Aberdeen Bin Collection 2026: Calendar, Postcode & Bin Days

ABERDEEN CITY • RESIDENT COLLECTION GUIDE 2026

Find Tomorrow’s Bin, Check the Exact Address and Be Ready by 7am

Aberdeen City collection dates depend on the property. Search the official street address or postcode first, select the exact home and check every container shown for the next date.

This guide then helps with 2026 calendar and PDF options, blue-lid recycling, food and garden waste, missed bins, side waste, flats, additional containers, bulky uplifts and recycling-centre decisions.

📮 Address/postcode 🕖 By 7am ⚫ General waste 🔵 Mixed recycling 🟤 Food + garden 📅 Fortnightly standard service

Aberdeen Bin Collection Quick Answer

Use Aberdeen City Council’s address/postcode checker for the date, then have the correct standard wheeled bin at the required collection point by 7am.

DATE

Property-specific

Search the exact address rather than relying on an AB postcode district.

TIME

By 7am

7am is the presentation deadline, not a promised vehicle arrival time.

STANDARD HOME

Fortnightly

General waste, mixed recycling and food/garden bins are normally fortnightly.

MISSED

Route must finish

A standard wheeled bin cannot be reported missed before the collection route is complete.

Most important location check

Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeenshire Council are different waste authorities. An AB postcode can belong to either, so confirm the property before following any timetable.

Aberdeen Bin Collection Tomorrow: Postcode-to-Bin Workflow

If you only need to know what goes outside tomorrow, you can complete the check in a few steps.

Open Aberdeen City’s official checker

Do not begin with a static third-party date table.

Enter the street address or postcode

Use the full property information where possible.

Select the exact property

Flats, neighbouring homes, new developments and addresses close to the council boundary can have different arrangements.

Read every collection listed for tomorrow

Do not assume only one container is due. Follow the exact property result.

Have the bin outside by 7am

Prepare it earlier if practical rather than waiting to hear the collection vehicle.

“Aberdeen bin collection tomorrow times free”

The council provides a collection day and presentation deadline, not an exact household lorry ETA. A vehicle can arrive earlier or later than you remember from the previous fortnight.

Check tomorrow’s Aberdeen bin

Aberdeen Bin Collection Calendar 2026: The Safest Way to Use It

Aberdeen’s official service asks you to search by street address or postcode and select the property. That result is more useful than a single city-wide calendar because collection dates are route-specific.

NEXT DATE

Use live lookup

Best for deciding which container goes out tonight.

FUTURE DATES

Save your property result

Use the exact address schedule rather than dates copied from another street.

PRINT

Keep a paper copy

A printed personal schedule can help shared households and residents who do not use reminders.

RECHECK

Before holidays/disruption

A saved copy does not automatically reflect temporary operational changes.

Do not make one calendar for every AB10, AB11 or AB12 property

The postcode narrows the search; the selected property gives you the useful collection result.

Open Aberdeen 2026 calendar lookup

Aberdeen Bin Collection Calendar 2026 PDF Free Download

The live audit did not verify one universal 2026 Aberdeen City PDF containing valid dates for every household. Treat the property checker as the source of truth.

How to make a safe personal PDF

Find the property first

Use Aberdeen City’s street/postcode collection checker.

Verify the address

Make sure the result belongs to your home and not another address with a similar street name.

Use any official print/download option shown

If the property calendar offers a downloadable format, prefer that result.

Otherwise use Print → Save as PDF

This creates a free personal copy of your property result without pretending there is one Aberdeen-wide PDF.

PDF warning

A downloaded or printed schedule can become stale. Recheck the council service if there is severe weather, a road/access problem, a holiday change or another service disruption.

What Aberdeen’s Official Waste Policy PDF Confirms

Aberdeen City’s consolidated Waste and Recycling Policy provides the clearest technical rules for standard wheeled bins.

GENERAL

180 litres

Standard household non-recyclable waste container.

RECYCLING

240 litres

Mixed recycling bin with blue lid.

FOOD/GARDEN

240 litres

Brown-lid food and eligible garden-waste container.

FREQUENCY

Fortnightly

The standard wheeled-bin policy lists all three main streams as fortnightly.

Policy scope

The missed-wheelie-bin rules apply to household wheeled bins. They do not automatically apply to communal bins or commercial properties.

Open official Waste & Recycling Policy PDF

Aberdeen Bin Collection Cycle: General Waste, Recycling and Brown Bin

A useful mental model is an alternating fortnightly rhythm, but always confirm the exact property date before acting.

