To help residents recycle more and reduce their general rubbish, we are introducing new wheelie bins and alternate weekly waste collections from 12 October 2026 for most households.
Wheelie bins are being delivered until Sunday 11 October. Each household will receive:
- A 240-litre wheelie bin with a green lid for recycling
- A 180-litre black wheelie bin for general waste
Once you have received your bins:
- Keep them at your property
- Do not use them until the new service begins from 12 October 2026
- Leave the seals on the bins in place and do not start to fill them until one week before your first wheelie bin collection
- You may, if you wish, mark your bins with your house name or number.
The green reusable recycling bags will no longer be emptied once the new wheelie bin service starts on 12 October. Your recycling should go in your recycling wheelie bin or in clear sacks if your proprety remains on sack collections.
Find out more by watching our video:
Your recycling bin
You can put all your dry recycling in one bin, including:
- Glass bottles and jars
- Paper and card
- Cardboard boxes and packaging
- Metal tins (including empty aerosols), cans, bottle tops, lids and foil
- Plastic bottles, tops, pots, tubs and trays
- Food and drink cartons (including Tetra Paks).
If your bin is full, we will collect flattened cardboard placed neatly next to your bin.
See what you can put in your recycling bin:
Your general waste bin
This bin is for general waste only. We advise you to put your general waste in tied bags.
If your waste is not in the wheelie bin, it will not be collected. We will not collect extra sacks or side waste.
You can use your general waste bin for:
- Nappies and sanitary products
- Tissues and wet wipes
- Pet waste and cat litter
- Plastic bags, wrapping and clear film
- Polystyrene, bubble wrap and foam packaging
- Crockery, ceramics and other types of glass, including window glass, perfume bottles, and Pyrex
- Dust, vacuum contents and sweeping waste
- Toothbrushes, plastic toys and non-recyclable plastics
- Fireplace, stove and BBQ ashes. These must be cold and bagged
Food waste, garden waste and recyclable items should not be placed in your general waste bin.
Alternate weekly collections
From 12 October 2026, we will introduce alternate weekly collections. We will collect general waste one week and recycling the next.
You should have received a postcard by now with your alternate weekly collection dates.
Putting your bins out
To make sure your bins are collected from 12 October, you must:
- Put them out by 7am on your collection day and leave them out until 4pm or until we have emptied them
- Leave them at the edge of your property, next to the public highway or your agreed collection point
- Ensure your bins are not overflowing and the lids are closed
- Ensure the correct items are in each bin.
REMEMBER: Different vehicles will collect your recycling, general waste and food waste at different times of the day, and those times may change from week to week.
Report a problem with your wheelie bins
If we've delivered wheelie bins to your neighbours, but you have not received yours yet, please wait 24 hours before reporting a missed wheelie bin delivery as our crews may still be working in your area.
You can also use the form below to report a fault with your new wheelie bins.
Report a problem with your wheelie bins
Wheelie bin exemptions
A small number of properties, such as flats above shops or homes without suitable storage or access, will not receive these bins. These properties will likely continue with sack collections, and we will confirm the collection type and frequency in writing.
Storing your bins
You may need to make some reasonable and proportionate adjustments to your outdoor space to accommodate your bins.
Having limited space, a few steps, decorative landscaping or a preference not to have bins visible will not normally prevent a property from being required to use wheeled bins.
Assisted collections
Once your bins have been delivered, if you believe you are unable to put them out for collection and return them afterwards due to health or mobility reasons, you can apply for an assisted collection.
If your bin storage location changes, or you no longer require assistance, please contact us.
Apply for or cancel an assisted waste collection.
Disposing of your own wheelie bins
If you already have your own wheelie bin and no longer want it, you may wish to arrange its disposal.
- Take it to a Kent County Council Recycling Centre free of charge
- Arrange disposal through a registered waste company
- Book a paid large item collection
Green reusable recycling bags
The green reusable recycling bags will no longer be used after the new wheelie bin service starts from 12 October.
- You can keep your bag and reuse it
- We will collect unwanted bags for recycling, through a dedicated temporary collection service, from early 2027. We will provide further details nearer the time.
REMEMBER: Food waste will still be collected separately every week.
Our waste and recycling collection standards
We have updated these standards to support the new waste collection arrangements.
They set out how collections operate, how bins should be presented, and how we work safely and efficiently.
They reflect best practice and are similar to the standards used by other councils.
Find out about our collection standards
FAQs
View our FAQs if you have any further questions about the new bins and collection service.