Royal Greenwich Bin Collection: Find Your Calendar, Collection Day & Correct Bin
Need to know which bin goes out this week in Greenwich, Woolwich, Eltham or another part of the borough? Royal Greenwich provides an address-based collection checker for household rubbish and recycling.
For most houses with wheelie bins, blue-top mixed recycling and green-top food and garden waste are collected weekly. Black-top general waste is collected every two weeks. Your exact collection day and black-bin week depend on the property.
Royal Greenwich Bin Collection: Quick Answer
Blue-top recycling and green-top food and garden waste are normally collected every week, while black-top general rubbish is collected fortnightly for houses using the standard wheelie-bin service. The black-bin timetable has two alternating collection weeks, so your property calendar is needed to find the correct week.
Open the official Royal Greenwich bin collection checker, type your full postcode including its space, and select your address. Put bins or approved collection bags out by 6am on your scheduled collection day.
If you live in a block of flats or on an estate, the house calendar may not apply. Ask your caretaker or management company for the communal collection arrangements.
Find the Greenwich collection information you need
- Find collection day
- 2026 black-bin calendar
- Weekly and fortnightly schedule
- Bin colours and contents
- Blue-top recycling
- Green-top food and garden waste
- Black-top general waste
- Flats, estates and bags
- Missed collections
- Red-tagged bins
- Order bins and sacks
- Assisted collections
- Bulky waste
- Nathan Way recycling centre
- Bank holiday collections
- Common questions
How to Find Your Royal Greenwich Bin Collection Day
Royal Greenwich’s online service provides collection information for individual addresses. You do not need to guess a collection weekday from a neighbouring property or a general SE postcode district.
- Open the council collection checker. Visit Royal Greenwich’s Find your bin collection day page.
- Type your full postcode. Include the space between the two parts of the postcode, for example SE18 6HQ.
- Select the exact property. Choose the house or block from the address dropdown rather than assuming the nearest result is correct.
- Check the collection information. Note the day shown for each relevant waste stream and which fortnight applies to black-top rubbish.
- Save the result. Bookmark the official service and keep a record of your black-top collection week. Check again if the council announces a change.
Royal Greenwich Black Bin Collection Calendar 2026
Royal Greenwich introduced fortnightly black-top rubbish collections while keeping weekly recycling and food/garden collections for standard wheelie-bin households. This means the black-top bin is the stream residents most often need to check on a calendar.
The council uses two alternating collection patterns for black-top rubbish. Your property is assigned to the relevant pattern; the borough does not operate a single black-bin date for every street.
Week A
If your household is assigned to Week A, your black-top rubbish is collected on the dates marked for that week in the applicable council timetable.
Do not assume Week A is the first week of January or the first week shown on another resident’s calendar.
Week B
Week B is the alternating fortnightly black-bin collection pattern. Households assigned to this schedule have different black-bin dates from Week A properties.
Your exact collection day still needs to be confirmed separately from the week pattern.
How to Know If It Is Black-Bin Week
Search your address in the council checker. Find the next black-top collection date, then count forward by two weeks only as a personal reminder. Recheck the official calendar around bank holidays or announced disruptions.
Check My Black-Bin WeekRoyal Greenwich Bin Collection Schedule: Weekly vs Fortnightly
The standard collection pattern is straightforward once you distinguish the three streams. Recycling and organics are collected every week, while black-top general waste is collected every other week.
| Waste service | Container | Usual frequency | Important note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mixed dry recycling | Blue-top wheelie bin | Weekly | Accepted clean materials must go in loose. |
| Food and garden waste | Green-top wheelie bin | Weekly | Paper or approved compostable liners only. |
| General rubbish | Black-top wheelie bin | Every two weeks | Check the property’s assigned black-bin week. |
| Sack collections | Approved sacks and bags | Property-specific | For homes without suitable wheelie-bin space. |
| Communal collections | Shared estate or flat bins | Building-specific | Check with the caretaker or property manager. |
The collection vehicle may not arrive at exactly the same time each week. Royal Greenwich states that rubbish collection rounds can take place between 6am and 8pm.
Greenwich Bin Colours: What Goes in Each Bin?
Royal Greenwich uses blue, green and black bin tops for different waste streams. The lid colour is important because a black top does not mean the same thing as a blue recycling top.
