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Three Rivers bin collection days

Three Rivers gives houses a black recycling bin with a green lid, collected every week, and a green 140-litre rubbish bin collected every two weeks. A silver food pod goes out with the recycling. Garden waste is a paid brown bin, not part of the standard set. Flats often use shared bins and should check the collection day with the landlord or housing association.

Last checked against 3 sources (www.threerivers.gov.uk).

What goes in each bin

Green non-recyclables bin · General waste

Bin · Every two weeks

Yes please

  • Rubbish that cannot be recycled or composted
  • One 140-litre bin per property, with the lid closed

Not in this one

  • Cardboard, textiles and garden waste that can be recycled or composted
  • Extra waste left on or next to the bin

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

Black recycling bin with a green lid · Mixed recycling

Bin · Every week

Yes please

  • Paper, including newspapers and shredded paper, and wrapping paper with no glitter or embellishments
  • Cardboard, food and drink cartons, and biscuit tins or tubs
  • Glass bottles and jars of any colour
  • Plastic bottles, pots, tubs, trays and toothpaste tubes
  • Aluminium foil and foil trays, drink cans, food tins and empty aerosol cans

Not in this one

  • Bin liners: items go in loose, and they should be rinsed
  • Clothing, shoes and other textiles
  • Nappies, paint tins, food waste and garden waste
  • Rigid plastic toys, electrical items, plastic bags and soft plastics
  • Padded envelopes, paper towels, tissues, cotton wool, wet wipes and biodegradable packaging
  • Drinking glasses, ceramics, cookware and kitchenware

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

Silver food pod · Food waste

Caddy · Every week

Yes please

  • Tea bags, raw or cooked meat, plate scrapings and bones
  • Vegetable peelings, eggshells and out-of-date food, with packaging removed

Not in this one

  • Liquids
  • Food and drink packaging
  • Cooking oil
  • Cat litter
  • Garden waste

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

Brown garden waste bin · Garden waste

Bin · Every two weeks

Yes please

  • Grass cuttings, straw and hay
  • Hedge clippings, tree loppings, small branches, twigs and bark
  • Flowers, leaves, weeds, plants and fallen fruit
  • Rabbit bedding

Not in this one

  • Stones, rubble, turf, earth and soil
  • Large branches, and wood that has been treated or painted
  • Japanese knotweed
  • Cat or dog faeces
  • Plastic of any kind

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

Check your bin day

Use Three Rivers’s own page for your bin day

The council's bin collection date finder needs a browser, which BinWeek's lookup service does not run, so the page links to the council's own finder.

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

How often each bin is collected

Collection frequency by bin for Three Rivers
BinCollected
Green non-recyclables bin · General wasteEvery two weeks
Black recycling bin with a green lid · Mixed recyclingEvery week
Silver food pod · Food wasteEvery week
Brown garden waste bin · Garden wasteEvery two weeks

Food waste and the national recycling rules

Three Rivers collects food waste every week. Every property is given a 23-litre silver food pod, collected weekly at the same time as the recycling bin. Food has to come out of its packaging first. Liners can be compostable caddy liners, plastic bags other than black bags, or newspaper. The council says the food is recycled with Severn Trent Green Power into biofertiliser and power. Flats may have communal bins, and a flat with no food bin is asked to contact the council.

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

Garden waste

Garden waste is a paid-for service. A fortnightly garden waste subscription costs £72.50 a year for one 240-litre bin, or £62.50 if you receive certain benefits. A second or third brown bin costs £117.50 each per year. The subscribed brown bin is collected fortnightly. Put it at the edge of the property by 6am. Christmas trees can be left beside the bin with the stand and decorations removed.

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

If your bin was missed

Report a missed collection on the council's form if the bin was at the edge of the property, not overfilled, and held the right items. The council says it will return within 48 hours. Report within 48 hours of the missed collection. Bins need to have been out at 6am.

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

Good to know in Three Rivers

  • Recycling goes in loose, rinsed, with no bin liner. Soft plastics you can scrunch, plastic bags, glittery wrapping paper and drinking glasses stay out of the black bin.
  • The green rubbish bin must have the lid shut. Crews will not take extra bags on the bin or beside it. The council asks you not to put cardboard, textiles or garden waste in it.
  • Textiles are not a kerbside bin. The council offers a separate home collection for clothing, shoes and other textiles.
  • In cold weather the missed-bin page suggests not compressing garden waste, filling the bin close to collection time, loosening frozen contents, and storing the bin somewhere warmer before you put it out at 6am.
  • Food waste from the silver pod is sent to Severn Trent Green Power. Do not put liquids, oil, cat litter or packaged food in the pod.
  • The garden bin price on 3 October 2026 was £72.50 for the first 240-litre bin, £62.50 for people on certain benefits, and £117.50 for each extra bin. Leave Christmas trees beside the bin, not inside it, with the stand and decorations off.

Bin questions in Three Rivers

Which bin is recycling in Three Rivers?

The black bin with a green lid. It is collected weekly and takes paper, card, cartons, glass bottles and jars, plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays, cans, foil and empty aerosols. It does not take glassware, soft plastic or food.

How much is garden waste collection in Three Rivers?

£72.50 a year for one 240-litre brown bin, or £62.50 if you receive certain benefits. Each extra bin is £117.50 a year. Collections are fortnightly and the bin has to be out by 6am.

How soon should I report a missed bin in Three Rivers?

Within 48 hours. The bin should have been at the edge of the property at 6am, not overfilled, and holding the right items. If those apply, the council says it will come back within 48 hours.

Guides that may help

Nearby councils