Down North Bin Collection: Dates, Calendar & Bin Colours
If you are searching for a Down North or North Down bin collection, the responsible local authority is Ards and North Down Borough Council. Collection dates depend on your address, so use the council’s current collection service or Bin-ovation rather than copying a neighbour’s timetable.
This guide explains the grey, blue and green/brown wheelie bins, glass collection box, food-waste rules, collection-day timing, missed-bin reporting, holiday changes and Household Recycling Centre booking.
North Down Bin Collection: Quick Answer
For Bangor, Newtownards, Holywood, Donaghadee, Comber, Portaferry and other properties inside Ards and North Down Borough, start with the Ards and North Down Borough Council bins and recycling service. Check the collection information for your own address or use the Bin-ovation app.
Put the correct container at the collection point by 7am. If it has not been emptied, leave it available until 8pm. A genuine missed bin can normally be reported from 3:30pm on collection day, and the council gives a 72-hour reporting window from that point.
Jump to the bin task you need
How to Check Your Ards and North Down Bin Collection Date
Do not rely on a generic “North Down bins are collected every Tuesday” type of answer. The council publishes collection information by address, and the container due can change from one week to another.
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Open the council’s Bins and Recycling page.
This is the safest starting point for the current collection-calendar route, recycling guidance and service notices. -
Use the collection-date service or Bin-ovation.
Search for the property and check the schedule attached to that household. -
Record the container as well as the date.
Write “blue bin — Monday” or “glass box — Monday”, not simply “bin day Monday”. -
Check again around a public holiday.
Ards and North Down publishes temporary changes separately, so a normal weekday is not enough during a holiday week.
How Often Are Ards and North Down Bins Collected?
Some collection frequencies are published council-wide, but the exact collection day and date still needs an address check. Do not use the frequency alone to calculate your next collection.
General waste
Use your live address schedule for the next grey-bin date rather than calculating it from another household.
Every 2 weeks
The council’s recycling FAQ says blue-bin recyclable paper, card, plastics and metals are collected every two weeks.
Every 2 weeks
The council says food-waste green or brown bins are emptied every two weeks throughout the year.
Every 4 weeks
The council states that household glass collection boxes are collected every four weeks.
Ards and North Down Bin Colours Explained
The local recycling setup separates residual rubbish, mixed dry recycling, food and compostable material, and household glass. Correct sorting matters because the council monitors recyclable material placed in grey bins and can refuse repeated incorrect presentations.
Non-recyclable waste
Use the grey bin only for household waste that cannot be handled through the council’s blue-bin, food/garden, glass or recycling-centre services.
Dry recycling
Paper, cardboard, metal food and drink cans, accepted plastic pots, tubs, trays and bottles, cartons, clean foil and empty aerosols.
Food & compostable waste
All food waste plus accepted garden and compostable materials. Households normally have either a green or a brown bin for this stream.
Bottles & jars
Household glass bottles and jars belong in the separate glass collection box rather than the blue or grey wheelie bin.
What Goes in the Blue Bin?
Ards and North Down’s blue bin is for mixed dry recyclables. Put items in clean enough for recycling and follow the council’s latest list when an item is uncertain.
Common accepted blue-bin items
- Paper and plain envelopes
- Cardboard
- Food and drink cans
- Clean aluminium foil and trays
- Plastic bottles
- Plastic pots, tubs and trays
- Food and drink cartons
- Empty metal aerosol cans
Common items to keep out
- Household food waste
- Glass bottles and jars
- Soft plastic bags and wrapping
- Food-contaminated material that cannot be cleaned
- General non-recyclable rubbish
Green or Brown Bin: Food Waste Rules
Ards and North Down requires household food waste to be separated from the grey bin. Residents use a kitchen caddy indoors and then transfer the food waste to the green or brown wheelie bin.
Food that can go in
- Raw and cooked meat and fish, including bones
- Fruit and vegetables
- Eggs and dairy products
- Leftovers and plate scrapings
- Bread, cakes and pastries
- Rice, pasta and beans
- Tea bags, tea leaves and coffee grounds
Prepare it correctly
- Remove packaging first
- Recycle suitable clean packaging in the blue bin
- Use compostable caddy liners where available
- Do not use ordinary plastic bags for food waste
- Keep the wheelie-bin lid closed
The council says households without a green or brown bin can request one, because every household in the borough needs an appropriate food-waste collection route.
North Down Glass Collection Box
Glass bottles and jars should be placed in the household glass collection box. The council says the box is emptied every four weeks and should be presented at the kerbside without being overfilled.
Put in
Glass bottles and glass jars of household size and type.
Keep out
Broken glass is not accepted through the household glass-box service.
Do not overfill
Glass should not sit above the top edge of the box because that creates a handling and safety problem.
Collection-Day Rules: 7am, Access and Presentation
Put it out by 7am
Collection times can vary during the day. Have the correct bin or box at the collection point by 7am rather than relying on the vehicle normally reaching your road later.
