Ards and North Down Bin Collection: Days, Calendar & Schedule
Your exact Ards and North Down bin collection date depends on your property and waste stream. Start with Ards and North Down Borough Council’s collection information or the Bin-ovation app rather than copying another street’s calendar.
This guide explains the normal blue, grey, green/brown and glass-box system, what to put out by 7am, how long to wait for a late collection, the 72-hour missed-bin reporting window, holiday changes and the council’s recycling-centre booking rules.
Ards and North Down Bin Collection: Quick Answer
Use your address-specific council schedule. Ards and North Down Borough Council directs residents to its collection information and the Bin-ovation app for household dates. Do not rely on a borough-wide Monday-to-Friday chart because the correct day depends on the collection round serving your property.
Put the correct bin or box at the kerbside or agreed collection point by 7am. The council advises leaving an apparently missed container out until 8pm. If it is genuinely missed, reporting opens after 3:30pm on collection day and remains available for 72 hours.
Jump to the task you need
How to Check Your Ards and North Down Bin Collection Day
Collection dates are most useful when checked against the exact property. A broad BT postcode area can cover many collection rounds, so the postcode alone should not be treated as a timetable.
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Open the council’s Bins and Recycling service.
Start with Ards and North Down Borough Council rather than a saved neighbourhood timetable. -
Use the collection-calendar route or Bin-ovation.
The council directs residents to these services for address-specific collection information. -
Confirm your exact property.
Do not choose another house simply because it has the same street or nearby postcode. -
Read the container and date together.
Save “blue bin — Tuesday” or “glass box — Friday” rather than remembering only a weekday. -
Recheck before bank holidays.
Holiday collection arrangements can move the normal date.
Ards and North Down Bin Collection Schedule
The council publishes clear normal frequencies for the main recycling streams. These frequencies help you understand the pattern, but the exact weekday and next date still come from your property schedule.
Residual household waste that cannot be recycled through the blue, food-waste, glass or recycling-centre services.
The council’s current recycling guidance states that accepted mixed dry recycling is collected every two weeks.
Food-waste bins are emptied every two weeks throughout the year, including households without gardens.
Glass bottles and jars use the separate kerbside glass collection box.
Which Bin Should You Use?
Non-recyclable waste
Use the grey bin only for ordinary household material that cannot be recycled through the council’s other household services.
Food waste, recyclable paper/card, accepted plastics and metals, and glass bottles or jars should not be put in the grey bin.
Mixed dry recycling
- Paper and cardboard
- Food and drink cans
- Aerosols
- Clean foil
- Plastic bottles
- Plastic pots, tubs and trays
- Juice cartons
Food and compostables
- Fruit and vegetables
- Meat, fish and bones
- Dairy products
- Leftovers
- Bread, rice and pasta
- Tea bags and coffee grounds
- Accepted garden material
Bottles and jars
Use the kerbside glass box for glass bottles and jars. Council guidance says lids can stay on.
Broken glass is not accepted through the normal glass-box service.
Collection-Day Checklist: Avoid an Unnecessary Missed Bin
Ready by 7am
Collection times can vary. Put the correct bin or box at the kerbside or agreed collection point by 7am.
Correct contents
Remove food, glass or blue-bin recyclables from the grey bin and keep recycling streams correctly separated.
Do not overload
A container can be left if it is too heavy, overfilled or unsafe for the collection crew to lift.
Check the container
Damaged bins can be unsafe to lift. Use the council’s replacement guidance when the body, lid, wheel or axle has failed.
Keep road access clear
Poorly parked vehicles, roadworks or another obstruction can prevent the collection vehicle reaching a street.
Bring it back in
Return the emptied container to your property as soon as practical so it does not obstruct the footway.
Ards and North Down Missed Bin: When and How to Report It
Do not report a collection as missed early in the day. Ards and North Down asks residents to wait until after 3:30pm on the scheduled collection day because crews may still be completing the route.
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Confirm that the container was due.
Recheck your address schedule and make sure you presented the correct bin or box. -
Check the 7am rule.
The container should have been available by 7am at the correct collection point. -
Check contents, weight and condition.
A contaminated, overloaded, overfilled or damaged container may not qualify as a missed collection. -
Look for a street-wide problem.
Vehicle breakdown, bad weather, roadworks or blocked access can affect several properties. -
Wait until after 3:30pm.
The council will not normally accept an ordinary missed-bin report before this time. -
Report it within 72 hours.
The reporting window runs for 72 hours from 3:30pm on the scheduled collection day.
Missed-bin timing example
Bank Holiday Bin Collection Changes
Ards and North Down publishes separate arrangements for bank and public holidays. Collection days can move, and Household Recycling Centres can also close on the holiday itself.
Check before the holiday
Use the current council holiday page rather than assuming every collection automatically moves by one day.
Recheck the set-out day
If a revised date is published, put the container out by 7am on that revised day.
HRC closures can differ
A recycling-centre closure does not necessarily mean your household collection follows exactly the same pattern.
Food Waste: Green or Brown Bin Rules
Every household in the borough should have access to a green or brown container for food waste, including homes without a garden. The council empties these food-waste bins every two weeks throughout the year.
Food that can go in
- Raw and cooked meat and fish
- Bones
- Dairy products
- Fruit and vegetables
- Leftovers and plate scrapings
- Bread and pastries
- Rice, pasta and beans
- Tea bags and coffee grounds
Remove packaging first
Food packaging should not be placed into the food-waste bin. Rinse recyclable packaging and use the appropriate recycling stream.
Do not place plastic bags into the kitchen caddy. The council also warns that ordinary biodegradable or degradable bags are not suitable substitutes for approved compostable liners.
