Chichester Bin Collection Days: Find Your Calendar, Bin Type & Schedule
Chichester household collections now combine alternate-week black and burgundy wheelie bins with a separate weekly food-waste collection. Garden waste remains an optional paid fortnightly service.
Your exact date depends on the property, so use Chichester District Council’s postcode checker rather than relying on a town-wide calendar or another street’s collection day.
Chichester Bin Collection: Quick Answer
For most standard properties, black general waste and burgundy recycling are collected on alternate weeks. Your outdoor food-waste bin is collected every week. Green garden recycling is normally collected every two weeks only where the address has a valid paid subscription.
Put food, general-waste and recycling containers at the correct collection point by 6am. Use the official postcode search for the actual date because food collection can fall on a different day from the main wheelie-bin round.
Jump to the Chichester bin task you need
How to Check Your Chichester Bin Collection Day
Chichester District Council provides a postcode-based collection checker for food waste, recycling, general waste and subscribed garden-waste collections. The safest result is the one attached to your exact property.
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Open the council’s Check Your Bin Day service.
Use the current council lookup rather than an old printed rota or a neighbour’s reminder. -
Enter the full postcode.
Use the postcode for the property whose bins you are checking. -
Select the exact address.
Collection rounds can vary, so do not assume every address in the same postcode has identical arrangements. -
Read each collection stream separately.
Check general waste, recycling and food waste. Garden dates only appear where the property has a valid subscription. -
Save the date together with the bin type.
A useful reminder says “Thursday — burgundy recycling + food” rather than simply “bins Thursday”.
Chichester Bin Collection Schedule Explained
Chichester’s ordinary household system uses different frequencies for different waste streams. Black general waste and burgundy recycling normally alternate, while food waste is collected every week.
| Service | Container | Normal frequency | Key rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| General waste | Black wheelie bin | Fortnightly | Use for ordinary non-recyclable household waste. |
| Recycling | Burgundy wheelie bin | Fortnightly | Accepted recycling should be clean, dry and loose. |
| Food waste | Grey outdoor bin with orange lid | Weekly | Your food day may differ from the main bin day. |
| Garden recycling | Green wheelie bin | Fortnightly | Paid subscription required. |
Chichester Bin Types and Colours
General Waste
Use the black bin for normal household rubbish that cannot go through the recycling, food, garden or specialist-waste routes.
Mixed Recycling
The burgundy wheelie bin takes accepted clean, dry and loose household recycling such as paper, cardboard, glass containers, tins and many plastic containers.
Food Waste
The outdoor food container has an orange lid and is emptied weekly. The small kitchen caddy stays indoors and should not be presented for collection.
Garden Recycling
The green wheelie bin is for eligible garden cuttings where the household has joined the paid Garden Recycling Service.
Weekly Food Waste Collection in Chichester
Chichester introduced separate weekly household food-waste collections during 2026. For an individual property, the standard setup uses a small indoor kitchen caddy and a larger lockable outdoor bin with an orange lid.
Food you can include
- Plate scrapings and uneaten food
- Raw and cooked meat
- Fish, bones and shells
- Cheese, eggs and other dairy food
- Fruit and vegetables
- Rice, pasta and beans
- Bread, cakes and pastries
- Tea bags and coffee grounds
- Pet food
- Mouldy or out-of-date food
Keep these out
- Food packaging
- Garden waste or flowers
- Milk, oil and other liquids
- Animal waste or bedding
- Non-food material
- Ordinary biodegradable products unless specifically accepted as a suitable liner
What Goes in the Burgundy Recycling Bin?
Recycling should be clean, dry and loose. Do not put recyclable material into carrier bags inside the burgundy bin.
Paper & cardboard
Newspapers, magazines, envelopes, cereal boxes, catalogues, cardboard packaging and suitable wrapping paper can be accepted. Flatten large cardboard where practical.
