Check Your Horsham Bin Day, Weekly Food Waste & the Right Bin
Horsham normally alternates green-top general waste and blue-top recycling every two weeks. The orange-lidded food-waste bin is collected every week, while brown-top garden waste is a separate paid service.
Check your exact property before putting anything out. The permanent collection rule is to have the correct container at its designated collection point by 6am, with the wheelie-bin handles facing the road.
Horsham Bin Collection: Quick Answer
For most standard households, one week is the green-top general-waste bin and the next is the blue-top recycling bin. Food waste is collected weekly in the lockable outdoor food-waste container.
Use Horsham District Council’s postcode calendar for the exact date. Have the scheduled containers at the designated collection point by 6am. A genuine missed collection normally needs to be reported by 12 noon the day after the scheduled collection; a Friday miss can be reported up to 12 noon on Monday.
Jump to the Horsham waste task you need
- Check bin date
- Collection pattern
- 6am collection rules
- Bin colours
- Blue-top recycling
- Weekly food waste
- Green-top waste
- Garden waste 2026/27
- Missed bin
- Rejected bins
- New bin prices
- Larger waste bin
- Flats, rural & assisted
- Batteries
- Electricals & textiles
- Clinical waste
- Large items
- Hop Oast Recycling Centre
- Holidays & weather
- Official services
- FAQs
How to Check Your Horsham Bin Collection Day
Horsham District Council provides a property-specific postcode calendar. This is the safest way to answer “which bin is this week?” because it shows the collection attached to your actual address rather than a district-wide example.
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Open the council’s bin calendar.
Use the current Horsham District Council postcode service. -
Enter your postcode.
Select the exact property returned by the search. -
Check whether green-top or blue-top is due.
These main household collections normally alternate every two weeks. -
Remember the weekly food-waste collection.
Food waste is an additional weekly service and should not be forgotten when the main wheelie-bin colour changes. -
Check subscribed garden-waste dates separately.
Brown-top garden bins are only emptied when the property has a valid paid service.
Horsham Collection Schedule at a Glance
| Service | Container | Normal frequency | Main point |
|---|---|---|---|
| General waste | Green-top bin | Every two weeks | Non-recyclable household rubbish. |
| Mixed recycling | Blue-top bin | Every two weeks | Accepted recycling should be clean, dry and loose. |
| Food waste | 23L orange-lidded outdoor bin | Weekly | Food only; remove packaging. |
| Garden waste | Brown-top bin | Normally fortnightly | 25 scheduled collections in the 2026/27 service year. |
| Batteries | Small sealed clear bag | Normal main-bin collection day | Place the bag on top of the wheelie bin, not inside it. |
Horsham Collection-Day Rules: 6am, Handles, Lid and Collection Point
Have bins ready by 6am
The permanent collection policy requires bins to be at the designated collection point by 6am on collection day.
Handles face the road
Present wheelie bins with the handle facing the road so the collection crew can move and tip them efficiently.
Close the lid
An overflowing bin or a lid that cannot close fully can be rejected.
Use the designated point
The usual point is on the pavement or highway outside the property unless the council has specified another location.
Horsham Bin Colours: Green, Blue, Orange and Brown
General waste
Ordinary non-recyclable household rubbish after recycling and food waste have been separated.
Mixed recycling
Accepted paper, card, cans, plastics, foil, cartons and glass bottles or jars.
Food waste
The standard outdoor food-waste container is 23 litres and is emptied every week.
Garden waste
Optional paid service for eligible household garden material.
What Goes in the Horsham Blue-Top Recycling Bin?
The blue-top bin is collected every two weeks. Recycling should be clean, dry and loose rather than tied inside carrier bags.
Common accepted recycling
- Dry paper and cardboard
- Metal food tins and drinks cans
- Empty aerosols
- Clean aluminium foil
- Plastic bottles
- Accepted plastic pots, tubs and trays
- Cartons
- Glass bottles and jars
Common items to keep out
- Plastic carrier bags
- Soft plastic wrapping
- Crisp packets and pouches
- Mirror or window glass
- Pyrex and drinking glasses
- Ceramics and crockery
- Batteries
- Vapes and electrical items
Horsham Food Waste Collection: Weekly Orange-Lidded Bin
Weekly food-waste collections are now operating across Horsham District. For an ordinary single dwelling, the standard system uses a small indoor kitchen caddy and a lockable 23-litre outdoor food-waste bin.
