East Devon Bin Collection 2026: Find Your Date, Black-Bin Week & 6am Deadline
East Devon households normally receive recycling and food-waste collections every week, while non-recyclable refuse is normally collected every three weeks. Subscribed garden waste is normally collected fortnightly. Your actual collection date still depends on the property.
Use East Devon District Council’s address-based collection finder first. Then use this guide for the correct containers, 6am presentation rule, missed collections, extra recycling, green waste, flats, assisted collections, clinical waste and large household items.
East Devon Bin Collection: Quick Answer
Check the exact property rather than counting forward from a neighbour’s bin day. East Devon’s current service pattern is weekly recycling, weekly food waste, three-weekly non-recyclable refuse and fortnightly subscribed garden waste. Put scheduled household containers at the correct collection point by 6am.
If a collection appears to have been missed, wait until after 5pm before reporting it. First confirm the collection was due, the container was out by 6am, it was in the correct place and the contents were acceptable.
Jump to the East Devon bin task you need
- Check collection date
- 2026 collection schedule
- Black bin rules
- Recycling containers
- Food caddy
- Extra waste
- Missed collection
- Green waste
- Flats & shared bins
- Assisted collections
- Clinical waste
- Electricals & batteries
- Large household items
- Recycling centres
- Holiday changes
- Contact details
- Official services
- FAQs
How to Find Your Exact East Devon Bin Collection Date
East Devon’s collection frequencies are useful for planning, but they do not tell you which exact Tuesday, Wednesday or Friday your black bin is due. Use the council’s property lookup whenever you need the next confirmed date.
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Open East Devon’s official collection finder.
Use the council service rather than a postcode-only third-party timetable or an old screenshot. -
Enter your postcode or part of your address.
Choose the exact property returned by the council system. -
Read each collection stream separately.
Weekly recycling and food waste run differently from the three-week black-bin cycle and optional fortnightly green-waste service. -
Check the date again around holidays or disruption.
Do not automatically move a remembered date forward by one day unless the council’s live information confirms the change. -
Have the scheduled containers ready by 6am.
The normal kerbside collection point is at the boundary of the property where it meets the public highway.
East Devon Bin Collection Schedule for 2026
East Devon confirmed in a March 2026 information response that standard household recycling remains weekly, garden waste remains fortnightly and non-recyclable refuse remains three-weekly. The council also stated at that time that it was not considering a change to those normal frequencies.
| Waste stream | Normal frequency | Container | Practical rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dry recycling | Weekly | Recycling box + recycling sack | Separate items into the correct East Devon container. |
| Food waste | Weekly | Food caddy | Use the weekly food service rather than filling the black bin with food. |
| Non-recyclable refuse | Every 3 weeks | Black wheelie bin or approved gull sack | Only waste inside the approved container is normally collected. |
| Green garden waste | Fortnightly | Council green wheelie bin | Separate annual paid subscription required. |
| Household clinical waste | Weekly when arranged | Approved clinical bags or boxes | Free household collection must be arranged separately. |
East Devon Black Bin: The Three-Week Refuse Rule
The black wheeled bin or approved gull sack is for household rubbish that cannot use East Devon’s recycling, food-waste or other appropriate services. Because refuse is normally collected only once every three weeks, sorting recyclable material correctly makes a significant difference to available bin space.
Not fortnightly
Standard non-recyclable household refuse follows a three-week collection cycle.
Keep rubbish inside
Loose refuse and ordinary bags left next to the black bin are not normally collected.
Protect your bin space
Move accepted food, packaging, glass, paper, batteries and small electricals into the correct weekly service.
Black-bin basics
- Keep the wheelie-bin lid fully closed.
- Do not overload the container.
- Bag household refuse before placing it inside a gull sack.
- Ordinary nappies and incontinence products can normally use the refuse service.
- Do not put garden waste, rubble, hazardous waste or paint in the black bin.
Which East Devon Recycling Container Should You Use?
East Devon separates weekly dry recycling between a recycling box and a recycling sack. Putting material in the correct container helps crews collect it efficiently and reduces the risk of material being left behind.
