Lewisham Bin Collection: Exact Dates, 6am Rule & Missed Bin Help
Lewisham does not use one borough-wide collection date. Check the exact property first. For standard kerbside homes, recycling and food waste are collected weekly, while general rubbish is normally collected every other week where a food-waste service is provided.
This guide explains the current black rubbish bin, green recycling bin, grey food caddy, paid brown garden bin, missed-collection deadline, flats and sack services, replacement-bin charges, bulky waste and Landmann Way Reuse and Recycling Centre.
Lewisham Bin Collection: Quick Answer
Use Lewisham Council’s live collection-day checker and select the exact property. If you search by street name, enter the full street name without abbreviations and do not include the house or flat number in the street-search field.
Put ordinary kerbside bins at the edge of the property before 6am. For a genuine missed collection, the Council’s current pages give slightly different reporting times: one says after 1pm and the service standards say after 2pm. Waiting until after 2pm satisfies both instructions. Report within 48 hours.
Jump to the Lewisham bin task you need
How to Check Your Lewisham Bin Collection Day
Lewisham’s live collection tool returns property-specific dates for rubbish, recycling, food waste and garden waste. This is more reliable than saving a generic weekday because services can vary by property type.
-
Open the official bin collection checker.
Use the current Lewisham Council service rather than an old screenshot or neighbour’s calendar. -
Enter your postcode or full street name.
When using a street name, write it in full: for example, “Bargery Road” rather than “Bargery Rd”. -
Do not add a house number to the street-name search.
The official form asks for the postcode or street name first. -
Select the exact address.
Flats appear separately in the results, so choose the correct property rather than a nearby house. -
Record each collection stream separately.
Save the next rubbish, recycling, food and garden-waste date that applies to your address.
Lewisham Household Bin Collection Schedule
| Waste service | Typical container | Current frequency | Important exception |
|---|---|---|---|
| General rubbish | 180L black wheelie bin | Every other week | Can be weekly where no food-waste service is provided. |
| Dry recycling | 240L green wheelie bin | Weekly | Flats and estates may use communal recycling containers or clear sacks. |
| Food waste | 23L grey outdoor bin + 5L kitchen caddy | Weekly | The exact food-waste arrangement depends on property type. |
| Garden waste | 240L brown bin | Weekly | Paid subscription and valid permit sticker required. |
Lewisham’s 6am Bin Collection Rules
For normal kerbside collection, bins should be at the edge of the property before 6am. Collection crews generally do not enter the property boundary unless an assisted collection has been arranged.
Before 6am
Do not wait until you hear the collection vehicle. Rounds can happen at different times.
Property edge
Place the container at the accessible boundary of the property.
Lid closed
Keep bin lids closed to reduce spills and make the container safe to handle.
Clear vehicle access
Park considerately and avoid blocking the collection crew’s access to the street or bin area.
- Use each container only for the correct waste stream.
- Keep recycling clean and dry, particularly paper and cardboard.
- Rinse suitable jars, bottles and containers before recycling.
- Do not leave bins in the street after they have been emptied.
- DIY waste, garden waste and food waste should not be hidden inside general rubbish.
Lewisham Bin Colours: What Goes Where?
General rubbish
For ordinary household waste that cannot be recycled or handled through a separate waste service.
Mixed recycling
For accepted paper, card, bottles, jars, cans and suitable rigid plastic packaging.
Food waste
For suitable cooked and uncooked household food where the property receives food-waste collection.
Garden waste
For subscribed households using the current permit sticker and accepted loose garden material.
What Can Go in Lewisham’s Green Recycling Bin?
Accepted examples
- Paper, newspapers and magazines
- Envelopes and junk mail
- Flattened clean cardboard
- Glass bottles and jars
- Food and drink cans
- Plastic drinks bottles
- Shampoo and cleaning-product bottles
- Clean plastic food pots, tubs and trays
Keep out
- Black-bag rubbish
- Nappies
- Food waste
- Garden waste
- Carrier bags and plastic bags
- Cling film and bubble wrap
- Textiles and shoes
- Batteries and electrical items
- Wet or food-soiled cardboard
- Hard-plastic household objects
Lewisham Food Waste Collection
Houses and flats in converted houses can receive a 23-litre outdoor grey food bin plus a 5-litre kitchen caddy. The kerbside food-waste collection is weekly.
Food that can go in
- Fruit and vegetable waste
- Cooked and uncooked leftovers
- Bread
- Cheese
- Egg shells
- Tea bags
- Coffee grounds
Keep out
- Nappies
- Garden waste
- Food packaging
- Liquids and cooking oil
- Soil or rubble
- Kitchen towel and tissue
- Cat litter and dog waste
-
Collect food scraps in the kitchen caddy.
Keep the indoor container somewhere convenient and close the lid after use. -
Use a suitable liner or newspaper.
The Council’s current guidance allows clear bags such as bread bags or newspaper. -
Transfer it to the outdoor food bin.