GENERAL WASTE

180L grey bin / dark lid

For non-recyclable household waste.

Normal frequency: fortnightly.

BLUE LID

240L mixed recycling

Paper, card, glass packaging, metal, accepted rigid plastics and cartons.

Normal frequency: fortnightly.

BROWN LID

240L food / garden waste

Food waste plus eligible garden waste for households using the garden service.

Normal frequency: fortnightly.

Why you still need the calendar

Understanding the fortnightly pattern helps you remember the system, but it does not identify the correct starting week for your individual property.

What Goes in Aberdeen’s Blue-Lid Mixed Recycling Bin?

Aberdeen mixes several dry recyclable materials in one 240-litre container, but contamination can cause the bin to be rejected.

YES

Accepted mixed recycling

  • Steel and aluminium cans.
  • Tins and foil.
  • Glass bottles and jars.
  • Paper.
  • Card and cardboard.
  • Plastic bottles.
  • Plastic trays.
  • Plastic tubs.
  • Yoghurt pots.
  • Food and drink cartons such as Tetra Pak.
NO

Common contaminants

  • Food waste.
  • Plastic carrier bags.
  • Plastic film.
  • Polystyrene.
  • Garden waste.
  • Nappies.
  • Clothing.
  • General non-recyclable rubbish.
Prepare recycling properly

Aberdeen’s policy says mixed recycling should be predominantly clean and free from food waste and plastic bags/film.

If the bin is contaminated

Remove the wrong material. A contaminated recycling bin can be left by the crew and is not treated as a genuine missed collection.

Aberdeen Brown Bin 2026: Food Waste, Garden Waste and Permit Cost

The first household garden/food bin remains free to collect. Permits are required only when a household wants to present a second or third brown bin containing garden waste.

FIRST BIN

£0

No garden-waste permit is required for the household’s first brown bin.

SECOND BIN

£40

Approved 2026/27 charge from April 2026 for an additional garden-waste bin permit.

THIRD BIN

£40

A separate permit is required for the third garden-waste bin.

MAXIMUM

3 brown bins

One free garden bin plus up to two additional permitted garden-waste bins.

2026 price conflict resolved

The indexed garden-waste webpage still displays older £30 wording. Aberdeen City Council’s approved 2026/27 Fees & Charges schedule lists the second and third domestic garden-waste bin charge as £40 from April 2026. Check the checkout amount before payment.

Food waste that can use the brown service

  • Cooked food.
  • Uncooked food.
  • Tea bags and coffee grounds.
  • Eggshells.
  • Bones.
  • Other normal household food scraps.

Garden waste examples

  • Grass cuttings.
  • Small branches.
  • Bark.
  • Twigs that fit safely with the lid closed.

Keep these out

  • General household rubbish.
  • Mixed dry recycling.
  • Nappies.
  • Dog waste.
  • Cat litter.
  • Other animal waste.
  • Stones or slabs.
  • Rubble.
  • Plastic bags.
  • Plant pots and seed trays.
  • Soil and turf.
Food waste does not need an extra garden permit

Aberdeen states that residents can continue recycling food waste free in a brown bin without purchasing an additional garden-waste permit.

Moving house?

Additional garden permits stay with the property and should not be taken to the new home. The council’s current permit page states that refunds are not issued.

Can neighbours share?

Yes. Aberdeen allows households, including some flatted properties, to share brown bins. Adding house numbers can help crews understand which households are using the shared containers.

Aberdeen Bin Collection Time: What “By 7am” Actually Means

The council does not promise a particular collection-vehicle time for an individual house. It requires the container to be correctly presented by 7am.

DEADLINE

7am

The correct wheeled bin must be ready by this time on collection day.

ETA

Can vary

Your street being collected at 10am last fortnight does not guarantee 10am tomorrow.

LID

Fully closed

An overfilled container with an unsafe open lid can be left.

SIDE WASTE

Keep it inside

Waste outside authorised containers is not part of the standard collection.

Senior-friendly routine

Check the postcode calendar earlier in the evening, prepare the correct bin and use 7am only as the final deadline—not as the time to start checking.

Aberdeen Missed Bin: Use This Decision Check Before Reporting

Aberdeen’s official waste policy makes a clear distinction between a genuine council miss and a container the crew correctly left behind.

