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Telford and Wrekin bin collection days

Telford and Wrekin is a unitary council, and its household waste is picked up by the contractor Veolia. Residents sort into a red top bin for rubbish, a purple top bin for cans, glass, plastic and cartons, a blue bag for paper and cardboard, a green bin for garden waste and a caddy for food. The food caddy is the only container whose frequency the council states: it goes out every week, while the council points residents to its bin day finder for the days of everything else.

Last checked against 8 sources (www.telford.gov.uk).

What goes in each bin

Red top bin for rubbish · General waste

Bin · Varies by area, so check your address

Yes please

  • Plastic wrapping and packaging
  • Polystyrene
  • Nappies and sanitary products
  • Pet waste, bagged
  • Broken crockery

Not in this one

  • Electrical items
  • Paint pots
  • Gas canisters, bottles, cartridges and nitrous gas bottles
  • Side waste left next to the bin

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

Purple top bin for recycling · Mixed recycling

Bin

Yes please

  • Food and drink cartons, including long-life milk, oat, soup and sauce cartons (since 1 April 2026)
  • Aerosols
  • Food and drink cans, foil and foil containers
  • Glass bottles and jars, with their lids
  • Plastic bottles of all types, with their lids
  • Food trays and pots, including black plastic, tubs, and fruit and vegetable punnets

Not in this one

  • Cardboard, paper and shredded paper, which go in the blue bag
  • Plastic bags, cling film and bubble wrap
  • Crisp packets
  • Hard plastic such as toys, washing-up bowls and buckets
  • Plastic plant pots, party plates and cups
  • Polystyrene foam
  • Pyrex, window glass, picture frame glass and glass ornaments
  • Food waste, including pizza takeaway boxes
  • Gas canisters, paints and thinners

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

Blue bag for paper and cardboard · Paper and card

Bag

Yes please

  • Cardboard and catalogues
  • Newspapers, magazines, comics and junk mail
  • Greeting cards
  • Phone directories
  • Shredded paper
  • Toilet and kitchen roll tubes

Not in this one

  • Wallpaper
  • Waxed cardboard such as fruit juice and long-life milk cartons
  • Pizza takeaway boxes
  • Paper or card in black sacks

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

Food waste caddy · Food waste

Caddy · Every week

Yes please

  • Cooked and uncooked food
  • Meat, fish and bones
  • Fruit and vegetables
  • Bread, pastries, cheese and eggs with their shells
  • Tea bags, loose tea, coffee grounds and filters
  • Mouldy or out-of-date food, sauces and pet food

Not in this one

  • Liquids such as squash, milk and juice
  • Oils and fats
  • Plastic bags, cling film and packaging of any sort
  • Nappies
  • Animal bedding and animal waste
  • Cardboard and paper, apart from a small amount to line the caddy
  • Vegware

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

Green bin for garden waste · Garden waste

Bin

Yes please

  • Grass cuttings
  • Dead flowers and plants
  • Hedge clippings, prunings and small branches
  • Leaves
  • Real Christmas trees, cut up so the lid closes

Not in this one

  • Dog and cat litter and animal bedding
  • Food waste such as peelings and tea bags
  • Nappies and old clothing
  • Plastic, sacks and bin liners
  • Soil, rubble and turf
  • Wood such as timber, fencing and panels

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

Check your bin day

We can’t check Telford and Wrekin addresses yet

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

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

How often each bin is collected

Collection frequency by bin for Telford and Wrekin
BinCollected
Red top bin for rubbish · General wasteVaries by area, so check your address
Food waste caddy · Food wasteEvery week

Food waste and the national recycling rules

Telford and Wrekin collects food waste every week. Telford and Wrekin has collected food waste every week since September 2019, so it already meets the Simpler Recycling rule. Food caddies go out on the same day as the other bins, by 7am, and are emptied by a separate crew and vehicle.

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

Garden waste

Garden waste is collected free of charge. The first green bin is free. The council says that since 4 March 2024 each additional green bin costs a one-off £25, whatever its size, and that replacements for a damaged or lost bin are still free. The council describes an all-year, non-chargeable green waste collection. Up to 4 extra bags of garden waste in clear biodegradable sacks can be left next to the bin on collection day.

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

If your bin was missed

Only report a collection that was genuinely missed: check first that the container was out by 7am and that nothing in it was wrong. Then use the council's online form with your name, address and daytime contact details, and say where the bin is. If the crew recorded a problem with a container, that container will not appear on the form, and you will need to ring the council on 01952 384384 to discuss it. The contractor, Veolia, aims to return by 5pm on the next working day. A miss reported on a Friday is revisited by 5pm on the following Monday.

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

Your nearest tip

Good to know in Telford and Wrekin

  • Cartons changed in 2026. The council says that from 1 April 2026 empty food and liquid cartons, such as long-life milk, oat and soup cartons, can go in the purple top bin. The blue bag still refuses waxed cardboard cartons for fruit juice and long-life milk, so check which bin a carton belongs in before you put it out.
  • Put containers on the public footpath or roadside nearest the edge of your property by 7am on collection day, or no earlier than the night before. Bring them back within 24 hours of the collection; the council says it can issue a fixed penalty notice if containers are left on the highway.
  • Do not use black sacks for extra recycling. The council says black sacks are associated with refuse, so a crew who cannot see what is inside may leave them. Extra recycling can go in other suitable bags beside the purple top bin, and extra cardboard can be flattened to the size of a wheelie bin and tucked under the blue bag.
  • Side waste is not taken with the red top bin: the lid must close. Spare rubbish can go to a household recycling centre, or the council can send the contractor back to empty a bin for a fee of £18 if you cannot wait for the next collection.
  • Residents who struggle to move bins can ask for the free assisted collection service. Flats share a silver top food waste wheelie bin that is emptied weekly, and residents there each get a kitchen caddy.
  • The two household recycling centres are Telford and Wrekin residents only from April 2026. Take proof of address, such as a utility bill or driving licence. Larger vehicles and trailers may need an e-permit.

Bin questions in Telford and Wrekin

What goes in the purple top bin in Telford?

Cans, aerosols, foil, glass bottles and jars with their lids, plastic bottles, trays, pots and tubs, and, since 1 April 2026, empty food and drink cartons. Cardboard, paper, plastic bags, crisp packets and food waste do not go in.

Is garden waste collection free in Telford and Wrekin?

The first green bin is free. An additional green bin costs a one-off £25, a charge that began on 4 March 2024. Households can also leave up to 4 extra bags of garden waste in clear biodegradable sacks beside the bin.

What can I put in my food waste caddy in Telford?

All cooked and uncooked food, including meat, fish, bones, cheese, eggs and shells, tea bags, coffee grounds, pet food and mouldy food. Liquids, oils, fats, plastic bags, packaging and nappies are not accepted.

When and where should I put my bins out?

Place containers on the public footpath or roadside nearest the edge of your property by 7am on collection day, or no earlier than the night before. Bring them back within 24 hours of your collection being completed.

What if my bin is not emptied?

Check it was out by 7am and that the contents were right, then report the miss on the council's online form. The contractor aims to return by 5pm the next working day, and Friday reports are revisited on Monday.

When are the household recycling centres open?

Hortonwood and Halesfield are both open from 9am to 5pm, seven days a week. They close only on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day. Access is for borough residents only from April 2026.

Guides that may help

Nearby councils