Food you can include
- Meat, fish and shellfish
- Bones and eggshells
- Dairy products
- Fruit and vegetables
- Peelings
- Bread, cakes and pastries
- Rice, pasta and beans
- Plate scrapings
- Tea bags and coffee grounds
- Solid fats
- Pet food
- Mouldy or out-of-date food
Keep these out
- Food packaging
- Cutlery
- Takeaway containers
- Liquids and oils
- Animal faeces
- General household rubbish
Horsham Green-Top General-Waste Bin Rules
The green-top bin is normally emptied every two weeks. The standard single-dwelling container is 140 litres unless the household has an approved larger-bin dispensation.
Typical general-waste items
- Nappies
- Safely bagged dog waste
- Non-recyclable packaging
- Other ordinary household rubbish with no appropriate recycling route
Do not use it for
- Garden waste
- Recyclable material
- Batteries or vapes
- Electrical items
- Clinical sharps
- Commercial waste
- DIY rubble
- Large household items
Horsham Garden Waste 2026/27: £64 Per Bin
The 2026/27 garden-waste service runs from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027. The annual charge is £64 for each subscribed bin.
| Garden-waste detail | 2026/27 position | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Annual subscription | £64 per bin | Each brown-top bin must have its own active subscription. |
| Service year | 1 Apr 2026–31 Mar 2027 | The subscription covers this service period. |
| Scheduled collections | 25 | Normally fortnightly with a two-week Christmas suspension. |
| New 240L garden bin | £60.50 | The bin itself is purchased separately from the collection subscription. |
| Part-year discount | None | Joining later in the year still attracts the full annual service charge. |
| Setup / renewal | Up to 5 working days | Allow time for the payment to be processed before expecting collection. |
What can go in the brown-top garden bin?
Accepted garden material
- Grass cuttings
- Leaves
- Weeds
- Hedge trimmings
- Plant prunings
- Flowers
- Twigs
- Small branches no thicker than roughly the width of your wrist
- Old or used compost
Keep out
- Household rubbish
- Plastic bags or liners
- Food waste
- Soil and stones
- Hardcore
- Pet bedding and pet waste
- Household recycling
Moving house with a garden-waste subscription
If you move within Horsham District, the service can be transferred to the new address. Notify the council, take the garden bin with you and update the property number or name on it. Horsham states that the transfer can take up to 10 working days.
If you move outside Horsham District during the service period, the normal terms do not provide an automatic refund. The statutory cancellation period is 14 working days from receipt or acceptance of the terms.
Horsham Missed Bin: Deadline and Return Rules
A missed rubbish, recycling, food-waste or garden-waste collection should be checked against the council’s live calendar and presentation rules before it is reported.
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Check the exact collection date.
Make sure the correct bin was due for your property. -
Confirm it was ready by 6am.
Collection rounds can operate between 6am and 3pm and route order can change. -
Check the collection point.
Make sure the container was at the council-designated location. -
Check the contents and lid.
Contamination, an open lid, excess waste, excessive weight or jammed contents can lead to rejection. -
Look for a rejection hanger.
If the crew records a valid reason for leaving the bin, Horsham normally will not return simply because the problem is later corrected. -
Report a genuine miss by the deadline.
Report by 12 noon on the day after the scheduled collection. For a Friday collection, the deadline is 12 noon on Monday.
When Horsham accepts it as a genuine missed collection
For an ordinary valid missed collection, Horsham says it aims to return within 24 hours of the report.
The 2026/27 garden-waste terms separately state that a genuine garden-waste miss reported by the deadline will be dealt with by a return collection within two working days.
Why Horsham May Refuse to Empty a Bin
| Problem | Why it can be rejected | What to do next |
|---|---|---|
| Wrong bin | Green-top and blue-top collections alternate. | Recheck the property calendar. |
| Open lid | The container is overfilled or incorrectly presented. | Remove enough material to close the lid. |
| Side waste | Ordinary excess rubbish outside the bin is not accepted. | Remove it unless a special arrangement has been agreed. |
| Contamination | Incorrect material can spoil the recycling or garden-waste stream. | Remove the wrong material and re-present on the next scheduled collection. |
| Too heavy | It may be unsafe for an operative or lifting equipment. | Reduce the weight. |
| Frozen or compacted | Contents may not fall out when the bin is tipped. | Loosen the contents safely before the next collection. |
| Unauthorised container | The bin may be incompatible with the collection vehicle. | Use a compliant council-compatible container. |
Horsham New and Replacement Bin Prices
Horsham households own their bins. If you move into an existing home without the required containers, you normally need to buy them. For a new-build property, the developer is responsible for supplying the standard green-top and blue-top bins.
