South Staffordshire collects the grey rubbish bin and the blue recycling bin and blue paper bag on alternating weeks. Food waste is a weekly brown caddy. Garden waste is a paid green bin, emptied every two weeks for permit holders. Small electricals and batteries go in a carrier bag next to the grey bin, not inside it.
Last checked against 4 sources (www.sstaffs.gov.uk).
What goes in each bin
Grey general waste bin · General waste
Bin · Every two weeks
Yes please
Food waste
Waxed cartons such as Tetra Pak
Bagged pet waste
Polystyrene and nappies
Dark coloured food trays
Hard plastics, plastic bags, plastic film, plastic wrappers and bubble wrap
Collection frequency by bin for South Staffordshire
Bin
Collected
Grey general waste bin · General waste
Every two weeks
Blue recycling bin · Mixed recycling
Every two weeks
Blue bag for paper and card · Paper and card
Every two weeks
Brown food waste caddy · Food waste
Every week
Green garden waste bin · Garden waste
Every two weeks
Food waste and the national recycling rules
South Staffordshire collects food waste every week. The food waste FAQ says a weekly caddy service started in the week commencing Monday, 8th June, 2026, and that it had been introduced as of summer 2026. The outdoor caddy is brown and the kitchen caddy is grey. The FAQ lists what can go in the caddy and does not publish a separate list of items to keep out. The bins and bags page still lists food waste as something that can go in the grey bin.
Garden waste is a paid-for service. The 2026/27 subscription is £49 per green bin, or £49.00 in the terms summary, from Monday 29th June 2026 to Wednesday 30th June 2027. The charge does not change if you join later. There are no instalments and no concessions. You can cancel within 14 days for a full refund. A replacement green bin, where the council is not at fault, may cost £33.00. Subscribed green bins are emptied every two weeks. Put the bin out by 7am with the lid closed and the sticker visible. There is no limit on the number of permitted bins. You can share with a neighbour, but the council only deals with the address that paid. If you move inside the district, call 01902 696000 to move the permit and do not take the bin with you.
Collections can run until 6pm. Report online until midnight the following day, or by phone on 01902 696000 before 5pm the next working day. The bins and bags page also says phone reports should be in before 17:00. A return is aimed at within three working days. A contaminated bin is not a miss: take the wrong items out and wait for the next scheduled day. The bin or bag must have been out before 7am, or before 07:00am as the same page also writes it, with the lid closed.
The grey bin still lists food waste, Tetra Pak, bagged pet waste, polystyrene, nappies, dark food trays, hard plastics, bags, film and bubble wrap. Garden waste, paint, batteries, electricals, hazardous chemicals, soil, gas bottles and vapes stay out. Items with a plug, smaller than 35cm by 40cm, can go in a carrier bag beside the grey bin. Not a black sack, and not bulbs, fluorescent tubes or car batteries.
The blue bin is glass, cans, aerosols and light-coloured plastic bottles, trays, pots and tubs, rinsed and dry. Paper and card go in the blue bag, not the blue bin. Shredded paper, wallpaper, kitchen roll, tissues, vapes and takeaway cups cannot go in the bag. Hardback book covers go in the grey bin. No side waste beside the blue bin or the blue bag.
The food FAQ says collections began in the week commencing Monday, 8th June, 2026. It lists foods the caddy takes and does not give a no-list. Compostable packaging is refused in the green garden bin and the garden page says it goes in the grey bin. Liners can be the council's rolls, or a similar compostable or plastic bag if the crew has run out. Tie a liner or the yellow tag to the brown caddy handle to ask for more.
Garden waste for 2026/27 is £49 per bin from 29 June 2026 to 30 June 2027. No concession and no part-year discount. Cancel within 14 days for a refund. The only container is a 240 litre council green bin. Food, compostable packaging, soil, stones, wood, animal waste and bagged garden waste are refused. A genuine missed garden bin, reported by the end of the next working day on 01902 696000, should be emptied by the end of the working day after the report is checked.
General waste has gone to the Veolia energy recovery facility at Four Ashes since 2013, and the council says it has been zero waste to landfill since then. Blue bin and bag recycling goes to Biffa's materials facility in Aldridge. Garden waste is composted at Veolia's site in Coven.
As of 3 October 2026 the bins and bags page still told residents they could put food waste in the grey bin, while the food FAQ described a weekly caddy that had already started. Both instructions are on the council's site.
Bin questions in South Staffordshire
How often are South Staffordshire bins collected?
Grey rubbish and blue recycling alternate, so each is fortnightly. The blue paper bag is part of that recycling collection. Food caddies are weekly on the normal bin day. A subscribed green bin is every two weeks.
How much is a South Staffordshire garden waste bin?
£49 per green bin for Monday 29th June 2026 to Wednesday 30th June 2027. There is no concession. Put the bin out by 7am. A replacement bin may cost £33.00 if the damage is not the council's fault.
What should stay out of the South Staffordshire food caddy?
The food waste FAQ does not publish a no-list. It says all food waste is accepted and gives examples. It also says to drain excess liquids. The bins and bags page still lists food waste as something the grey bin can take.
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