Waltham Forest colour-codes its bins: green for recycling, brown for garden waste, black for everything else and a brown caddy for food. Kerbside black and brown bins are emptied every other week, while recycling and food waste go weekly, so which bin comes out depends on the week. Flats and shopfront homes have communal bins or sacks instead.
Last checked against 6 sources (www.walthamforest.gov.uk).
What goes in each bin
Black refuse wheelie bin, black communal bin or refuse sacks · General waste
Bin · Every two weeks
Yes please
Household rubbish that cannot go in the green recycling bin or the brown garden bin
Items such as nappies, wipes, tissues, crisp packets, stained pizza boxes, drinking glasses and ceramics, which the council lists as general rubbish
Not in this one
DIY and building waste
Hazardous or clinical waste
Side waste or excess bags left next to the bin (only waste that fits with the lid fully closed is collected)
Overfilled or overweight bins
Window glass, light bulbs, cutlery, pots and pans, mirrors and wood (the council says to take these to a reuse and recycling centre)
Black refuse wheelie bin, black communal bin or refuse sacks · General waste
Every two weeks
Green recycling wheelie bin or green council recycling sack · Mixed recycling
Every week
Kitchen caddy with brown outdoor food waste caddy, or grey communal food waste bin · Food waste
Every week
Brown garden waste wheelie bin · Garden waste
Every two weeks
Food waste and the national recycling rules
Waltham Forest collects food waste every week. The council introduced separate weekly food waste collections across the borough, with a 23-litre outdoor caddy and a 5-litre kitchen caddy for kerbside homes. Blocks of flats get a grey communal food unit as the service reaches each block, and households that use sacks do not yet have a food service, so the council says to put food in the black bin or refuse sacks until it arrives.
Garden waste is collected free of charge. The council said in January 2025 that it provides all kerbside collection services free of charge. Brown garden waste bins are emptied fortnightly, on alternate weeks to the black bin.
Report it on the council's online missed bin form once the crew has marked your address as complete. Check first that the right bin was out at the front boundary by 5am, since crews work between 5am and 10pm, and look at the reason shown if the crew recorded one, such as contamination, no access or the bin not being presented. Try to report within 24 hours. A missed bin can only be reported up to 3 calendar days after the scheduled day.
From March 2025 the council cut kerbside black bin collections to every two weeks, and brown garden bins are also fortnightly on alternate weeks. Green recycling bins and brown food caddies stay weekly. Homes that use communal bins keep a weekly general waste collection.
The council runs a closed lid policy: only waste that fits inside the wheelie bin with the lid fully shut is collected. Extra bags left beside a black bin are not taken, and the surplus has to wait in the bin for the next collection.
Items such as batteries, textiles, coffee pods, printer cartridges and small electricals can be left in a bag on top of the green recycling bin for a separate collection, if you have two wheeled bins.
Properties without room for bins, such as flats above shops, put out refuse and recycling sacks. Sack rounds run on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, with morning presentation between 6am and 9am and an extra evening round on some roads between 9pm and 11pm. Green recycling sacks are delivered four times a year, in February, May, August and November.
Kerbside homes with a food service get a 5-litre kitchen caddy, a 23-litre lockable outdoor caddy and a roll of compostable liners. The council says liners are optional, and if you use them they need the compostable seedling logo. Putting the wrong items in a food caddy means it will not be emptied.
Excess garden waste can go in up to 5 open bags beside the brown bin, but crews may decline to carry bags more than 25 metres.
Residents are told not to put household waste in public litter bins. The council describes that as a form of fly-tipping.
Bin questions in Waltham Forest
How often are bins collected in Waltham Forest?
For kerbside homes the council collects green recycling and food waste every week, and black rubbish and brown garden waste every other week. Homes with communal bins keep a weekly general waste collection.
What sizes are Waltham Forest's wheelie bins?
Green recycling and brown garden bins come in two sizes, large (240L) and standard (140L), and you can swap size or order a second one. Any replacement black refuse bin will only be standard size, and only one black bin is allowed per home.
How long do I have to report a missed bin in Waltham Forest?
The council asks for reports within 24 hours and accepts them up to 3 calendar days after the scheduled collection. After that you wait for the next scheduled day.
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