Correct bin out by 7am Correct scheduled date.
Vehicle passed without emptying it This can qualify as a genuine missed collection.
Action Wait until the route has completed, then use the official report.
Bin was late Presented after 7am.
Not a council miss Crew can log the bin as not presented.
Action Manage the waste until the next collection or use another authorised route.
Wrong day Old calendar or neighbour’s schedule used.
Not a genuine miss No collection was due for that container.
Action Recheck the property calendar.
Contaminated recycling Wrong material visible.
Incorrect use Council policy says this is not a missed bin.
Action Remove contamination before the next scheduled collection.
Bin too heavy Unsafe for crew to move or lift.
Incorrect presentation Can be left for safety reasons.
Action Remove excess/heavy material and use an HWRC if suitable.
Unauthorised extra bin Not approved under council policy.
Incorrect use The council only services authorised containers.
Action Apply for additional capacity if eligible.
Do not report before the route is completed

Aberdeen’s policy explicitly states that household wheeled bins cannot be reported missed until the collection route is complete.

What happens after a genuine miss?

Where a correctly presented bin was passed by the collection vehicle—or an assisted collection was genuinely missed—the policy says every effort will be made to return within 5 working days.

Report a missed wheelie bin

Extra Black Bags and Overfilled Bins: What Aberdeen Will Not Normally Collect

Aberdeen’s waste policy is strict about excess waste because the authorised wheeled container defines the standard household collection capacity.

BLACK BAGS

No normal side waste

Bags or waste placed outside authorised containers are not part of the standard collection and may be treated as side waste, litter or fly-tipping.

OVERFILLED

Unsafe bins can be left

The crew can refuse an overloaded wheeled bin on health-and-safety grounds.

BETTER ROUTE

Remove the excess

Use recycling, an HWRC, bulky uplift or an authorised additional-bin application where appropriate.

Keep the lid closed

Aberdeen’s policy says lids should be fully closed to reduce lifting damage, vermin access and rainwater entering the bin.

Aberdeen Flats and Communal Bins: Different Rules From Houses

Many flats and multi-occupancy buildings use large shared bins rather than individual household wheeled bins.

GENERAL

660L or 1280L

Some developments use large communal general-waste containers with black lids.

RECYCLING

Blue-lid communal bins

Shared mixed-recycling containers can also be 660L or 1280L.

FOOD

120L food bin

Some communal developments use a shared food-waste bin housed within a fixed brown unit.

Communal collection frequency varies

Aberdeen’s planning waste guidance says shared bins can be serviced at different frequencies depending on the development. Do not assume the standard fortnightly house timetable applies.

Missed-wheelie-bin form may be the wrong tool

Aberdeen’s missed-bin policy specifically excludes communal bins. Use the appropriate communal-bin issue route when the shared container is damaged or overflowing.

Aberdeen Assisted Bin Collections: Who Can Get Help?

Assisted collection is available when a householder cannot physically present the authorised bins and there is no other assistance available.

MEDICAL / DISABILITY

Unable to move the bin

A permanent medical condition or disability can qualify where it prevents normal presentation.

TEMPORARY

Temporary incapacity

The policy can also cover an appropriate temporary physical incapacity.

COLLECTION POINT

Agreed outdoor location

The crew collects and returns authorised containers from an agreed safe point.

Assistance must genuinely be unavailable

The policy requires there to be no other assistance available for presenting the containers.

Review cycle

Permanent assisted uplifts are normally reviewed every two years; temporary arrangements can be reviewed sooner.

Genuine missed assisted collection

Aberdeen’s policy places a genuine missed assisted collection in the category where every effort is made to return within five working days.

Additional and Replacement Aberdeen Bins

Extra general-waste capacity requires eligibility. Extra recycling capacity follows a different rule.

EXTRA GENERAL

Eligibility examples

  • Five or more permanent residents.
  • Medical/disability circumstances producing extra non-clinical waste.
  • Two or more children under age three using nappies.
EXTRA RECYCLING

No household-size test

Aberdeen’s policy says an additional mixed-recycling bin can be requested without meeting the extra-general-waste criteria.

LOST / DAMAGED

Replacement service

If the physical council bin is missing or damaged, use the replacement-bin service rather than a missed-collection report.

Extra general-waste capacity is not automatic

The household must demonstrate that it is making full use of the available recycling facilities.

Two-year review

Authorised additional general-waste bins can be reviewed after two years and removed if the circumstances change.

Aberdeen Bulky Waste 2026: Price and House-Clearance Difference

Furniture and other large household items should use a booked bulky uplift rather than being left beside normal bins.

UP TO 4 ITEMS

£47

Current standard domestic bulky-uplift price.