Plastic containers
Accepted items include many plastic bottles, pots, tubs, trays and moulded plastic packaging. Plastic film, crisp packets and polystyrene do not belong in this bin.
Glass, metal & cartons
Normal glass bottles and jars, cans, tins, clean foil, aerosols and accepted food-and-drink cartons can be recycled through the burgundy bin.
Black General-Waste Bin Rules
The black bin is for ordinary residual household rubbish after recyclable material and food waste have been separated. The lid should close properly and routine loose bags beside the bin are not collected.
Keep specialist waste out
- Batteries and disposable vapes
- Electrical items
- Gas bottles
- Bricks, rubble and plasterboard
- Large garden waste
- Vehicle parts
- Hazardous waste
- Syringes and needles
Genuine excess general waste
Chichester sells biodegradable council excess-waste sacks for additional general rubbish that cannot fit inside the black bin. The current council page lists these sacks at £1.25 each.
Ordinary bags left beside the black bin are not accepted as a substitute.
Chichester Garden Waste Collection
Garden recycling is a separate paid service. The current Chichester District Council service page lists the annual cost at £78, including a green bin for a new subscriber.
| Garden service detail | Current published position |
|---|---|
| Normal frequency | Every two weeks |
| Current annual price | £78 on the council’s live service page |
| Container | Green wheelie bin |
| Collection point | Outside the property boundary and clearly visible |
| Calendar visibility | Garden dates appear when a valid subscription is recorded |
The service accepts eligible garden cuttings rather than ordinary household rubbish. Do not mix food packaging, soil, rubble or general waste into the green bin.
Where and When Should Chichester Bins Be Put Out?
The collection point is important because the council can refuse a missed-bin return when a container was not presented correctly.
Food, black & burgundy bins
Place these just inside the property boundary at the nearest point to the public highway or road.
Deadline: by 6am.
Green garden bin
The garden recycling bin should be outside the property boundary so it is clearly visible from the collection vehicle.
Deadline: by 6am.
Chichester Missed Bin: Report It Within 24 Hours
If the correct scheduled container remains full after the collection round, do not wait several days before acting. Chichester’s online missed-bin service accepts reports for up to 24 hours after the scheduled collection.
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Check the exact property calendar.
Confirm the bin or food-waste collection was genuinely scheduled. -
Check the 6am rule.
Make sure the container was at the correct collection point before the crew arrived. -
Look for a rejection reason.
Incorrect contents, contamination or another presentation problem may mean the bin was not actually missed. -
Check access.
Parked vehicles, road restrictions or another obstruction can affect a collection. -
Submit the report within 24 hours.
Use the official form while the reporting window remains open.
What happens after a valid report?
The council investigates the missed collection. Where the bin was correctly presented and the non-collection was the council’s responsibility, the council says it will return within seven days.
New and Replacement Bin Costs
Chichester District Council charges for new or replacement standard recycling and domestic wheelie bins at individual properties. Outdoor food-waste containers are currently free.
| Container | Current standard price | 20% discounted price |
|---|---|---|
| 140-litre wheelie bin | £42.00 | £33.60 |
| 240-litre standard wheelie bin | £46.00 | £36.80 |
| 360-litre qualifying bin | £73.00 | £58.40 |
| 23-litre outdoor food bin | Free | Free |
The discounted wheelie-bin rate applies to eligible residents receiving qualifying passported benefits and requires proof. The 360-litre general-waste option is not simply a larger bin anyone can order; it is subject to the council’s qualifying arrangements.
Sofas, Beds, Fridges and Other Bulky Household Waste
Furniture and large appliances should not be left beside household bins. Chichester District Council operates a separate bulky household waste service for eligible domestic items.
Current bulky collection charge
The council currently lists £36 for the first item and £20 for each additional item, with up to eight items in an online booking.
Collection-day rule
Items must be outside the building but within the property boundary or communal area by 6am. Crews do not enter the home to remove items.
