TMBC Bin Collection Calendar: Find Your Date, Day & Correct Bin Colour
A TMBC bin collection date should be checked against the exact household, not copied from another Tonbridge, West Malling or borough-wide timetable. Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council provides an address and postcode lookup showing the next waste collection dates for the selected property.
Use this guide to understand the black refuse bin, green-lidded recycling bin, separate green box, orange-lidded food bin and subscribed brown garden bin, plus the 7am presentation rule and what to do when a collection is missed.
TMBC Bin Collection: Quick Answer
Open Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council’s official collection-date checker, enter your postcode and select the exact address. The property result is the safest source for your next black-bin, recycling, food-waste and subscribed garden-waste dates.
Standard presentation guidance is to have containers at the property boundary nearest the collection vehicle route by 7am. Temporary service updates can override the normal time, so check TMBC’s live waste updates when severe weather, extreme heat or another disruption is announced.
Choose the TMBC bin task you need
How to Check Your Exact TMBC Bin Collection Date
The TMBC collection service uses an address lookup rather than one borough-wide calendar that applies to every household. Two addresses can receive different days or service arrangements, and garden waste may operate on a separate round.
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Open the official TMBC collection-date form.
Use the council service instead of relying on an old screenshot or another property’s bin day. -
Enter the full postcode.
Use the postcode for the household whose collections you actually need. -
Select the exact address.
Choose the correct house, flat or named property from the council result. -
Read each waste stream separately.
Check refuse, recycling, food waste and garden waste where the household has a subscription. -
Recheck when a service notice appears.
Bank holidays, extreme weather or operational changes can affect the normal routine.
How the TMBC Bin Collection Calendar Works
Most households use several separate containers, so your collection calendar is better understood as a list of waste streams rather than a single “bin day”. Recycling is collected fortnightly and food waste every week. Garden waste is also fortnightly when the property has an active subscription.
| Service | Container | Current pattern | Best date source |
|---|---|---|---|
| General refuse | Black bin | Check property result | TMBC address checker |
| Mixed recycling | Green-lidded bin | Fortnightly | TMBC address checker |
| Paper & card | Green box | Recycling collection | TMBC address checker |
| Food waste | Orange-lidded outdoor bin | Weekly | TMBC address checker |
| Garden waste | Brown bin | Fortnightly if subscribed | Subscription / TMBC checker |
TMBC Bin Colours: What Each Container Is For
General refuse
Non-recyclable household rubbish that cannot use the council’s separate recycling or food-waste routes.
Mixed recycling
Accepted plastics, tins, cans, glass bottles and jars, foil, aerosols and cartons such as Tetra Pak.
Paper & card
Cardboard, paper, magazines, envelopes and similar clean paper-based material are kept separate.
Food waste
The outdoor lockable food container works with the smaller indoor kitchen caddy.
Garden waste
Grass, leaves, flowers and eligible garden cuttings through the paid subscription service.
What Goes in the Green-Lidded Recycling Bin?
TMBC’s green-lidded bin is for mixed container recycling. The council currently accepts cartons such as Tetra Pak alongside eligible plastic containers, cans and glass. Recycling should be emptied, rinsed where needed and placed loose rather than wrapped in a plastic bag.
Yes — green-lidded bin
- Plastic bottles
- Plastic pots and tubs
- Plastic food trays and punnets with film removed
- Glass bottles and jars
- Food and drink cans
- Clean aluminium foil and trays
- Empty aerosols
- Cartons such as Tetra Pak
No — use another route
- Plastic bags and film
- Polystyrene
- Crisp and sweet wrappers
- Broken crockery
- Pyrex or other non-container glass
- Mirrors
- Black plastic items listed as non-recyclable by TMBC
What goes in the green box?
Use the green box for cardboard packaging, paper, magazines, junk mail, directories, envelopes and shredded paper secured so it does not blow away.
TMBC Food Waste Collection: Every Week
Food waste is collected separately every week. Households normally use a small indoor kitchen caddy and a 23-litre outdoor black-and-orange lockable food bin. Lock the outdoor container by moving its handle into the secure position when presenting it.
Food accepted
- Meat, fish, bones and skin
- Dairy products
- Fruit and vegetables
- Bread, cakes and pastries
- Rice, pasta, beans and pulses
- Tea bags and coffee grounds
- Egg shells
- Plate scrapings and leftovers
Keep out
- Plastic bags
- Food packaging
- Pet bedding or faeces
- Liquids and oils
- Other non-food material
Compostable liners, paper bags or newspaper can be used if you want a liner. Ordinary plastic bags should not be used in the food-waste container.
TMBC Garden Waste Service 2026
Garden waste is a separate paid service rather than part of the standard household collection entitlement. For the current 2026 scheme, the first subscription costs £66 per year and provides a 240-litre brown bin with collections every two weeks for 12 months.
Additional garden subscriptions cost £42 each, with the council allowing up to three garden bins per property. Some locations may receive three 90-litre hessian sacks rather than a wheeled garden bin where the property is on a sack collection arrangement.