BENEFIT RATE

£23.50

Current public service page lists this rate for qualifying housing or Council Tax benefit recipients.

COUNCIL TENANTS

Up to 4 free

Council tenants can arrange up to four collections a year through their tenancy arrangement.

HOUSE CLEARANCE

Separate service

The council asks for an estimate of the work and provides a price for larger clearances.

2026/27 fee schedule

Aberdeen’s approved schedule confirms £47 for four domestic bulky items from April 2026. It separately lists a £261 domestic house-clearance collection and £152 hourly domestic waste-collection rate.

Book Aberdeen bulky uplift

Aberdeen Household Waste and Recycling Centres: Check the Live Site Before Travelling

Recycling centres are the correct route for many heavy, bulky or excess household materials that should not be put beside kerbside bins.

NORTH

Bridge of Don

The current Aberdeen City recycling-centre directory includes Bridge of Don.

NORTH-WEST

Bucksburn

Check the live council directory for current availability before travelling.

WEST

Hazlehead

Use the current site entry to check materials and any vehicle requirements.

SOUTH

Tullos

Recheck the live directory because centre arrangements can change.

Do not rely on an old list of centres

Aberdeen has had recycling-centre investment, replacement-site work and budget proposals affecting facilities. The council’s live centre directory should be checked immediately before a journey.

Vehicle rules matter

The council provides a separate recycling-centre appointment route for vehicles or visits that require booking. Check your vehicle and material before loading the car or van.

Aberdeen City vs Aberdeenshire Bin Collection: Do Not Use the Wrong Calendar

This is one of the most important local search traps because both authorities serve AB postcode areas.

ABERDEEN CITY

Three-stream standard service

Standard wheeled-bin households normally have general waste, blue-lid mixed recycling and brown food/garden waste on fortnightly collections.

ABERDEENSHIRE

Different council and bin system

Aberdeenshire uses a separate address checker and different blue-, orange- and black-lid arrangements.

Check the Aberdeenshire bin collection guide

Examples outside Aberdeen City

Places such as Westhill, Portlethen, Stonehaven and Inverurie are served by Aberdeenshire Council even though Aberdeen may appear in local search context.

Aberdeen City Council Bin Collection Phone Number

Use the online collection checker or task-specific form first where possible. If you need help with a waste service or an online garden-permit application, Aberdeen lists:

CUSTOMER CONTACT CENTRE

03000 200 292

Council assistance for waste-service enquiries and residents needing support with online garden-permit applications.

IN-PERSON SUPPORT

Marischal College

Aberdeen’s permit guidance also points residents who need digital/payment assistance to council support at Marischal College.

