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Stevenage bin collection days

Stevenage splits recycling across several containers: a black bag or box for plastics and metals, a blue one for paper and card, and a red one for glass bottles and jars. Rubbish goes in a black wheelie bin, garden waste in a brown bin, and food in a green caddy. The pages we checked describe the containers and do not state a collection frequency.

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

What goes in each bin

Black wheelie bin · General waste

Bin · Varies by area, so check your address

Yes please

  • Waste that cannot be recycled
  • Crisp packets and chocolate wrappers
  • Plastic bags, cling film, film lids and laminated food pouches
  • Sanitary waste, disposable nappies and polystyrene
  • Vacuum cleaner bags and contents, glittery cards or wrapping paper, and pet faeces

Not in this one

  • Items the council lists for the recycling containers, brown bin or food caddy

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

Black recycling container or bag · Mixed recycling

Bag

Yes please

  • Plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays, including black plastic trays, and toiletry and toothpaste tubes
  • Drink cans, food tins, metal lids, biscuit tins, empty aerosols and clean foil
  • Food and juice cartons

Not in this one

  • Plastic film, which goes in the black rubbish bin
  • Containers that still have food or liquid in them

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

Blue container or bag · Paper and card

Bag

Yes please

  • Newspapers, magazines, white paper, envelopes including windows, and junk mail
  • Telephone directories with the outer cover removed, shredded paper, and brown paper
  • Plain wrapping paper with no foil or plastic, cardboard boxes, egg boxes, plain greetings cards and cardboard tubes

Not in this one

  • Plastic wrapping and free gifts from magazines
  • Greeting cards with foil or glitter
  • Wet or food-dirty paper and card

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

Red container · Glass

Box

Yes please

  • Glass bottles of any colour, including wine, beer, spirits, perfume and aftershave
  • Glass jars such as sauces, jam and baby food

Not in this one

  • Items other than glass bottles and jars

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

Green food caddy · Food waste

Caddy

Yes please

  • Vegetable and fruit peelings, leftover food and plate scrapings
  • Bread, cakes, pastries, dairy, cheese and eggs
  • Tea bags, coffee grounds, meat and fish including bones, rice, beans, pasta and pet food

Not in this one

  • Packaging, which has to be removed before the food goes in the outdoor food bin

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

Brown bin · Garden waste

Bin

Yes please

  • Hedge trimmings, grass cuttings, twigs, leaves, plants and flowers

Not in this one

  • Anything marked compostable
  • Plant pots, treated wood and tools
  • Soil, which the council says makes the bin too heavy

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

Check your bin day

We can’t check Stevenage addresses yet

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

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

How often each bin is collected

Collection frequency by bin for Stevenage
BinCollected
Black wheelie bin · General wasteVaries by area, so check your address

Food waste and the national recycling rules

Stevenage does not collect food waste every week. Households have a green food caddy for peelings, leftovers, meat, dairy and similar food, emptied into an outdoor food bin. Liners can be compostable, old bread or produce bags, plastic bags, newspaper or paper bags, because they are removed at the anaerobic digestion plant. The container page does not say the caddy is collected every week.

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

If your bin was missed

Report a missed bin on the council's form. The council aims to collect it within two working days of the report. If the container was stickered for contamination, take the wrong items out and wait for the next scheduled day: the crew will not come back early. The bin, box or bag needs to have been out by 7am on the boundary, on the correct day, and you need to report within two working days. After that, wait for the next collection or use the household waste and recycling centre on Caxton Way or a recycling bank.

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

Your nearest tip

Good to know in Stevenage

  • The standard black rubbish bin is now 180 litre. The council says the old standard was 240 litres. Most flat blocks have communal bins. Blocks without them can have a roll of purple sacks once a year.
  • Black and blue recycling boxes are being replaced with 65 litre bags when the box needs replacing. If you still have the boxes, the crew will still empty them. Extra recycling can go out in a clear container, not a black sack, beside the boxes.
  • Leave lids and labels on plastic and glass. Empty and rinse containers. Squash bottles. Roll clean foil into a ball. Firm lids on pots and tubs can be recycled. Plastic film goes in the black rubbish bin, not the recycling bag.
  • The brown bin does not take compostable packaging, because the composting facility cannot reprocess it. Soil is refused because it makes the bin too heavy.
  • Food caddy liners are removed at the anaerobic digestion facility, which is why ordinary plastic bags are allowed as well as compostable liners and newspaper.
  • A contaminated bin or box is stickered and left. Remove the wrong items for the next collection. The household waste and recycling centre named on the missed bin page is on Caxton Way.

Bin questions in Stevenage

What do the coloured containers mean in Stevenage?

Black wheelie bin for rubbish, brown bin for garden waste, black bag or box for plastic and metal, blue bag or box for paper and card, red container for glass bottles and jars, and a green caddy for food.

When do Stevenage bins have to be out?

By 7am, on the property boundary, on the correct collection day. Report a miss within two working days. The council aims to collect a reported miss within two working days.

Can I still use recycling boxes in Stevenage?

Yes. The council no longer replaces boxes and will issue black and blue 65 litre bags instead, but it still collects from boxes residents already have.

Guides that may help

Nearby councils