Paper, card, glass and selected extras
- Cardboard and clean card packaging.
- Paper, newspapers and magazines.
- Junk mail and envelopes.
- Rinsed glass bottles and jars with lids removed.
- Household batteries in a clear plastic bag.
- Reusable clothes and shoes, bagged separately.
- Small electrical items, bagged separately from textiles.
Keep it dry: use the recycling-box lid so paper and cardboard are protected from rain.
Plastics, cartons, cans and foil
- Plastic bottles.
- Plastic pots, tubs and trays.
- Cartons.
- Food and drink tins and cans.
- Clean aluminium foil and foil trays.
- Empty household aerosols.
Keep out: cardboard, glass, polystyrene, plastic film, bubble wrap and crisp packets unless the council’s current A–Z specifically says otherwise.
East Devon Food Caddy: Weekly Collection
Food waste is collected every week. Using the food caddy is particularly helpful when ordinary refuse remains in the black bin for up to three weeks between scheduled collections.
Common accepted food
- Fruit and vegetable peelings.
- Cooked and uncooked food.
- Meat and fish, including bones.
- Plate scrapings.
- Bread, rice and pasta.
- Tea bags and coffee grounds.
- Cat and dog food.
Keep these out
- Liquids.
- Animal bedding.
- Animal waste.
- Food packaging.
- Compostable packaging unless current council guidance specifically accepts it.
East Devon’s current guidance allows the household food caddy to be lined with newspaper or a suitable single-use plastic bag such as an ordinary carrier bag or bread bag. A reusable bag-for-life should not be used as a disposable liner.
Extra Recycling, Cardboard and a Full Black Bin
East Devon allows useful extra recycling capacity, but ordinary refuse side waste is not part of the standard service.
Extra recycling
- Households can have up to three recycling boxes, sacks and food caddies.
- Extra recycling can be presented in suitable plastic bags, but not black refuse bags.
- An alternative extra container should be no larger than the standard recycling box.
Extra black-bin waste
- Do not leave loose rubbish beside the wheelie bin.
- Do not leave extra ordinary refuse sacks beside it.
- Do not balance waste on top of an open lid.
If you have unavoidable one-off excess refuse, East Devon says a chargeable collection may be available through Customer Services.
Large cardboard
- Flatten large boxes.
- Remove polystyrene packaging.
- Place manageable cardboard under or beside the recycling box.
- Spread a very large quantity over several weekly collections instead of blocking the collection point.
East Devon Missed Bin: Wait Until After 5pm
East Devon asks residents to wait until after 5pm before reporting a missed collection because crews may still be working. A full bin earlier in the afternoon does not automatically mean the collection has failed.
East Devon Green Waste Collection 2026
East Devon’s chargeable green-waste service currently costs £65 for a 12-month subscription. Collections are normally fortnightly and the service operates for about eleven months of the year, with a Christmas break of around six weeks.
Annual subscription
The full annual fee applies even if you do not present the bin every fortnight.
Normal collection
Subscribed garden-waste bins are normally emptied every two weeks.
Christmas pause
The service normally includes a winter break of around six weeks.
Normal maximum
Up to three subscribed green bins can normally be held at one property.
What can go in the green bin?
- Grass cuttings.
- Flowers.
- Small tree branches under 10cm thick.
- Loose leaves.
- Shrub and hedge trimmings.
- Small quantities of suitable windfall fruit from the garden.
Keep these out
- Soil, rubble, stones and grit.
- Kitchen food waste.
- Animal bedding and pet waste.
- Plant pots.
- Garden furniture.
- Ordinary or compostable sacks.
- Specified invasive plants and diseased material that requires specialist handling.
Lost, stolen or damaged green bin
East Devon’s current FAQ says a missing or stolen subscribed green bin is replaced free of charge. If the customer damages the bin, the current replacement charge is £32. A bin damaged by the collection crew is replaced without charge.
