  • Polystyrene
  • Nappies
  • Used kitchen towels
  • Sanitary products
  • Pet excrement
  • Cotton wool
  • Broken crockery

Not in this one

  • Garden waste
  • Oversized items
  • Anything that can be recycled

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

Blue recycling box · Paper and card

Box

Yes please

  • Clean paper, card and cardboard
  • Envelopes and junk mail
  • Shredded paper, contained inside an envelope or empty cereal box

Not in this one

  • Used paper cups or tissues
  • Food and drinks cartons such as Tetra Paks
  • Dirty paper
  • Plastics and batteries

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

Black recycling box · Mixed recycling

Box · Every week

Yes please

  • Plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays
  • Unbroken glass bottles and jars
  • Food tins and drink cans
  • Foil and empty aerosol cans
  • Food and drinks cartons such as Tetra Paks
  • Empty squeezy metal or plastic tubes, caps left on
  • Plant pots smaller than 20cm across, any colour except black
  • Loose metal jar lids

Not in this one

  • Plastic bags, film, cups and other plastic products
  • Any other type of metal, glass or plastic
  • Batteries
  • Pump-action mechanisms, which go in the dustbin

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

Green food waste caddy · Food waste

Caddy · Every week

Yes please

  • Plate scrapings
  • Bread and pastries
  • Fruit and vegetables, including fruit stones
  • Meat, fish and bones, cooked or raw
  • Eggshells and dairy products
  • Tea and coffee grounds
  • Mouldy or out-of-date food, with the packaging removed

Not in this one

  • Liquid food waste, milk or oil
  • Biodegradable coffee pods
  • Compostable packaging other than caddy liners
  • Other plastics and bioplastics
  • Paper or kitchen roll, except to line the caddy
  • Foil or cling film
  • Garden waste

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

Garden recycling bin (green with a blue lid, subscription) · Garden waste

Bin · Every two weeks

Yes please

  • Garden waste that the council's list of garden recycling items allows

Not in this one

  • Contaminated garden waste, which can lead to the service being removed without a refund

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

Check your bin day

We can’t check Richmond upon Thames addresses yet

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

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

How often each bin is collected

Collection frequency by bin for Richmond upon Thames
BinCollected
Dustbin, wheelie bin or refuse sack (bought by the household) · General wasteEvery week
Black recycling box · Mixed recyclingEvery week
Green food waste caddy · Food wasteEvery week
Garden recycling bin (green with a blue lid, subscription) · Garden wasteEvery two weeks

Food waste and the national recycling rules

Richmond upon Thames collects food waste every week. Richmond upon Thames collects food waste every week on the usual collection day from houses and converted houses, and has recently added purpose-built flats, which use communal food waste bins. The council updated its guidance for the Simpler Recycling rules that came in during March 2026. Households get a 5-litre indoor caddy, a 23-litre outdoor caddy and a first roll of compostable liners.

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

Garden waste

Garden waste is a paid-for service. As of 3 October 2026 the garden bin subscription runs for six months, from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027, and costs £51 for people under 75 and £38 for people aged 75 and over. A council garden bin costs £40 if you do not already have one, and each subscription covers one bin. Occasional gardeners can buy garden sacks and book a one-off collection instead. Garden bins are emptied once a fortnight on your scheduled day, apart from a two-week break from 4 to 15 January 2027.

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

If your bin was missed

Report a missed rubbish, recycling or food waste collection with the council's online form. Before you start, check that everything was out by 6am in the right container, that there is no tag on it explaining why it was left, that it is after 4pm on the collection day or the rest of your street has been done, and that you have the right day for your property. Missed garden bin collections use the same form, but garden sacks have their own form. Missed collections can only be reported within two working days of the collection date, and the council says it will come back within two working days of the report.

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

Your nearest tip

Good to know in Richmond upon Thames

  • Leave everything for collection between 8pm the night before and 6am on the day, just inside your front boundary where it can be seen from the road. Only where there is no space at the front, such as a flat above a shop, may containers go on the pavement, directly beside your own boundary and clear of doorways.
  • In hot weather crews may start as early as 5am, so the council suggests putting bins out the night before and reporting any miss as usual.
  • The council does not provide dustbins, wheelie bins or refuse sacks. It accepts dustbins of about 90 litres with a clip-on lid, wheelie bins of 120 to 240 litres with a hinged lid, and tied, unsplit sacks, preferably black, because blue sacks can be confused with garden waste sacks.
  • Used, broken or unwanted small electrical items can be left next to the black box in a standard-size open carrier bag for the weekly collection. This only applies to homes that already receive kerbside recycling.
  • Some properties are not eligible for kerbside recycling, typically flats above shops and homes without any front boundary. Purpose-built flats use communal bins and have their own page on the council's website.
  • Large amounts of cardboard, such as from new furniture or a house move, should be taken to Townmead Road or a recycling bank rather than left out. Smaller pieces can be bundled and tied next to the blue box.
  • Free top-up caddy liners are available from local libraries and from customer reception at the Civic Centre, 44 York Street, Twickenham, TW1 3BZ. Liners should carry the EN13432 standard mark and the seedling logo.
  • Townmead Road takes bookings up to 14 days ahead, accepts cars, motorcycles, bicycles and small vans only, and is open to residents of Richmond and the other West London Waste Authority boroughs: Brent, Ealing, Harrow, Hillingdon and Hounslow. It is closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day. As of 3 October 2026 the pages I read gave no dated Christmas collection timetable.

Bin questions in Richmond upon Thames

How often are bins collected in Richmond upon Thames?

The council's rubbish, black-box recycling and food waste are collected weekly, on the same day. The council says food waste and rubbish go out on the same vehicle each week. Garden bins are collected fortnightly for subscribers.

What goes in the black and blue boxes in Richmond?

The black box takes plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays, glass bottles and jars, tins, cans, foil, aerosols and cartons. The blue box is only for clean paper, card and cardboard, and cartons do not go in it.

How much is the Richmond garden waste subscription?

For the six months from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027 it costs £51, or £38 if you are 75 or over. A council garden bin costs £40 if you do not already have one.

Do I need to book the Townmead Road recycling centre?

Yes. Residents without a booking are not allowed in. You can book up to 14 days ahead, and cars must leave within 15 minutes after the slot ends.

Where do I report a missed bin in Richmond upon Thames?

Use the council's online missed collection form within two working days of the collection date, after checking there is no tag on the bin and that the rest of your street has been collected.

Guides that may help

Nearby councils