Mixed Recycling
For accepted dry recyclable materials such as paper, cardboard, glass bottles and jars, plastic containers, cans, cartons and clean foil.
Food & Garden
For food scraps, cooked and uncooked food, leaves, grass cuttings, plants and other accepted garden material.
General Rubbish
For ordinary household items which are not accepted in the blue or green recycling collections.
What Can Go in the Blue-Top Recycling Bin?
The blue-top bin is for clean mixed dry recycling. Royal Greenwich asks residents to put recyclable materials directly into the bin without a plastic bag. The materials are sorted after collection.
Accepted Blue-Top Materials
- Clean paper and cardboard.
- Glass bottles and jars.
- Plastic bottles, tubs and trays, excluding black plastic.
- Food tins and drinks cans.
- Empty aerosol cans.
- Kitchen foil and clean foil food trays.
- Drink cartons and Tetrapaks.
Do Not Put These in Blue
- Black plastic packaging.
- Polystyrene and bubble wrap.
- Plastic bags and plastic film.
- Crisp packets and wrappers.
- Disposable nappies and wipes.
- Used tissues and face masks.
- Food scraps and dirty takeaway packaging.
Three Ways to Avoid Contaminating Recycling
- Empty containers. Remove leftover food and liquids before recycling tins, bottles and cartons.
- Put recycling in loose. Do not hide accepted items inside black sacks or tied plastic carrier bags.
- Keep difficult items separate. Use the council’s item directory for batteries, electricals, textiles or materials that are not clearly accepted.
Green-Top Bin: Food Waste and Garden Waste
The green-top collection combines accepted household food scraps and garden material. Unlike authorities that require a separate paid garden-waste subscription, Royal Greenwich’s standard green-top service collects these materials together.
Food Waste You Can Add
- Fruit and vegetables.
- Raw and cooked meat.
- Fish and bones.
- Rice, pasta and bread.
- Plate scrapings.
- Tea bags and coffee grounds.
Garden Waste You Can Add
- Grass and hedge cuttings.
- Leaves and weeds.
- Plants and flowers.
- Straw, hay and sawdust.
- Tree bark and small branches.
- Waste from suitable plant-eating pets, as permitted by council guidance.
Which Food Waste Bags Are Allowed?
You can place accepted food and garden waste loose inside the green-top bin. Royal Greenwich also allows appropriate paper or corn-starch sacks, and compostable liners carrying the recognised compostable logo.
Ordinary plastic bags, degradable bags without the required compostable certification and compostable food packaging should not be added. Packaging marketed as compostable is not automatically accepted by the council.
Black-Top General Rubbish Bin: What Goes In?
The black-top bin is for non-recyclable household rubbish. Because standard black-top collections are fortnightly, separating recyclable and compostable materials helps prevent the bin from filling before its next collection.
Typical General Rubbish
- Disposable nappies.
- Used tissues and kitchen roll.
- Wet wipes.
- Polystyrene packaging.
- Non-recyclable personal hygiene waste.
- Other accepted residual household rubbish.
Items That Need Another Route
- Batteries and electrical equipment.
- Paints and chemicals.
- Building materials.
- Wood and construction waste.
- Medical sharps.
- Large furniture and appliances.
Unlike blue-top recycling, black-top household rubbish should be bagged before it goes into the bin. Royal Greenwich does not collect additional general-waste bags placed beside a black-top wheelie bin.
Where the property has no black-top wheelie bin and uses a permitted sack collection instead, the council’s published service allows up to three black rubbish bags.
Bin Collections for Flats, Estates and Homes Without Wheelie Bins
The normal house collection checker does not provide a reliable calendar for every block of flats or estate. Shared-bin schedules and responsibilities can be different from the three-wheelie-bin routine.
Blocks of Flats
Large blue communal bins are generally provided for mixed dry recycling. General rubbish may go into silver or black shared bins or a chute system.
Ask the caretaker, factor or management company which containers are used and when collections happen.
Communal Food Waste
Royal Greenwich may be able to provide food-waste collection for blocks with suitable shared internal storage.
Check whether the service is available for your building before requesting a household caddy or leaving food waste outside.
