Bexley Bin Collection 2026: Check Your Day, Blue/White Week & Missed Bin
Your exact Bexley collection date depends on your address. Start with the council’s WasteWorks postcode service, select the correct property and check which collection is due rather than copying another street’s timetable.
General rubbish is normally collected every two weeks. Food waste is weekly. Standard recycling wheelie-bin households have one recycling stream emptied each week, alternating between the blue-lidded paper/card bin and the white-lidded mixed-recycling bin.
Bexley Bin Collection: Quick Answer
Use London Borough of Bexley WasteWorks to check the collection attached to your exact property. Standard general rubbish is fortnightly, food waste is weekly, and standard recycling wheelie bins alternate so that one recycling bin is emptied each week.
Put the correct container at the front edge of the property by 6am. Bexley’s collection policy says containers should not normally be put out before 6pm the previous evening.
Choose the Bexley bin task you need
How to Check Your Bexley Bin Collection Day
Do not use a borough-wide weekday list to decide when to put your bins out. WasteWorks is address based and can show the collection service connected to the property.
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Open Bexley WasteWorks.
The service covers collection days, missed collections, container requests, garden waste, bulky waste and assisted-collection help. -
Enter your full postcode.
Use the postcode for the property receiving the household collection. -
Select the exact house, flat or building.
Do not choose a nearby property just because the street name matches. -
Check each waste stream.
Note the date together with the container or collection type so you do not confuse the alternating recycling weeks. -
Keep the live result as your main reference.
Bexley also publishes a printable 2026 calendar, but your property result tells you which schedule applies.
Blue Collection or White Collection: What Does It Mean?
Bexley’s 2026 household calendar divides alternating weeks into Blue collection and White collection. Which one applies this week depends on whether your address follows Schedule 1 or Schedule 2.
Green rubbish + blue lid + food
For a standard wheelie-bin household, a blue week combines the general rubbish collection with the blue-lidded paper and cardboard recycling stream. Food waste continues on its normal weekly cycle.
White lid + food + subscribed garden bin
The white-lidded recycling stream covers accepted container recycling. The 2026 calendar also places subscribed garden-waste collections with the white collection cycle. Food waste remains weekly.
Bexley Bin Collection Calendar: Remaining 2026 Blue and White Weeks
The table below reproduces the remaining alternating pattern from Bexley’s official 2026 household calendar. It does not tell you whether your own property is Schedule 1 or Schedule 2; check WasteWorks first.
| Week commencing | Schedule 1 | Schedule 2 |
|---|---|---|
| 21 September | White collection | Blue collection |
| 28 September | Blue collection | White collection |
| 5 October | White collection | Blue collection |
| 12 October | Blue collection | White collection |
| 19 October | White collection | Blue collection |
| 26 October | Blue collection | White collection |
| 2 November | White collection | Blue collection |
| 9 November | Blue collection | White collection |
| 16 November | White collection | Blue collection |
| 23 November | Blue collection | White collection |
| 30 November | White collection | Blue collection |
| 7 December | Blue collection | White collection |
| 14 December | White collection | Blue collection |
| 21 December | Blue collection | White collection |
| 28 December | White collection | Blue collection |
Which Bexley Bin Should You Use?
Green rubbish bin
Standard size: 180 litres.
Use for ordinary household waste that cannot be recycled through the council’s recycling services.
Blue-lidded recycling
Standard size: 180 litres.
Use for clean paper and cardboard.
White-lidded recycling
Standard size: 240 litres.
Use for accepted plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays, food and drink cans, cartons, glass bottles and jars.
Brown food box
Outdoor box: 23 litres, with a 10-litre kitchen caddy under the standard service.
Food waste is normally collected weekly.
Bexley Collection-Day Rules: 6am, Boundary and Closed Lids
Ready by 6am
Collection times can change from week to week. A bin put out after 6am can be treated as not presented.
Use the property edge
Containers should normally be at the front edge of the property, within about one metre of the property boundary.
Do not put out too early
Bexley policy says containers should not normally be placed out before 6pm on the evening before collection.
Close the lid
An overfilled bin with the lid open can be left unemptied for safety and operational reasons.