| Container | Size | Published price |
|---|---|---|
| General-waste bin | 140L | £55 |
| Regular recycling bin | 140L | £25.50 |
| Large recycling bin | 240L | £60.50 |
| Garden-waste bin | 240L | £60.50 |
| Food-waste bin | 23L | Free |
Current multi-buy offers
Three-bin bundle
General + recycling + garden: £120.
Two-bin bundles
General + recycling: £88.50
Recycling + garden: £91.50
General + garden: £88.50
Can You Get a Larger Green-Top Bin in Horsham?
A larger general-waste bin cannot simply be purchased as an upgrade. Horsham requires the household to meet its published criteria and the application can include a waste assessment.
Large household
Five or more permanent residents can fall within the published eligibility criteria.
Children in nappies
Households with three or more children in nappies can apply.
Medical need
Relevant medical-waste circumstances can also support an application.
Customer Services can be contacted on 01403 733144 for the larger-bin application process.
Flats, Communal Bins, Rural Homes and Assisted Collections
Assisted collections
Free assistance is available where nobody at the property is physically able to move the rubbish, recycling or food-waste bins to the normal collection point.
The agreed location must be accessible from 6am. The standard assisted service does not apply where residents use communal-bin facilities.
Flats and communal stores
Communal bins need clear, smooth access from a hard standing surface. Horsham’s current policy says communal bins or stores should be within ten metres of a point the refuse vehicle can access.
Communal food waste uses a 140-litre orange-lidded bin, emptied weekly.
Isolated properties
Some hard-to-reach homes are served by smaller collection vehicles. Residents may still be required to move bins to the public highway, including from a long private driveway.
Standard collection vehicles do not normally drive onto private property except in special agreed circumstances such as assisted collections.
Horsham Battery Collection: Free Kerbside Recycling
Accepted household batteries can be collected on your normal green-top or blue-top collection day without a separate battery booking.
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Collect enough batteries to fill a small clear bag.
A sandwich-style bag is suitable. -
Seal the bag securely.
This reduces the risk of loose batteries escaping. -
Place the bag on top of the wheelie bin.
Use either the scheduled green-top or blue-top bin. -
Never put the battery bag inside the bin.
Batteries can create a serious fire risk in collection vehicles and waste-processing equipment.
Textiles, Vapes and Small Electricals
Horsham provides separate bookable routes for reusable textiles and electrical items, plus broken or obsolete small electrical equipment. Disposable vapes and e-cigarettes should not be put into the normal household bins.
Reusable textiles
Eligible clothing, shoes, linen and other reusable household items can use the current doorstep collection service.
Working electricals
Small working appliances and devices can be booked for the appropriate reuse collection.
Broken electricals and vapes
Broken or obsolete small electrical items, including disposable vapes and e-cigarettes, use the dedicated electrical collection route.
Clinical Waste and Sharps Collection
Horsham District Council uses Medisort for a free weekly household clinical-waste collection service. The service covers items such as bandages, incontinence pads, needles or sharps and stoma bags.
Arrange the service
Contact Medisort on 01903 719646 or email [email protected]. The service provides the required containers or bags before the first collection and replaces them after collection.
Sharps require the specialist route
Horsham’s collection policy says needles and sharps must use the separate clinical-waste service rather than an ordinary larger-bin arrangement.
Horsham Large Item Collection: Prices and 8-Item Limit
Horsham can collect eligible large household items that will not fit in the normal bin. A standard booking can include up to eight items.
| Items | Standard price | Calculation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 item | £32 | First-item charge |
| 2 items | £59 | £32 + £27 |
| 3 items | £86 | £32 + two additional items |
| 4 items | £113 | £32 + three additional items |
| 8 items | £221 | Maximum standard booking |
Benefit discount
The council currently publishes a 50% discount for residents receiving full Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support.
State pension age
Residents receiving full qualifying benefits and who are of state pension age can qualify for a free collection under the published scheme.