Flats Above Shops
Homes without space for wheelie bins may use clear sacks for dry recycling and black sacks for general waste.
Use the correct sacks and place them out on collection morning rather than leaving them on the pavement overnight.
How the Sack System Works
Royal Greenwich identifies the following arrangements for homes where wheelie bins cannot be used:
- Clear sacks: mixed dry recycling.
- Black rubbish sacks: non-recyclable general waste.
- Paper or suitable corn-starch sacks: eligible food and garden material where applicable.
Qualifying residents can request two free rolls of clear recycling sacks every six months. Eligibility depends on the property’s suitability for wheelie bins, and the council checks the address before fulfilling an order.
Missed Bin Collection in Royal Greenwich: What to Do
Royal Greenwich’s collection crews operate between 6am and 8pm. A bin still standing at lunchtime has not necessarily been missed; the round may simply be running later than usual.
First Check Whether the Whole Street Was Missed
If the entire street has not been collected, Royal Greenwich says crews may be running behind schedule. The council normally already knows which rounds remain unfinished and aims to catch up by the end of the week, including weekends. An individual missed-bin report is not normally required for a whole-street missed round.
If Your Property Alone Was Missed
- Check the calendar. Confirm that the container was due on the date concerned.
- Allow the scheduled round to finish. Collections can continue until 8pm.
- Check your presentation. Bins should have been at the required collection point by 6am.
- Inspect the contents and any tag. Incorrect recycling, obstructed access or other issues may explain why the bin was not emptied.
- Report promptly. Use the official missed-wheelie-bin form within 24 hours if your individual collection was genuinely missed.
Report a Greenwich Missed Wheelie Bin
Use the direct Royal Greenwich online form. Alternatively, contact the council on 020 8921 4661.
Why Has My Greenwich Recycling Bin Been Red-Tagged?
If the council finds the wrong materials in a blue-top or green-top bin, the crew may leave it unemptied and attach a red tag. The tag identifies a recycling contamination problem, not necessarily a missed round.
First Rejection
The bin is tagged and the household receives an explanation. Remove incorrect materials before the next relevant collection.
Second Rejection
If incorrect materials appear again, the bin may be tagged again and another letter sent.
Repeated Contamination
Royal Greenwich’s published policy says a recycling bin can be permanently removed after a third contamination incident.
Where communal recycling bins are repeatedly contaminated, the council may discuss the issue with residents and consider alternative arrangements, including clear sacks.
How to Order New Bins, Kitchen Caddies and Recycling Bags
Royal Greenwich accepts online orders for household bins, food-waste sacks, kitchen caddies and related recycling items. If a wheelie bin has been lost, stolen or damaged, use the council’s order service rather than submitting a normal missed-collection report.
Replacement Wheelie Bins
Use the official online service if your container is lost, stolen or damaged. The council will determine the appropriate replacement and any applicable charge.
Free Kitchen Caddy
The council provides a free six-litre kitchen caddy for household food-waste separation. Use the order service to request one.
Paper and Corn-Starch Sacks
Paper or approved corn-starch sacks can be ordered in various sizes. Pack prices and delivery charges can change, so review the live checkout before paying.
Clear Recycling Sacks
Residents without space for bins may qualify for two free rolls every six months. The council checks the address before fulfilling the request.
What You Need to Order Online
- Full name and collection address.
- Postcode for address verification.
- Contact telephone number.
- Email address.
- Details of the container or sacks required.
Assisted Bin Collections in Royal Greenwich
If you cannot safely move your wheelie bins to the collection point because of a disability or age-related difficulty, you can request an assisted collection assessment.
Who Can Apply?
Royal Greenwich considers requests from residents who need help presenting their bins because of age or disability. The council may ask for evidence when assessing eligibility.
How to Request Help
Telephone 020 8921 4661 or email [email protected].
Explain the problem with moving the bin and provide the address requiring assistance.
Royal Greenwich Bulky Waste Collection: Sofas, Mattresses and Large Items
Furniture, appliances and other large household items should not be left beside ordinary bins. Royal Greenwich provides a bookable bulky waste collection service for eligible items.
Typical Accepted Items
- Sofas and armchairs.
- Mattresses and bed bases.
- Wardrobes and tables.
- Cookers and washing machines.
- Fridges and freezers.