Chichester and Midhurst Recycling Centres
Household recycling centres in West Sussex are operated by West Sussex County Council, not Chichester District Council. A vehicle visit to the fixed recycling centres requires a booking.
Chichester Recycling Centre
Useful for suitable household waste that cannot be handled through normal kerbside collections.
Midhurst Recycling Centre
Midhurst is another important West Sussex recycling option for residents in the northern part of Chichester District.
Flats and Properties With Shared Bins
Do not assume that the standard individual-household container setup applies unchanged to a communal bin store. Chichester has separate arrangements for properties sharing bins.
The council’s current food-waste information says communal properties are being brought into the weekly food-waste service during autumn 2026. The planned setup includes a shared grey wheelie bin with an orange lid, while individual homes receive kitchen caddies for carrying food waste to the communal container.
Bank Holidays, Christmas and Collection Changes
Do not permanently move a Chichester collection by one day simply because there is a bank holiday. Operational arrangements and festive changes should be checked against the current property calendar.
Check the postcode calendar
Use the actual property result when a holiday week approaches.
Turn on app alerts
The council app can send personalised collection reminders and disruption updates.
Check garden waste separately
The garden service has its own subscription calendar and can include a Christmas/New Year suspension.
Chichester Bin Problem Solver
| Problem | Best first action | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Do not know which bin is due | Use the postcode collection checker. | Guessing from another road. |
| Food bin and wheelie bin seem to have different dates | Follow each date separately. | Assuming weekly food is always collected with the larger bin. |
| Bin still full after collection | Check date, 6am presentation and contents, then report within 24 hours. | Waiting several days to report. |
| Burgundy bin rejected | Remove contamination and check accepted materials. | Putting recycling in carrier bags. |
| Black bin overflowing | Remove recyclable and food waste; use an approved excess-waste sack where needed. | Leaving ordinary loose sacks beside the bin. |
| Garden date not appearing | Check that the property has a valid subscription. | Assuming owning a green bin means the collection is active. |
| Large sofa or fridge | Compare the council bulky service with a suitable Recycling Centre route. | Leaving it beside communal or household bins. |
Chichester Bin Collection FAQs
How do I check my Chichester bin collection day?
Use Chichester District Council’s Check Your Bin Day service, enter the full postcode and select the exact property. Check general waste, recycling and food waste separately, plus garden waste if the property has a valid subscription.
How often is the black bin collected in Chichester?
The black general-waste bin is normally collected every two weeks, alternating with the burgundy recycling collection. Use the property calendar for the exact date.
How often is the burgundy recycling bin collected?
Burgundy household recycling is normally collected every two weeks. Recycling should be clean, dry and loose.
Is Chichester food waste collected every week?
Yes. The outdoor orange-lidded food-waste bin is collected weekly. Its collection day may differ from your black or burgundy wheelie-bin day.
What time should Chichester bins be put out?
Containers should be at their correct collection point by 6am on the scheduled collection day.
How long do I have to report a missed bin?
Chichester District Council accepts missed-bin reports for up to 24 hours after the scheduled collection. Check the date, presentation time, collection point and bin contents before submitting the report.
How much is Chichester garden waste collection?
The current council Garden Recycling Service page lists the service at £78 per year and says a green bin is included for a new subscriber. Check the live service before paying because charges can change.
Do I need to book Chichester Recycling Centre?
Yes for a normal vehicle visit. West Sussex County Council requires a booking before visiting Chichester Recycling Centre by vehicle. Different rules apply for permitted pedestrian, bicycle and mobility-scooter access.
Your Best Next Step
Start with the official postcode checker. Save the exact collection date together with the container: black, burgundy, orange-lid food or subscribed green garden bin.
Have the correct container at its required collection point by 6am. If a scheduled bin is genuinely missed, complete the council report within the 24-hour reporting window.
Independent guide: BinCollectionGuide.org is not Chichester District Council or West Sussex County Council. We explain published collection rules and routes, but live collection records, reports, bookings, subscriptions and payments must be completed through the responsible council.