Items must be outside the front of the property in an accessible position before 6am on the booked collection day. Crews do not enter the home to remove them.
Horsham Recycling Centre at Hop Oast
Horsham Recycling Centre is operated by West Sussex County Council, not Horsham District Council. A booking is required before visiting.
Horsham Recycling Centre
Address: Hopoast, Worthing Road, Horsham, RH13 0AR
Telephone: 01403 253016
Tuesday: Closed
Wednesday: Closed
Thursday–Sunday: 9am–6pm
Tuesday: Closed
Wednesday: Closed
Thursday–Sunday: 9am–4pm
Booking rules
- You must book before visiting.
- You can make up to five Recycling Centre visits per calendar month.
- You can book up to 14 days in advance.
- Same-day booking is possible when a slot remains.
- You need the vehicle registration number.
- You need your address and email address.
- The booking should be made in the attendee’s name.
- Proof of West Sussex residency may be requested.
Important vehicle restrictions
The Horsham site does not accept visits using Luton-type vans, horseboxes or trailers. Trucks with tippers, flatbeds or drop-sides are also restricted, along with vehicles over 3.5 tonnes gross weight or more than 2.2 metres high.
Bank Holidays, Christmas and Bad Weather
Bank holidays
Do not assume a bank holiday automatically shifts your collection by one day. Use the postcode calendar or council app for the actual property date.
Christmas
Recheck the calendar before Christmas and New Year. Garden waste has a two-week Christmas suspension during the 2026/27 service year.
Adverse weather
Where road safety prevents access, Horsham says crews will try to catch up when conditions improve. Residents are asked to keep affected bins at the collection point.
Official Horsham Waste Services
BinCollectionGuide.org is an independent information website. Horsham District Council controls household collection records, service requests and subscriptions. West Sussex County Council operates Horsham Recycling Centre.
Open official collection checker
Open missed-bin service
Open bin ordering service
Open West Sussex centre page
Horsham Bin Collection FAQs
How do I check my Horsham bin collection day?
Use Horsham District Council’s postcode collection-calendar search and select the exact property. Check whether the green-top or blue-top bin is due and remember that food waste is collected every week.
What time should Horsham bins be put out?
The permanent collection rule is to have the correct bins at the designated collection point by 6am, with wheelie-bin handles facing the road.
How often is the green-top bin collected?
The green-top general-waste bin is normally collected every two weeks.
How often is the blue-top recycling bin collected?
The blue-top mixed-recycling bin is normally collected every two weeks, alternating with the standard green-top general-waste collection.
Is Horsham food waste collected weekly?
Yes. Weekly food-waste collections are now operating across Horsham District. The outdoor food-waste bin is collected every week on the same day as either the recycling or general-waste bin.
How much is Horsham garden waste in 2026/27?
The 2026/27 annual garden-waste subscription is £64 per subscribed bin. A new 240-litre brown-top garden bin costs £60.50 where one is required.
When do I need to report a missed bin?
Report a genuine missed collection by 12 noon on the day after the scheduled collection. If the collection was due on Friday, the reporting deadline is 12 noon on Monday.
How much is a new green-top bin?
The current council order page lists the standard 140-litre green-top general-waste bin at £55.
Can I get a larger general-waste bin?
Qualifying households can apply, including households with five or more permanent residents, three or more children in nappies, or relevant medical needs. A waste assessment may apply and the current published fee is £60.50.
Does Horsham collect batteries from home?
Yes. Put accepted household batteries into a securely closed small clear bag and place the bag on top of the scheduled green-top or blue-top wheelie bin. Do not place batteries loose inside the bin.
Do I need to book Horsham Recycling Centre?
Yes. West Sussex County Council requires a booking before visiting Horsham Recycling Centre at Hop Oast. Same-day slots can be booked when available, or bookings can be made up to 14 days ahead.
Best Next Step: Check Your Exact Horsham Address
Start with the council’s property calendar. Confirm whether green-top or blue-top is due, remember the weekly food-waste bin and have the correct containers at the designated collection point by 6am.
If a bin remains full after the round, check the scheduled date, lid, contents, access and collection point before reporting it. A genuine miss needs prompt action because the normal reporting deadline is 12 noon the following day.
Independent resident guide: BinCollectionGuide.org is not Horsham District Council or West Sussex County Council. Complete live date checks, reports, subscriptions, bookings and payments through the relevant official service.