If all of the bins in your street, for any service (grey bin/blue lid bin/food waste or garden) haven’t been emptied on your normal collection day, please check for changes this week.
If you are reporting a missed bin, you must fill in the form within two working days of your collection being missed.
If you do have more waste or recycling than will fit into the bin, please keep this aside and place in your bin when it has been emptied.
If your bin has a sticker on it
If we have left a sticker on your bin and not emptied it, it will be due to one of the following reasons:
- There are bags in the bin and we can’t see if there is recycling inside them
- There are items that can’t be recycled in the bin
- The waste or recycling is wedged inside the bin and won’t come out
- The bin is too full or too heavy to empty safely
- The bin is damaged and you need to request a repair or replacement
If you need to check why your bin was not emptied please fill in the missed bin collection form and it will display the reason why.
For further information on what to do if your bin isn’t emptied go to Find out what to do if your bin is not emptied.
Report a missed bin collection
Please remember - we will not empty bins that are overflowing and we do not take black bags or other waste left at the side of the bin.
Roadworks or other obstructions
Where the waste collection service has not been able to empty bins on a street or part of a street due to access being obstructed such as temporary road works or poorly parked vehicles the collection team will try again on the same day to gain access. If this is unsuccessful the collection crew will return the next day.
In the event of roadworks where access will be obstructed for a number of weeks the waste collection service may need to change how waste is collected from the affected properties. We will notify residents of changes as soon as we can.
Unplanned delays to collections
If the full or part of the waste collection service is disrupted due to unforeseen circumstances, such as extreme weather conditions, the Council and its waste partner will make every effort to minimise the level of disruption and will try to rectify any missed collections as soon as the cause of the disruption ends.
Notification of changed collection days in these instances will, if possible, be available on the Council’s website. Priority will be given to the collection of non-recyclable refuse in these cases. In most cases residents are advised to leave their receptacle/s available at the collection presentation point until it is collected. The service may be carried out over weekends.
In exceptional circumstances, ie prolonged extreme weather conditions where the waste collection service has not been able to catch up some residents may need to wait longer than 5 working days before a collection. In this instance the Council may allow side waste to be collected on the next collection only and will encourage residents to take any extra bags to the Household Recycling Centre.
Bank holidays changes
There are normally no changes to waste collections for most bank holidays in Sandwell. Only Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day and Easter may be subject to rescheduling. Where this is the case the Council will inform residents using the council website, social media and council publications such as the Sandwell Herald.
All rubbish or recycling must be in the correct bin with the bin lid closed.