Keep road access clear
Poor parking, roadworks or other access problems can prevent the collection vehicle reaching a street even when the household has presented the bin correctly.
Do not overload
An overloaded, excessively heavy or damaged container may be unsafe for the crew to empty.
Use the correct container
Contaminated recycling or the wrong bin presented for that collection can result in the container being left behind.
Ards and North Down Missed Bin: When and How to Report It
Do not submit a missed-bin report first thing in the morning. The council says collection routes can run later than residents expect and sets a specific reporting window.
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Confirm that the correct bin or box was due.
Recheck your address schedule and make sure you did not present the wrong container. -
Check that it was out by 7am.
A container presented after the crew has already passed is not treated as a council missed collection. -
Leave it out until 8pm.
Collection times vary, so a bin that is still full in the afternoon may not yet be genuinely missed. -
Check for contamination, overloading or damage.
These can explain why the bin was deliberately not emptied. -
Check street access.
Vehicle breakdown, bad weather, roadworks and obstructive parking can affect a round. The council says crews report these operational issues. -
Report within the council’s window.
You can report from 3:30pm on collection day and have 72 hours from that time to submit the missed-bin report.
Missed-bin decision helper
Bank Holiday Bin Collection Changes
Ards and North Down publishes temporary holiday collection arrangements instead of expecting residents to guess. Several 2026 bank-holiday schedules moved household collections one day later, but that does not mean every future holiday should automatically be treated the same way.
Before a holiday
Check the live holiday-arrangements page and your normal collection date.
Save the revised day
Record both the new date and the container so you do not present the wrong bin after a shift.
Do not reuse an old Christmas timetable
Christmas and New Year arrangements should be checked again when the council publishes the current schedule.
Need an Extra or Larger Bin?
The council has separate capacity rules rather than automatically supplying an extra general-waste bin to every household. Current charges apply from April 2026 and eligibility depends on the type of container requested.
Extra 240L
Current council price: £35.50. Intended for qualifying households such as six or more permanent residents or where a medical condition or disability creates additional waste.
Larger 360L
Current price: £48.85. Priority is given to larger households and residents with qualifying medical or disability-related waste needs.
Additional bin
Current bin price: £35.50, plus a published annual collection charge of £53, subject to route capacity and approval.
Additional box
Current price: £8. The council says a household may have a maximum of two glass boxes emptied on a scheduled collection.
Ards and North Down Household Recycling Centres
The borough operates nine Household Recycling Centres. Advance booking is required before visiting. The booking system can accept a booking up to two weeks ahead or, where slots are available, as little as 30 minutes before the visit.
What You Need Before Booking
Information requested
- Email address
- Household address
- Transport type
- Vehicle registration where applicable
- Waste categories you intend to bring
What to take to the site
- Your booking reference
- Proof that you live within Ards and North Down Borough
- Waste already separated for recycling
- Only household waste accepted under the site’s rules
Official Ards and North Down Waste Services
BinCollectionGuide.org explains the process independently. Live collection records, reports, orders and recycling-centre bookings are operated by Ards and North Down Borough Council.
Open official bins and recycling page
Open official bin guidance
Open official missed-bin service
Open food-waste guidance
Open holiday collection page
Open HRC booking information
Down North Bin Collection FAQs
Who collects bins in North Down?
Household waste and recycling services in North Down are operated by Ards and North Down Borough Council. Use the council’s own bins and recycling service for live collection information.
How do I check my Ards and North Down bin collection day?
Open the council’s Bins and Recycling page and use the current collection-date service or Bin-ovation. Check the exact household rather than relying on a generic North Down timetable.
What time should my bin be out?
Ards and North Down recommends putting the correct container at the collection point by 7am because route times can vary during the day.
When can I report a missed bin?
The council allows a missed-bin report from 3:30pm on the scheduled collection day and provides a 72-hour reporting window. Check that the bin was out by 7am and was not contaminated, overloaded, damaged or inaccessible first.
How often is the blue bin collected?
The council’s current recycling FAQ says the blue recycling bin is collected every two weeks. Use your address schedule to determine the correct fortnight and date.
How often is the green or brown food-waste bin collected?
Ards and North Down says green or brown food-waste bins are emptied every two weeks throughout the year.
How often is the glass box collected?
The household glass collection box is collected every four weeks. Check your address schedule for the exact date and do not overfill the box above its top edge.
Do I need to book an Ards and North Down recycling centre?
Yes. Access to the council’s nine Household Recycling Centres is by pre-booked slot. Bring the booking reference and be prepared to provide proof that you live in the borough.
Best Next Step: Check Your Exact Ards and North Down Collection
Start with your household’s collection information, identify the correct container and have it ready by 7am. Do not calculate the date from a nearby street or an old holiday timetable.
If the container remains full, follow the missed-bin timing and presentation checks before submitting an official report.
Independent guide: BinCollectionGuide.org is not Ards and North Down Borough Council. It cannot view or amend your council collection record. Complete live schedule checks, reports, container requests and HRC bookings through the official council services.