In Sandwell we collect recycling, household rubbish and food waste every week.
If you don't know when your bins are collected, you can check your bin day using your postcode and house number.
Please put your bins at the edge of your property by 6.45am on your collection day until 3rd March 2025 when this will change to 0530 going forwards.
Where a property receives an assisted collection their containers need to be available at the agreed location by 06:45 on the day of collection (0530 from 3rd March 2025 going forward)
Please make sure bin lids are closed and that all of your rubbish is inside your bin. We do not take black bags or other waste left at the side of the bin.
This information applies to houses with wheelie bins. Flats and apartments have different arrangements for their communal bins.
Containers
The Council stipulates the type of receptacle (bin/container) that householders need to use to present the wastes from their household for collection.
Containers presented for collection need to be closed with the lid flat.
Any container supplied to a household for the purpose of the waste and recycling collection service shall remain in the ownership of the Council with responsibility for its use and storage transferred to the householder. Bins should be stored on their property in between collections. Bins will be returned to their point of collection by the collection crews after collection.
Householders are responsible for the storage, safe keeping and cleaning of waste and recycling receptacle(s) provided by the Council should leave bins for the next occupier when they move out of a property.
Residents should not modify their bins, with the exception of adding their property number or other identifying mark(s)/labels. Where any alteration makes emptying unsafe, the bin will not be emptied and the collection crew will leave a sticker/tag on the bin indicating the problem and report the issue on the waste collection software. The resident will need to take action to remedy the problem and wait until the next scheduled collection.
Households that cannot leave bins at the edge of their property
Where a householder is not able to leave their containers at the edge of their property within the property boundary they must ensure that they are placed on the public highway in such a way as to not interfere with the free movement of people and traffic.
Containers placed on the public highway should not be put out earlier than 18:30 on the evening before the day of collection and be returned to within the boundary of the property as soon as possible after they have been emptied, which should be no later than on the evening of the day of collection.
Wheeled bins that are permanently stored on the public highway or used to reserve car parking cause a wide range of issues including the following:
- Obstruct pedestrians or vehicle users
- Force pedestrians to walk in the road where footways are narrow, including vulnerable people such as wheel chair users or parents with children/pushchairs
- Obstruct and reduce the efficiency of scheduled cleansing activity ie sweeping, litter picking and weed spraying
- Make the bin available to passers-by to overfill or contaminate the bin by allowing others to deposit the incorrect waste materials
- Encourage other households to do the same
- Encourages fly tipping or bags to be deposited by the side
- Blight streets and create community disharmony
The Council will not accept liability for any injury or damage to third parties or property resulting from any incident occurring with a receptacle left on the public highway outside of these periods, unless caused by the acts or omissions of its employees, contractors, or agents.
Temporary changes to collection location
In some circumstances such as extended road works, public events or other local circumstances the collection service may need to change the collection time and/or location. In this instance we will inform residents of the changes as soon as we can, typically by leafletting properties affected.
Un-adopted Highway
In the majority of cases where properties are not adjacent to the public highway, householders will be required to move their bins to the nearest place that is at the edge of the public highway on collection day. Where this is not possible as this is on private land which residents do not have permission to use, this should be on the public highway so as not to restrict the pedestrian or vehicle movement.
Un-adopted roads will be avoided and the waste collection service reserve the right to specify where containers need to be presented ie resident/s will be required to bring their receptacle/s to the nearest public highway. Un-adopted roads are not maintained by the local authority and may not be constructed or maintained to the necessary standard, be wide enough or have suitable turning/passing areas to allow for safe use by collection vehicles.