Hertsmere Bin Collection: Day, Schedule, Missed & Bank

How to Check Your Hertsmere Bin Collection Day

Hertsmere does not publish one weekday that applies to every address. The council’s live collection finder is the correct starting point for Borehamwood, Elstree, Potters Bar, Bushey, Radlett, Shenley, South Mimms and other Hertsmere properties.

1. Open Hertsmere’s live round search.
   Use the current address tool rather than relying on an old calendar screenshot.
2. Find the exact property.
   Select the household record that actually receives the service.
3. Check whether the date is Week 1 or Week 2.
   This tells you which large household bin is due.
4. Remember the weekly silver food bin.
   The food-waste service does not alternate with the large bins.
5. Download the correct calendar if useful.
   Use it for normal planning, but recheck service updates and bank-holiday changes when appropriate.

Hertsmere Week 1 and Week 2 Bin Schedule

Standard kerbside collections operate over a two-week cycle, while collection remains on the same normal weekday. Different waste streams are collected in each week.

Hertsmere Bin Collection Time: Have It Ready by 6am

To qualify as correctly presented, bins should be at the property boundary or an agreed collection point by 6am on the scheduled day.

Hertsmere Black Bin: Non-Recyclable Household Waste

The black wheelie bin is for household waste that cannot use Hertsmere’s recycling, food-waste, garden-waste or specialist disposal routes. For most standard properties it is the large Week 1 container.

Keep garden waste out where a suitable subscription, home-composting or recycling-centre route is available. Large household items also require a separate bulky-waste or recycling-centre route.

Hertsmere Brown Bin: Mixed Recycling

The brown wheelie bin is the mixed-recycling container and is normally collected every fortnight during Week 2. Recycling should go into the bin loose, clean and empty rather than inside plastic bags.

Common contamination to keep out

• Plastic bags and soft plastic film
• Crisp packets and sweet wrappers
• Polystyrene
• Disposable coffee cups
• Greasy pizza boxes
• Paper towels, tissues and wet wipes
• Electrical items
• Batteries and vapes

Hertsmere Silver Food-Waste Bin: Collected Every Week

The silver outdoor food-waste bin is collected weekly on the same weekday as the other household containers. Standard outdoor silver bins hold about 23 litres; the council also provides smaller kitchen caddies for collecting food indoors.

Free kitchen caddies are currently available from several Hertsmere locations, including Wyllyotts Theatre in Potters Bar, the Civic Office and 96 Shenley Road in Borehamwood, and Aldenham Parish Council in Radlett.

Hertsmere Missed Bin: Report After 4pm and Within 48 Hours

If the scheduled container has not been emptied by 4pm, check whether the issue is a genuine missed collection before reporting it. Hertsmere requires a genuine miss to be reported within 48 hours so a return can be arranged.

Check these before reporting

1. Was the correct bin actually due?
   Recheck the property calendar and Week 1 / Week 2 pattern.
2. Was it at the boundary by 6am?
   A late or inaccessible container does not qualify in the same way as a genuine crew miss.
3. Was the recycling contaminated?
   Hertsmere may leave a card explaining the incorrect material.
4. Was the bin too heavy or overloaded?
   Excessive weight or a risk of spillage can prevent safe emptying.
5. Were the contents frozen or compacted?
   A bin can be only partly emptied when material will not release on the vehicle lift.
6. Was extra waste left beside it?
   Additional bags of refuse or recycling are not part of the normal collection.

Hertsmere Garden Waste 2026/27: Price, Sticker and Schedule

Garden waste is an optional paid service. For the service year from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027, Hertsmere publishes a price of £55 for the first green bin.

A household can subscribe for collection of up to three green bins. The service is fortnightly and normally collected on the same day as the brown recycling bin.

Subscription sticker rules

• A valid current-year sticker must be displayed on the subscribed bin.
• Place the sticker on the back of the green bin underneath the handles.
• Present the bin with the handles and sticker facing the road so crews can see it.
• Hertsmere says stickers can take up to 10 working days to arrive.