Brown bin — accepted
- Grass cuttings
- Leaves
- Flowers and plants
- Hedge clippings
- Prunings and suitable branches
- Small quantities of windfall fruit
Brown bin — not accepted
- Food waste
- Cardboard
- Pet bedding or pet waste
- Soil, stone or rubble
- Plastic bags
- Plastic flowerpots and trays
TMBC Bin Collection Time and Presentation Rules
Under the normal household collection arrangement, containers should be ready by 7am on the scheduled collection day and positioned at the property boundary nearest the point where the collection vehicle passes.
Ready by 7am
Do not rely on the crew arriving at the same time every week. Collection routes can vary during the day.
Use the property boundary
Present containers at the appropriate boundary point nearest the collection vehicle route.
Bring bins back in
After collection, return household containers inside the property boundary.
TMBC Missed Bin: Check These Things First
TMBC’s missed-bin page is intended for a household whose collection appears to have been individually missed. The council specifically asks residents to report when neighbouring bins or boxes have been emptied but their own has not.
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Check the official date.
Confirm that the container was actually scheduled for the selected property. -
Check nearby collections.
If the entire road still has full containers, the round may be delayed rather than your individual bin being missed. -
Check presentation.
Confirm the container was at the correct point by the required time. -
Check the contents.
Incorrect material, excess waste or another collection problem may explain why a container remained full. -
Use the online missed-bin form.
TMBC advises using the form rather than reporting a missed collection by email because the online report goes directly into the collection process.
Should you report the bin?
Flats, Communal Bins and Assisted Collections
Flats and communal properties
Flats and other communal properties may use larger shared containers rather than the standard household wheelie-bin setup. Follow the labels and collection arrangement provided for the building rather than copying a nearby house.
Pull-out service
Residents who cannot move containers to the property boundary because of infirmity or disability can ask TMBC about its assisted “pull-out” collection service. An agreed collection position is used where the service is approved.
New, Missing or Damaged TMBC Bin
TMBC has online routes for missing containers, damaged bins, recycling boxes, replacement lids, bin-size changes and properties that do not yet have household containers.
Missing container
Use the replacement-bin or recycling-box request form.
Damaged container
Report the damage and leave the bin in a visible location while awaiting repair.
Larger black bin
TMBC limits larger black bins to specified circumstances, including some households with six or more residents or several young children in nappies.
TMBC Bulky Waste Collection 2026
Furniture, fridges and other qualifying large household items use the bulky-waste service rather than the normal black bin. TMBC currently offers collection of up to six eligible bulky items from outside the property.
| 2026 bulky option | Current charge | Important condition |
|---|---|---|
| Standard collection | £75 | Up to six qualifying bulky items. |
| Fridge/freezer only | £46 | Use the dedicated fridge/freezer option. |
| Subsidised collection | £15.50 | Eligibility applies for qualifying Council Tax Reduction recipients. |
Prices shown are the council’s charges from 1 April 2026. Items must be outside the property by 7am on the booked collection day. Check the council service for exclusions before paying.
Household Waste Recycling Centres Near Tonbridge & Malling
Household waste recycling centres in the county are operated by Kent County Council, not Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council. TMBC directs residents to KCC for tip visits, and a booking is required.
Official TMBC Links for Live Actions
Open TMBC collection-date checker
Open TMBC waste services
Check official bin contents
Report a missed collection
Open garden-waste service
TMBC Bin Collection FAQs
How do I check my TMBC bin collection date?
Use Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council’s official waste collection form. Enter the postcode, select the exact address and read the dates shown for the waste streams serving that property.
What time should TMBC bins be out?
The normal requirement is to have containers presented at the appropriate property boundary by 7am on collection day. Temporary council notices can set an earlier time during exceptional conditions.
Which is the recycling bin in Tonbridge and Malling?
TMBC splits household recycling between a green-lidded wheelie bin for accepted mixed containers and a separate green box for paper and cardboard.
How often is TMBC recycling collected?
Household recycling is collected fortnightly. Check the exact property calendar for the actual collection date.
How often is TMBC food waste collected?
Food waste is collected every week using the outdoor black-and-orange lockable food container.
How much is TMBC garden waste in 2026?
The first garden-waste subscription currently costs £66 per year for the 2026 scheme. Additional garden bins cost £42 each, subject to the council’s service limits and terms.
What should I do when my TMBC bin is missed?
Confirm the collection date, check whether neighbouring containers have been emptied and verify that your bin was correctly presented. For a genuine individual missed collection, use TMBC’s online missed-bin form.
Can I put cardboard in the green-lidded recycling bin?
No. TMBC collects paper and cardboard separately in the green recycling box. The green-lidded wheelie bin is used for the accepted mixed container stream.
Your TMBC Bin-Day Checklist
- Use the council’s postcode and exact-address checker.
- Save both the date and the waste stream.
- Use the black bin for non-recyclable household waste.
- Use the green-lidded bin for accepted mixed container recycling.
- Keep paper and cardboard in the green box.
- Use the orange-lidded outdoor container for weekly food waste.
- Use the brown bin only with the appropriate garden-waste service.
- Have normal collections ready by 7am.
- Check live service updates before assuming a bin was missed.
- Use TMBC’s online form for a genuine missed collection.
Independent guide: BinCollectionGuide.org is not Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council. Live collection dates, reports, subscriptions, payments and service decisions must be confirmed or completed through the official TMBC services linked above.