Bexley Missed Bin: Check These Things Before Reporting
A bin remaining full does not always mean the collection crew made an error. Bexley specifically lists late presentation, wrong containers, contamination, overfilling, excess weight and damaged bins among reasons a collection may not take place.
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Confirm the bin was actually due.
Check your WasteWorks address result and the correct blue/white schedule. -
Confirm it was ready by 6am.
If it was presented after the route had passed, the crew is not normally required to return. -
Check for a red tag or collection sticker.
This can explain contamination, an open lid, excess weight or another presentation problem. -
Check that the correct council container was used.
Bexley can refuse unsuitable or unauthorised containers. -
Check access.
The collection point needs to be safe and accessible for the crew and vehicle. -
Report a genuine missed collection.
Use the official council service and provide the address information requested.
Why Did Bexley Put a Red Tag on My Bin?
A red tag means there was a problem that prevented the crew emptying the container. Common causes include the wrong material, an overflowing bin, excessive weight or a chargeable service that is not currently paid for.
Correct the problem first
Remove contamination, reduce the weight or volume, close the lid and store the waste until the next eligible collection unless you choose another permitted disposal route.
Think the tag is wrong?
Bexley allows residents to challenge a red tag. The council may ask for evidence such as CCTV or video-doorbell footage while investigating.
Flats, Communal Bins, Boxes and Clear-Sack Properties
Not every Bexley home uses the standard three-wheelie-bin arrangement. Property type, storage space and access can change the collection method.
Communal properties
Blocks with shared waste storage can have communal containers and different collection frequencies. Residents are not guaranteed the same fixed collection day used by standard houses.
Recycling boxes
Properties unsuitable for standard recycling wheelie bins can receive separate boxes for paper/card, glass and container recycling.
Clear recycling sacks
Some properties use disposable clear recycling sacks. Bexley says these can be supplied where returnable containers are not suitable, including some busy high-street locations.
Missing or Damaged Bexley Bin?
Bexley allows residents to request replacement or additional waste containers through its official service. The council states that replacing a rubbish bin, recycling box or food caddy does not normally carry a replacement charge.
Standard rubbish
The normal residual bin is 180 litres. A 240-litre general-rubbish bin is not available automatically and requires authorisation.
Recycling sizes
Depending on the container and property, smaller, standard and larger recycling-bin sizes can be available.
Delivery timing
Bexley’s collection policy says replacement or additional containers are normally delivered within 10 working days of the initial order.
Bexley Garden Waste Collection 2026
Garden waste is not included automatically with standard household rubbish collection. It is a separate paid brown-bin service collected every two weeks, with a longer break around Christmas and New Year.
| Feature | Current position | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Standard annual price | £87 | One-year subscription for the first brown garden-waste bin. |
| Direct Debit price | £82 | Current £5 discount on the first subscribed bin. |
| Additional bins | Up to 4 extra at £67 each | Up to five subscribed garden bins in total. |
| Frequency | Every 2 weeks | The service normally provides 25 collections over the year. |
| Christmas period | 4-week gap | Check the council’s live festive dates before putting the bin out. |
| New subscription | Starts after signup processing | Council terms state the subscription starts 14 days after signup; bin delivery can take up to 10 working days under the policy. |
Accepted garden material
- Grass and hedge cuttings
- Weeds, plants and flowers
- Dead leaves and twigs
- Fallen fruit
- Suitable cut real Christmas trees under the council’s seasonal rule
Keep these out
- Food waste
- Plastic bags and plant pots
- Pet waste and bedding
- Soil, stone, gravel and rubble
- Treated timber, fences and MDF
- Large branches or logs over the stated size limit
Bexley Bulky Waste Collection: Sofas, Beds and Appliances
Bexley offers a paid one-off collection for household items that are too large for the normal bin service. Current standard collections start from £50, with the final cost depending on the number and size of items.
Common accepted items
Furniture, beds, wardrobes and large domestic appliances such as washing machines, fridges, cookers and dishwashers can fall within the bulky service.
Some items need another route
The service excludes categories including pianos, large quantities of rubble, garden waste, hazardous waste, clinical waste, commercial waste and textiles.