Joining later in the service year

You can subscribe part way through the year, but Hertsmere does not reduce the annual price according to the month you join.

Christmas and New Year break

The garden-waste service normally runs throughout the year except for a two-week period, equal to one scheduled collection, over Christmas and New Year. Check the live calendar for the exact affected date.

Green bin missed?

First confirm that the property has an active subscription, the current sticker is visible, the green bin was due and the contents were acceptable. An eligible missed garden collection should be reported within 48 hours.

Hertsmere Bin Collections for Flats and Communal Properties

Flats and properties with shared communal facilities can use a different waste and recycling setup from ordinary kerbside houses. Do not copy the Week 1 / Week 2 container arrangement from a nearby house without checking the building’s actual service.

Managing agents, landlords and housing associations are responsible for keeping bin stores reasonably clean and making sure collection crews have access.

Hertsmere Assisted Bin Collections

An assisted collection may be available if a resident cannot move refuse and recycling containers to the property boundary because of a debilitating mobility or health condition and nobody at the address can help.

Hertsmere also provides for temporary assistance in appropriate circumstances such as recovery after a hospital stay. The current application form requires the relevant eligibility information and includes a section for a GP where required by the form.

Need a Larger Hertsmere Bin?

Hertsmere has a specific capacity process for larger households rather than automatically supplying an extra black bin.

1. Household size matters.
   The published larger-bin route is aimed at households with five or more people who are struggling with capacity.
2. Recycling capacity comes first.
   Hertsmere initially provides a larger brown mixed-recycling bin.
3. Use the larger recycling bin for two months.
   This gives the household an opportunity to divert more recyclable material from the black bin.
4. Still struggling?
   Contact Hertsmere for the next stage. A waste audit can then be carried out before a larger black bin is considered.

Hertsmere Bulky Waste: Furniture and Large Household Items

Hertsmere can collect certain large household items from outside the property. Reuse or charity collection is worth considering first when furniture remains usable.

Presentation rules

• Pay in full before the collection.
• Only present the items included in the booking.
• Do not fill furniture with other rubbish.
• Items must be manageable for two people because specialist lifting equipment is not used.
• The crew does not enter the home; items must be outside.

Need to cancel?

Hertsmere currently says to cancel by 4pm at least one day before the scheduled collection for a full refund. For a Monday booking, cancellation needs to be made by 4pm on the preceding Friday.

Hertsmere Recycling Centres: Elstree and Potters Bar

Household recycling centres are operated by Hertfordshire County Council rather than Hertsmere Borough Council. Hertsmere residents need the appropriate Hertfordshire recycling-centre ePass before visiting.

Hertfordshire Recycling Centre ePass: What Hertsmere Residents Need

An ePass is required for Hertfordshire recycling centres. For an ordinary resident car, the pass is free and becomes available immediately after a successful application.

A household can currently hold up to three ePasses, subject to the vehicle combination rules. Vans and trailers use a different pass with a maximum of 12 visits in 12 months.

Bring proof of address when visiting. Commercial, charity and business waste is not accepted through the household recycling-centre service.

Hertsmere Bank Holiday Bin Collections

Hertsmere’s standard published rule is straightforward: when a public holiday falls during the week, collections normally take place one day later than usual, unless the council tells residents otherwise.

Batteries, Vapes and Small Electricals: Keep Them Out of Household Bins

Hertsmere is currently highlighting battery fires as a serious waste-service risk. Batteries, vapes and battery-powered electrical items can ignite when crushed or damaged inside collection vehicles and processing facilities.

Official Hertsmere Waste Services

Related Hertfordshire Bin Collection Guides

Hertfordshire County Council runs household recycling centres, but household bin collections are controlled separately by each district or borough council. Container colours, collection times and reporting deadlines can therefore change when you cross a council boundary.

Hertsmere Bin Collection FAQs