Tewkesbury collects a green refuse bin every two weeks, a blue recycling bin every two weeks, and a food caddy every week. Garden waste is a separate paid club with a brown bin, also fortnightly, except for two weeks at Christmas. From mid-September 2025, new and replacement refuse bins are the smaller 140 litre size. Extra blue bins and caddies stay free.
Last checked against 4 sources (tewkesbury.gov.uk).
What goes in each bin
Green refuse bin · General waste
Bin · Every two weeks
Yes please
Non-recyclable household rubbish
Nappies, sanitary items and adult continence products, double-bagged
First-aid waste, double-bagged
Dog and cat waste, double-bagged
Not in this one
Batteries and vapes
Stones, gravel, rubble, garden waste and soil
Sharp objects, DIY waste, carpet and underlay
Commercial or building waste
Partly full or full tins of paint or household chemicals
Clinical waste, syringes, needles, lancets and sharps
Tewkesbury collects food waste every week. Food caddies are emptied every week. Line the kitchen caddy with compostable liners, paper, or an old carrier, bread or sandwich bag. Food must go in the caddy and not in the green refuse bin. Extra blue bins and food caddies are free. The caddies are dishwasher proof.
Garden waste is a paid-for service. The garden waste club is a paid membership. The page we read does not state the price. Membership runs from 1 April to 31 March, not from the day you pay. There is a 14 day cooling-off period. You can buy more than one membership for extra bins, and the bin itself is ordered separately. Brown bins are emptied fortnightly. There is no collection in the two weeks over Christmas and New Year, or on bank holidays, when collection usually moves to the next working day. Put the bin out by 7am. The council no longer sends stickers: write the first line of the address on the bin.
The waste and recycling page asks you to report a missed bin if it has not been collected. Refuse, recycling and garden bins need to be out by 7am on collection day, with the lid closed. The refuse page says bags beside or on top of the bin are not taken.
Gloucestershire County Council's waste analysis, quoted by the borough, found a quarter of household waste was food and 23% was plastics, paper and card that could have been recycled. That is the reason given for the smaller refuse bin.
A household of five or more can buy one extra 140 litre refuse bin if they are already recycling. The charge, which includes delivery, is £42.50 and the council says there are no dispensations. A medical need can get an extra bin free of charge. Call 01684 295010.
Black plastic packaging is accepted in the blue bin. Plastic film, crisp packets and bread bags are not, though a bag can line the food caddy. Leave lids and trigger sprays on. Small electricals go in an untied carrier bag next to the blue bin, except on narrow-access rounds and at communal bin sheds.
The Gloucestershire Real Nappy Project offers a £30 voucher. The borough links to it from the refuse page.
Garden waste is composted in the open at Enovert, next to the household recycling centre at Wingmoor Farm near Bishops Cleeve. The process takes about 10 weeks. Do not put food or pet waste in the brown bin. Windfall fruit is allowed.
Sharps need a yellow box from a GP or pharmacy, not the green bin. The recycling team can be emailed at recycling@tewkesbury.gov.uk.
Bin questions in Tewkesbury
How often are Tewkesbury bins emptied?
The green refuse bin and the blue recycling bin are each collected every two weeks. Food caddies are every week. The brown garden bin is fortnightly for club members, with a two-week pause over Christmas and New Year.
How much is an extra refuse bin in Tewkesbury?
An extra 140 litre refuse bin costs £42.50, including delivery, for a household of five or more that is already recycling. A household with a medical need for more general waste can be offered an extra bin free of charge.
Does the Tewkesbury garden bin need a sticker?
No. The council has stopped sending branded stickers. Write the first line of the address on the brown bin so the crew can tell it is paid for. Membership runs from 1 April to 31 March, with a 14 day cooling-off period.
BinWeek is paid for by Google ads on guide and council pages. Choose whether Google may store and read information on this device to show and measure ads. Until you choose, and if you reject, nothing is stored for advertising and no ad is shown. Your postcode and address never go to Google. Privacy policy