Bin Always Full? Extra Capacity Options
Ards and North Down offers additional capacity in defined circumstances. Current prices shown by the council apply from April 2026 and should be rechecked before ordering or applying.
Additional grey bin
£35.50 for an additional 240-litre bin where eligibility requirements are met.
Qualifying cases include households with six or more permanent residents and some medical/disability-related waste needs.
Larger blue bin
£48.85 for a 360-litre blue bin.
Priority is given to larger households and residents generating additional waste because of a medical condition or disability.
Extra green / brown bin
£35.50 for the bin plus a current £53 annual collection charge.
Approval depends on spare capacity on the collection route.
Additional glass box
£8 for one additional glass box.
The council says a household may have a maximum of two glass boxes emptied on a scheduled collection.
Cannot Move the Bin to the Kerb? Assisted Collections
Residents who cannot present their bin at the nearest adopted road can apply for an assisted collection. The council assesses whether the property and bin location can be serviced safely.
How assessment works
A technical supervisor carries out a risk assessment. If the collection point is suitable, the council provides an application form.
Medical validation
Current council guidance says the application is normally validated by a GP. A registered health worker or council route may be available where GP validation cannot reasonably be secured.
Bulky Waste: Sofa, Mattress, Appliance or Furniture
Large household items should not be left beside normal wheelie bins. Ards and North Down operates a paid special collection service for accepted household items.
Current household fee
The council currently charges £34 for up to six accepted items.
What is commonly accepted?
Accepted categories include domestic white goods, furniture, beds, mattresses, chairs, freestanding wardrobes, carpets, bicycles and some other household items.
Put items out by 7am
Only pre-booked items are collected. They must be outside at the agreed driveway or kerbside collection point from 7am.
Ards and North Down Household Recycling Centres
The borough operates nine Household Recycling Centres. Access is by pre-booked slot, and the booking system asks for household and vehicle information plus the waste categories being brought.
Book before travelling
The council says HRC access is through its booking system. Slots can be booked online, with telephone booking available for residents without internet access.
Bring proof of residence
The sites are for residents of the borough. Council rules say visitors can be asked for documentary proof that they live within Ards and North Down.
Sort waste first
Recyclable material must be separated into the correct site containers rather than placed into landfill skips.
Opening patterns differ by centre. The council also publishes extended summer booking times from 1 June to 30 September, so use the live opening-hours page before driving.
Glass Box Full Before Collection Day?
Glass boxes are normally collected every four weeks. If one box is not enough, the council currently allows households to purchase one additional box, subject to its published rules.
Use a second box
One extra glass collection box currently costs £8, with a maximum of two boxes emptied per scheduled collection.
Use a bottle bank
Glass bottle banks are available at the nine Household Recycling Centres and at additional standalone bring-bank sites across the borough.
Damaged or Faulty Bin?
Wheeled bins supplied by the council have a five-year manufacturer guarantee covering certain cracks and splits. Damage caused by misuse, theft or third parties is not covered in the same way.
Within the warranty period
A qualifying manufacturing fault can be replaced without charge under the council’s current policy.
Wear, damage or misuse
A household may need to repair or replace an unsafe bin when damage is outside the warranty terms.
Official Ards and North Down Waste Services
BinCollectionGuide.org is an independent guide. Live household records, reporting, bookings, applications and payments are controlled by Ards and North Down Borough Council.
Open council waste hub
Open missed-bin service
Open holiday arrangements
Open booking information
Call 0300 013 3333 · [email protected]
Ards and North Down Bin Collection FAQs
How do I find my Ards and North Down bin collection day?
Start with Ards and North Down Borough Council’s Bins and Recycling service or the Bin-ovation app and use the collection information for your exact property. Do not copy a nearby address.
What time should I put my bin out?
Put the correct container at the kerbside or agreed collection point by 7am. The council’s missed-bin guidance recommends leaving it available until 8pm if it has not yet been emptied.
How often is the blue bin collected?
The council’s current recycling guidance says the blue bin is collected every two weeks. Use your address schedule for the exact date.
How often is the green or brown bin collected?
Food-waste green or brown bins are emptied every two weeks throughout the year, including at homes without gardens.
How often is the glass collection box emptied?
The council states that glass collection boxes are collected every four weeks.
When can I report a missed bin?
Wait until after 3:30pm on the scheduled collection day. A missed bin or box can then be reported for up to 72 hours from 3:30pm on that day.
Why was my bin not emptied?
Common reasons include late presentation, incorrect contents, overfilling, excessive weight, damage, blocked vehicle access, roadworks, severe weather or a bank-holiday schedule change.
Do I need to book an Ards and North Down recycling centre?
Yes. The council operates a pre-booking system for access to its nine Household Recycling Centres. Check the live booking and opening-hours pages before travelling.
How much is bulky waste collection?
The council currently charges £34 for a special collection of up to six accepted household items. Recheck the live council page before paying because charges can change.
Can I get help if I cannot move my bin?
Yes. The council has an assisted-bin service for qualifying residents who cannot present their bin at the nearest adopted road. The property and collection point are assessed for safe access.
Best Next Step: Check the Exact Property Before Bin Night
The most reliable Ards and North Down bin collection answer is the one attached to your actual property. Check the council route or Bin-ovation, confirm the correct container, then have it ready by 7am.
If it remains full, wait until the council’s missed-bin reporting time opens, check for contamination, overloading or access problems, and submit a report within the 72-hour window if it qualifies.
Independent guide: BinCollectionGuide.org is not Ards and North Down Borough Council. Live collection dates, route changes, reports, bookings, charges and applications should be confirmed through the council’s official services.