Call 03000 200 292

Aberdeen Bin Collection FAQs

How do I check my Aberdeen bin collection day?
Use Aberdeen City Council’s official collection checker, enter your street address or postcode and select the exact property.
How do I find Aberdeen bin collection tomorrow by postcode?
Enter your postcode in Aberdeen City’s official checker, select the property and read every collection listed for tomorrow. Have a standard wheeled bin ready by 7am.
What time is my Aberdeen bin collected tomorrow?
Aberdeen does not publish a reliable exact lorry-arrival time for individual households. The useful official rule is to have the bin correctly presented by 7am.
Is checking Aberdeen bin collection times free?
Yes. The official Aberdeen City collection-day checker is the correct free route for checking the scheduled collection date. You do not need to pay a third-party service to see the official timetable.
Where can I find the Aberdeen bin collection calendar 2026?
Use Aberdeen City Council’s live street-address or postcode checker. Property-specific dates are safer than a single city-wide calendar.
Can I download the Aberdeen bin collection calendar 2026 as a free PDF?
A universal 2026 Aberdeen City household PDF was not verified in this audit. Find the correct property calendar first, use an official print/download option if available, or save a printable result through your browser as a personal PDF.
How often are Aberdeen City household bins collected?
Aberdeen City’s standard wheeled-bin policy lists general waste, mixed recycling and garden/food waste collections as fortnightly.
What goes in Aberdeen’s blue-lid bin?
Accepted mixed recycling includes cans, tins, foil, glass bottles and jars, paper, cardboard, plastic bottles, trays, tubs and yoghurt pots, plus food and drink cartons.
Can plastic bags go in Aberdeen mixed recycling?
No. Aberdeen’s waste policy lists plastic bags and film among materials that should not go in the dry mixed-recycling bin.
Is food waste collected in Aberdeen?
Yes. Eligible wheeled-bin homes use the brown food/garden waste bin, while properties that are not eligible for an individual brown bin should have access to nearby communal food-waste provision.
Do I pay for my first Aberdeen garden-waste bin?
No. Aberdeen’s approved 2026/27 arrangements retain free collection of each household’s first garden/food waste bin, and no garden permit is needed for that first bin.
How much is a second or third Aberdeen brown-bin permit in 2026?
Aberdeen City’s approved 2026/27 Fees and Charges schedule sets the domestic permit charge for a second or third garden-waste bin at £40 from April 2026.
Why does an Aberdeen Council page still show £30 for the garden permit?
The garden-waste page indexed during this audit still contained older £30 wording. The newer formally approved 2026/27 fees schedule lists £40 from April 2026, so confirm the amount shown by the payment service before buying.
When can I report a missed Aberdeen bin?
Aberdeen’s policy says a household wheeled bin cannot be reported missed until the collection route has been completed. It must also have been correctly presented by 7am on the correct day.
Will Aberdeen collect extra black bags beside my bin?
Not as part of the normal household service. Aberdeen’s policy says waste outside authorised containers is side waste and will not normally be collected.
What happens if my recycling bin is contaminated?
The crew may leave it. Remove the wrong materials before the next scheduled collection. A bin correctly rejected for contamination is not treated as a council missed collection.
Can I get an additional general-waste bin in Aberdeen?
Households can apply where criteria are met, including five or more permanent residents, certain medical or disability circumstances producing additional non-clinical waste, or two or more children under three in nappies. Full use of recycling facilities is also required.
Do Aberdeen flats use the same bin timetable?
Not necessarily. Many flats use larger communal general-waste, recycling and food-waste containers, and communal collection frequency can differ from the standard fortnightly household wheelie-bin service.
How much is an Aberdeen bulky uplift in 2026?
The standard current charge is £47 for up to four household items. The public service also lists a £23.50 rate for qualifying housing or Council Tax benefit recipients.
What is Aberdeen City Council’s bin collection phone number?
Aberdeen City Council’s Customer Contact Centre number used for waste-service support is 03000 200 292.
Is Aberdeen City bin collection the same as Aberdeenshire?
No. They are separate councils with different calendars, bin colours and collection patterns. Always confirm which council serves the exact property.

Official Aberdeen Sources Used for This 2026 Guide

Use the relevant council service below for the final property-specific date, report, payment or booking.

Collection checker

Search by street address or postcode and select the property.

Check collection days

Missed wheelie bin

Use only after confirming presentation and route completion.

Report missed bin

Waste policy PDF

7am rule, bin sizes, frequency, contamination, side waste, additional bins and assisted collection.

Open policy PDF

2026/27 fees PDF

Current approved garden-waste and domestic bulky-waste charges from April 2026.

Open fee schedule

Garden-waste permits

First-bin rule, additional permits, moving house, sharing and support.

Open permit page

Additional bin

Request authorised extra household capacity.

Request additional bin

Replacement bin

Use when the actual council container is lost or damaged.

Request replacement

Bulky uplift

Household large-item collection and house-clearance route.

Book bulky uplift

Recycling centres

Check the current city HWRC directory before travelling.

Find a recycling centre

Customer Contact Centre

Waste-service support: 03000 200 292.

Call the council

One-Minute Aberdeen Bin-Night Checklist

  • Confirm that Aberdeen City Council serves the property.
  • Open the official address/postcode collection checker.
  • Select the exact property.
  • Check every container due on the next date.
  • Have standard wheeled bins correctly presented by 7am.
  • Do not rely on a previous lorry-arrival time.
  • Keep the lid completely closed.
  • Do not leave black bags or other side waste beside the bin.
  • Keep food and plastic film out of mixed recycling.
  • Remove contamination before the next collection.
  • Use the brown service for food waste where available.
  • Remember: the first garden/food brown bin is free; additional garden bins need permits.
  • Use the 2026/27 £40 fee for second/third garden-bin permits, not stale £30 wording.
  • Wait until the route is complete before reporting a missed wheelie bin.
  • Use the communal-bin process if your building uses shared containers.
  • Book bulky items instead of abandoning them beside household bins.
  • Check the live recycling-centre directory before travelling.

Independent resident guide. BinCollectionGuide.org is not Aberdeen City Council. Collection dates, service disruptions, garden-waste fees, bulky-uplift charges and recycling-centre arrangements can change. Use the official council services linked above for live or property-specific decisions.