Narrow or difficult vehicle access
East Devon is expanding green-waste access for properties that cannot be reached by its normal full-size vehicle. Residents with a narrow-access property can use the council’s dedicated interest form so the address and contact details can be assessed for the developing service.
East Devon Flats, Apartments and Shared Bin Stores
Flats and communal properties may not use the same container arrangement as a standard kerbside house. Some developments have material-specific communal recycling boxes, while others provide an individual box, sack and food caddy for each flat.
Communal recycling store
Use the labelled box for each material. Mixed material in the wrong communal box can cause that container to be left behind.
Individual containers
If each flat has its own box, sack or caddy, marking the flat number can help prevent containers being mixed up.
Shared refuse
Keep recyclable material and food waste out of communal general-waste bins where the building has separate services.
Where the council collects directly from an established communal bin store, residents generally do not need to drag those shared containers to the roadside. Collection crews remove and return the containers as part of the bin-store arrangement.
East Devon Assisted Bin Collections
Residents who cannot move their waste, recycling or green-waste containers because of disability or mobility difficulties can request collection assistance. East Devon allows temporary as well as permanent assisted arrangements.
When assistance may apply
The service is intended for a resident who cannot reasonably present the containers because of disability or mobility difficulty.
Household support matters
East Devon says it cannot normally offer assistance where an able-bodied person aged over 15 lives at the property.
The request form asks for the resident’s name, address and the date assistance should begin. The council then confirms when the assisted collection starts.
Nappies, Incontinence Products and Household Clinical Waste
Ordinary nappies and incontinence products should normally be placed in the black wheeled bin or gull sack. They are not automatically treated as infectious clinical waste.
When specialist clinical collection may be needed
Waste such as needles, syringes, some dressings and other healthcare material may require separate handling. If you are unsure whether your medical waste needs the clinical service, check with your healthcare professional.
Arranged household service
Qualifying household clinical waste can be collected once a week.
No household charge
East Devon currently provides the household clinical collection without a collection fee.
Presentation time
Approved clinical bags or boxes must be available by 6am on the arranged collection day.
East Devon can collect clinical containers with purple lids, but replacement specialist boxes need to be provided by a healthcare professional, GP surgery or hospital.
Small Electricals, Batteries and Textiles Can Use the Weekly Recycling Service
Small electricals
Suitable small household electrical items such as kettles, toasters, irons and cables can be bagged separately and presented with recycling.
Household batteries
Put accepted household batteries in a clear plastic bag and present them with the recycling box.
Reusable textiles
Reusable clothes and shoes can be bagged separately. Do not use a black refuse bag for the textile collection.
East Devon Large Household Item Collection
Furniture, appliances and other bulky household items need a separate disposal route. East Devon provides a chargeable large-item collection from residential properties within the district.
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Check whether the item is accepted.
Review the council’s current accepted and excluded item guidance before paying. -
Prepare your address and item list.
The booking process requires the collection address and details of the items to be removed. -
Have a debit or credit card ready.
The service is chargeable and payment is part of the booking process. -
Use the collection date shown by the service.
The booking process displays the collection day and payment confirmation is emailed. -
Put accepted items at the front of the property by 6am.
They must be accessible to the collection crew.
Before paying, consider whether the item is still reusable. Charity collection, local reuse schemes, retailer take-back or an appropriate household recycling centre may be a better route for some furniture or appliances.
Household Waste Recycling Centres for East Devon Residents
Household Waste Recycling Centres are managed by Devon County Council, not East Devon District Council. Use the County Council’s East Devon centre directory before travelling so you can check the nearest site, opening times, accepted materials, vehicle restrictions and any permit requirement.
Some hazardous household waste also needs a recycling-centre route rather than an East Devon kerbside bin. Examples can include engine oil, vehicle batteries, LPG cylinders, paint and certain household chemicals. Restrictions apply, and asbestos requires particular care and advance checking.
Bank Holidays, Christmas and Collection Changes
Do not assume every East Devon bank holiday automatically moves all household bin collections one day later. The safest source is the property-specific collection calendar because revised arrangements can depend on the service and date.