- Other eligible large household furniture and appliances.
Bagged Building Materials
Some materials such as cut-up carpet, soil, rubble and tiles are covered by a separate bagged-item arrangement.
These must be packed so one person can carry them safely. The council specifies a minimum charge equivalent to four bags and a maximum of five bags per relevant booking.
How to Book a Bulky Waste Collection
- Open the council’s bulky waste booking form.
- Select the relevant accepted items.
- Provide the collection address and requested details.
- Check the current charge or any council-tenant service-charge entitlement.
- Confirm the booking and follow the placement instructions.
Royal Greenwich says council tenants already pay for eligible standard bulky collections through their service charge. Other households should check the live booking price before confirming payment.
Greenwich Reuse and Recycling Centre: Nathan Way, Thamesmead
For suitable waste that cannot be collected in household bins, Royal Greenwich residents can use the Reuse and Recycling Centre at Nathan Way in Thamesmead.
Greenwich Reuse and Recycling Centre
Address: Nathan Way, Thamesmead, London, SE28 0AF.
The centre accepts eligible household recycling and waste, including suitable furniture, mattresses, fridges, freezers, large appliances and car batteries.
This is a household facility; business waste and hazardous waste are not accepted through its normal resident recycling service.
Current Published Opening Hours
| Day | Opening hours | Important detail |
|---|---|---|
| Monday to Friday | 8am–6:30pm | Arrive at least 15 minutes before closing. |
| Saturday | 8am–5pm | Check any temporary council notices. |
| Sunday | 9am–4:30pm | Household resident-use rules apply. |
| Bank holidays | 9am–4:30pm | Check for special closures before travelling. |
Proof of Residence
Royal Greenwich’s current centre guidance requires proof that you live in the borough. The council specifies a physical, valid UK driving licence and recent council tax evidence dated within the last three months, including acceptable digital council tax evidence.
The council does not accept photocopies or screenshots as substitutes for the required documents.
Vehicle Access and Restrictions
- Residents can access the centre in a car or on a motorbike.
- Commercial vehicles are not permitted through the normal household recycling centre entrance.
- Restrictions include vans, pickup trucks, minibuses and certain trailers.
- Hired vans may need to use the adjoining waste transfer station, where charges apply.
- For residents arriving on foot, the council’s guidance describes staff receiving items at the entrance rather than visitors entering the disposal bays.
DIY Waste and Special Materials
Royal Greenwich places quantity and visit limits on materials such as rubble, plasterboard, tyres and asbestos. Certain DIY household waste is accepted only within specific size, quantity and visit conditions.
Some upholstered furniture must be kept separate because it may contain POPs. Staff can direct residents to the designated disposal area.
Other Recycling and Specialist Waste Services
Small Electrical Items
Electrical equipment needs a separate recycling route. Check the council’s item directory for suitable recycling banks, reuse options or collection services.
Clothes and Textiles
Usable clothing can often be donated or taken to textile recycling points. Do not mix clothing with ordinary blue-top recycling.
Hazardous Waste
Paints, chemicals and other hazardous materials are not suitable for household bins. Royal Greenwich directs residents to the appropriate hazardous-waste collection route operated through the City of London.
Clinical Waste
Used needles and other clinical sharps require appropriate collection arrangements. Do not place them loose in a household bin. Follow the council’s clinical-waste referral and collection guidance.
Royal Greenwich Bin Collection on Bank Holidays and Christmas
Royal Greenwich warns that rubbish collection dates can change around bank holidays, particularly Christmas and New Year. The ordinary fortnightly black-bin pattern should not be treated as a guaranteed holiday timetable.
Bank Holidays
Check the current council collection notices and your address result for any revised date.
Christmas 2026
Check the council’s festive arrangements before Christmas. Do not rely on a 2025 PDF to calculate late December 2026 dates.
Winter Disruption
Snow, ice, blocked roads and unsafe access may delay collection crews. Follow council notices for outstanding rounds.
How to Avoid a Wrong Holiday Collection Date
Check your address calendar shortly before the holiday, confirm the correct black-bin week and use any revised date issued by Royal Greenwich. If an area-wide round is delayed, follow the council’s catch-up instructions.