Collection-day rule
Items should be left safely in the agreed accessible location, not on the public highway. Crews do not collect from inside the home.
Need Help Putting Your Bins Out?
Bexley offers an assisted collection service for residents who cannot bring household waste or recycling containers to the normal collection point because of illness or disability.
Assisted collection route
WasteWorks includes a route to request help with putting bins out. Bexley’s garden-waste terms also direct residents to the council Contact Centre on 020 8303 7777 to check eligibility for assisted collection.
Bexley Reuse and Recycling Centres
Bexley operates two resident reuse and recycling centres. Residents do not normally need to pre-book a standard car visit, but proof of a Bexley address can be required.
Foots Cray Reuse and Recycling Centre
Maidstone Road
Foots Cray
DA14 5HS
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday: 7:30am–4pm.
Wednesday: closed.
Closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.
Residents can access Foots Cray by vehicle or on foot, subject to the council’s site rules.
Thames Road Reuse and Recycling Centre
Thames Road
Crayford
DA1 5QJ
Monday to Sunday: 7:30am–4pm.
Closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.
Thames Road is vehicle access only for the normal recycling-centre service. Separate rules apply to vans and larger restricted vehicles.
Bank Holidays and Christmas Collections
Bexley’s 2026 printable calendar warns that collection days can move by one day or more in weeks containing a Bank Holiday. That means the normal Monday-to-Friday pattern should not be treated as fixed during Christmas, New Year or another affected holiday week.
1. Check WasteWorks
Start with your exact property rather than applying a borough-wide assumption.
2. Check live council messaging
Temporary holiday changes can be published closer to the affected week.
3. Separate garden waste
The paid garden-waste service has a longer Christmas/New Year collection gap than its normal fortnightly pattern.
Official Bexley Waste Services: Use the Right Route
Bexley resident action centre
Bexley Bin Collection FAQs
How do I check my Bexley bin collection day?
Open Bexley WasteWorks, enter your full postcode, select the exact property and check the collection shown for that address. Use the live address result to establish which 2026 blue/white schedule applies.
What time should bins be out in Bexley?
Household containers should be at the required front-edge collection point by 6am. Bexley policy says they should not normally be put out before 6pm the previous evening.
How often is general rubbish collected in Bexley?
The standard household residual-waste service is normally fortnightly. Some non-standard, sack and communal properties can operate differently, so the property-specific service takes priority.
Is Bexley food waste collected every week?
Yes. The standard Bexley food-waste collection is weekly. Households normally use a brown outdoor food box and a smaller kitchen caddy.
What is the blue-lidded recycling bin for?
The standard blue-lidded wheeled bin is for paper and cardboard. It alternates with the white-lidded recycling stream.
What is the white-lidded recycling bin for?
It is for accepted container recycling including plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays, food and drink cans, cartons and glass bottles and jars.
Why was my Bexley bin red tagged?
A red tag can be used where the wrong waste was placed in the bin, the container was overflowing, too heavy or otherwise unsuitable for collection, or where a chargeable service was not paid for.
How much is Bexley garden waste collection?
The current published annual price is £87 for the first bin, or £82 with the Direct Debit discount. Up to four additional bins can currently be added at £67 each.
Where are Bexley’s recycling centres?
Bexley operates Foots Cray Reuse and Recycling Centre on Maidstone Road, DA14 5HS, and Thames Road Reuse and Recycling Centre in Crayford, DA1 5QJ. Check current site rules before travelling.
Best Next Step for Your Bexley Collection
Start with WasteWorks and select your exact property. Confirm the collection date, identify whether the property follows Schedule 1 or Schedule 2, and put the correct waste stream at the front edge of the property by 6am.
If the container is still full after the scheduled collection, check for a red tag, contamination, an open lid, excess weight, wrong bin or access issue before filing a missed-collection report.
Independent guide: BinCollectionGuide.org is not the London Borough of Bexley and cannot view or change council collection records, take council payments or submit reports on a resident’s behalf. Complete live searches, reports, subscriptions and bookings through the official Bexley services linked above.