Normal collection
Use the date currently displayed for your exact household rather than counting weeks manually.
Christmas & New Year
Recheck the live calendar when the council publishes the festive arrangements. Garden-waste service also has a seasonal Christmas break.
Weather or disruption
Operational problems can affect a route even when the normal calendar date has not changed. Follow current council updates where available.
East Devon Bin Collection Contact Number
01395 571515
East Devon District Council’s current Recycling and Waste customer-service number.
Monday–Friday
Current council phone-line hours are 8:30am to 5pm.
For a missed collection, assisted collection or another task with a dedicated council form, use the task-specific online service where possible. This helps route the request to the correct waste process.
Official East Devon Waste Services
BinCollectionGuide.org is an independent information website. East Devon District Council controls household collection records, reports and subscriptions, while Devon County Council manages household recycling centres.
Open official collection finder
Open container guide
Open missed-collection form
Open green-waste service
Open assisted-collection form
Open clinical-waste service
Open large-item service
Open Devon recycling-centre directory
East Devon Bin Collection FAQs
How do I check my East Devon bin collection date?
Use East Devon District Council’s official collection finder, enter your postcode or part of the address and select the exact property. Read each waste stream and date shown for that household.
What time should East Devon bins be out?
Current East Devon guidance says scheduled household containers should normally be at the correct collection point by 6am.
How often is the East Devon black bin collected?
Standard non-recyclable household refuse in the black wheeled bin or approved gull sack is normally collected every three weeks.
Is East Devon recycling collected every week?
Yes. Standard household dry recycling and food waste are normally collected weekly. Use the exact property calendar for the actual day.
When can I report a missed East Devon collection?
Wait until after 5pm on the scheduled collection day. First check the container was due, available by 6am, at the correct collection point and contained the correct waste.
Will East Devon return for a genuine missed collection?
East Devon says it will try to return within 48 hours to collect containers that were genuinely missed.
Can I leave an extra black bag beside my East Devon bin?
No. Ordinary loose refuse and extra bags beside the black wheelie bin are not normally collected. The bin lid should also be fully closed.
Can I put extra recycling out?
Yes. East Devon allows additional recycling in suitable plastic bags that are not black refuse bags, or in an extra container no larger than the standard recycling box. Households can also have up to three recycling boxes, sacks and food caddies.
How much is East Devon green waste in 2026?
The current subscription is £65 for 12 months. The service is normally fortnightly and operates for about eleven months each year with a Christmas break.
Can neighbours share an East Devon green bin?
Yes. One person must pay for and manage the subscription, and the green bin must be presented at the registered subscription address.
Can I get an assisted East Devon bin collection?
Temporary or permanent assistance can be requested where disability or mobility difficulties prevent a resident from presenting containers. East Devon says assistance is not normally available where an able-bodied person over 15 lives at the property.
Are nappies put in the East Devon black bin?
Yes. Current household clinical-waste guidance says ordinary nappies and incontinence products should normally go in the wheeled bin or gull sack unless the household has been given another specialist arrangement.
Does East Devon collect small electrical items?
Suitable small household electrical items can be bagged separately and presented through the weekly recycling service. Check the current council container guide if you are unsure whether an item is small enough.
East Devon Bin Night: Final 60-Second Check
- Check the exact property calendar.
- Read the waste stream and collection date together.
- Have scheduled containers at the collection point by 6am.
- Remember dry recycling is normally weekly.
- Remember food waste is normally weekly.
- Check whether the three-week black-bin collection is actually due.
- Use the recycling box and sack for their correct materials.
- Keep the black-bin lid closed.
- Do not leave ordinary refuse side waste.
- Use permitted extra recycling where needed.
- Wait until after 5pm before reporting a missed collection.
- Recheck the live calendar around Christmas, New Year and disruption.
Independent guide: BinCollectionGuide.org is not East Devon District Council, Devon County Council or the waste collection operator. Live collection dates, fees, subscriptions, missed-bin decisions, holiday changes and recycling-centre restrictions should be completed or confirmed through the relevant official service.