Check Bank Holiday Collection ChangesWhich Areas Use Royal Greenwich Bin Collection Services?
The Royal Borough of Greenwich provides household waste services for its council area in south-east London. This includes properties in Greenwich, Woolwich, Eltham, Charlton, Plumstead, Abbey Wood, Kidbrooke and parts of Thamesmead and Blackheath.
Houses in the Borough
Use the Royal Greenwich address checker and the standard blue, green and black bin guidance where those containers are provided.
Boundary and Shared-Postcode Areas
Some SE postcodes and neighbourhood names extend across more than one borough. Check the local authority for your exact address before relying on a council calendar.
If you are unsure which London borough serves your property, start with the GOV.UK postcode service.
For a wider comparison of councils and schedules across the capital, see the London bin collection guide.
Official Royal Greenwich Bin and Waste Services
Use these official services when you need live collection dates, to make a report, order a container or arrange disposal of materials outside the ordinary bin service.
Royal Greenwich waste service telephone: 020 8921 4661.
Royal Greenwich Bin Collection FAQs
What day are bins collected in Royal Greenwich?
The collection weekday depends on your property. Use Royal Greenwich’s official address checker to find your collection dates. Standard houses have weekly blue-top and green-top collections, while black-top rubbish is collected every two weeks.
How do I check my black-bin collection week?
Open the Royal Greenwich bin calendar service, enter your full postcode and select the exact address. The council’s current timetable identifies the correct alternating black-bin collection dates.
Is recycling collected every week in Greenwich?
Yes, blue-top mixed recycling and green-top food and garden waste are normally collected weekly from houses using the standard three-bin service. Flats and communal properties may have different arrangements.
How often is the black-top rubbish bin emptied?
The standard black-top household rubbish service runs every two weeks. Check whether your property follows the applicable Week A or Week B pattern before putting the bin out.
What time should Greenwich bins be put out?
Have bins or permitted collection bags out by 6am on the scheduled collection day. The council’s collection rounds can operate between 6am and 8pm.
Can glass bottles and jars go in the blue-top bin?
Yes. Royal Greenwich accepts glass bottles and jars in its blue-top mixed dry recycling bin, alongside other accepted clean recycling materials.
Is garden waste collected weekly in Royal Greenwich?
Food and garden waste are collected together in the green-top bin every week for standard house collections. Follow the council’s guidance about the materials and liners it accepts.
How soon must I report a missed bin?
Royal Greenwich’s missed-wheelie-bin form states that reports made within 24 hours qualify for an attempted return as soon as possible. Later reports are normally dealt with on the next scheduled collection day.
What happens if my recycling bin has a red tag?
A red tag means the council has identified incorrect materials in the recycling. Remove the contamination and follow the council’s instructions for the next collection. Repeated contamination can result in the recycling bin being removed.
Can Greenwich residents get free clear recycling sacks?
Households that cannot use wheelie bins because of insufficient space may qualify for two free rolls of clear recycling sacks every six months. The council checks address eligibility before supplying them.
Where is the Greenwich Reuse and Recycling Centre?
The centre is at Nathan Way, Thamesmead, London SE28 0AF. Royal Greenwich residents must bring the required proof of residence and follow the current site access, vehicle and accepted-waste rules.
Are bin collections different for Greenwich flats and estates?
They can be. The normal house collection calendar may not apply to communal bins. Residents should ask their caretaker or management company for the correct collection schedule and container arrangement.
Who is responsible for rubbish collection in Greenwich?
The Royal Borough of Greenwich manages household rubbish and recycling services for properties within its local authority area. Use its official online services for dates, reports, orders and waste collections.
Check Your Royal Greenwich Bin Collection Day
The quickest way to find the correct collection date is to use Royal Greenwich’s address checker. Choose the exact property, identify the next black-top rubbish week and have your recycling or waste ready by 6am.
If a bin is not emptied, check whether the whole street was affected, whether the recycling was rejected and whether a timely individual missed-bin report is required.
Independent information: BinCollectionGuide.org is not affiliated with or operated by the Royal Borough of Greenwich. Official collection dates, service arrangements, reports and council charges are controlled by the local authority. Information reflects official guidance checked in October 2026; some council service pages and live address-level calendar results could not be fully inspected, so verify your own dates through the official lookup.