Tie the liner or wrap the food securely before moving it outside. -
Lock the outdoor lid.
This helps reduce problems with foxes and other pests. -
Present it before 6am.
Use the edge of the property on the weekly collection day shown for the address.
Lewisham Missed Bin: When and How to Report It
First confirm the collection was genuinely missed. Lewisham’s current missed-collection page says to wait until 1pm, while its published service standards say after 2pm. Waiting until after 2pm avoids reporting too early under either instruction.
A missed collection should be reported within 48 hours. If several different bins were missed, the Council asks residents to report each one separately.
-
Check the collection date.
Confirm that the specific rubbish, recycling, food or garden container was due. -
Check the 6am rule.
The bin should have been correctly presented at the edge of the property before 6am. -
Look for a red tag.
A contaminated bin that was deliberately rejected is not the same as a missed collection. -
Wait until after 2pm.
Collection rounds can continue through the day. -
Report within 48 hours.
Select the correct form for rubbish, recycling, food waste or garden waste.
Missed-bin diagnosis
Lewisham Flats, Estates and Properties Without Wheelie Bins
Your container setup depends on the building. Houses and flats in converted houses normally use individual wheelie bins, while blocks and estates generally use communal bins.
House / converted house
Normally uses an individual black rubbish bin, green recycling bin and grey food-waste containers.
Flat above a shop
Where there is no space for bins, Lewisham can issue orange sacks for rubbish and clear sacks for recycling.
Estate / block
Communal rubbish and recycling bins are normally provided. Large developments may have more than one bin area.
Orange and clear sack deliveries
Properties without suitable bin storage can receive Council-issued sacks. Current guidance says deliveries are normally made quarterly, usually in March, June, September and December.
Lewisham Garden Waste Subscription 2026/27
Lewisham’s dedicated current garden-waste page lists the 2026/27 annual subscription at £100.63. The service uses a 240-litre brown garden-waste bin and provides weekly collections through the subscription year.
| Garden-waste detail | Current 2026/27 position |
|---|---|
| Annual price | £100.63 |
| Container | 240L brown garden-waste bin |
| Frequency | Weekly |
| Service year | 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027 |
| Permit colour | Purple 2026/27 sticker |
| Sticker/bin arrival | Allow up to 10 working days where applicable |
| Set-out time | Before 6am |
| Maximum bin weight | 20kg |
Direct Debit instalments for 2026/27
£25.63
£25.00
£25.00
£25.00
Accepted examples
- Grass cuttings
- Leaves
- Flowers and plants
- Garden weeds
- Hedge trimmings
- Fallen fruit
- Small branches and twigs
Keep out
- General household rubbish
- Food waste
- Bricks and rubble
- Soil
- Plastic bags or plant pots
- Pet waste
- Timber
- Polystyrene
- Japanese knotweed
New, Missing and Replacement Bins in Lewisham
| Container | Standard size | Current administration cost |
|---|---|---|
| Black rubbish bin | 180 litres | £30 |
| Green recycling bin | 240 litres | £30 |
| Grey food bin + kitchen caddy | 23L + 5L | Free |
| Replacement garden bin | 240 litres | £30 replacement-bin charge; garden subscription is separate |
New or replacement individual bins are intended for houses and flats in converted houses. Estates, small blocks and many new developments use communal bins and should follow their housing-management arrangement.
Lewisham Assisted Bin Collection
Assisted collection is intended for residents who cannot place their bins at the property boundary because of frailty, disability or physical impairment and do not have someone else in the household who can do it.
Tell the Council why
The application asks why help is needed and which waste containers require assistance.
Accessible pickup point
Containers must be somewhere crews can safely reach. The Council does not collect assisted bins from the rear of a property.
Label the bin
Your house number should be clearly marked so crews can return containers to the correct location.
Lewisham Bulky Waste Collection Prices
Lewisham offers paid household bulky-waste collection for large items that do not fit in the normal bin. Reuse, donation or a free trip to Landmann Way may be better where the item is suitable.
£5 each
Any mattress size is currently listed at £5 per item.
£5 each
Examples include carpets, chairs, beds and sofas.
£25 each
American-style and double-door fridges or freezers are excluded from this collection route.
- The booking charge is non-refundable even if you later cancel.
- The Council does not collect items from inside the home.
- Put booked items outside at the property edge the night before collection.
- For flats, use the front of the building unless a different accessible bin-chamber arrangement has been agreed.
- Only items included in the booking will be collected.
- A rolled carpet must be manageable by two people; underlay counts as a separate item.
Landmann Way Reuse and Recycling Centre
Lewisham’s household reuse and recycling centre is at Civic Amenities Site, Landmann Way, London SE14 5RS. It is free for Lewisham residents and the current Council page says you do not need to book a normal visit.
Before you travel
- Bring photo ID such as a driving licence or passport.
- Bring proof of your Lewisham address, such as a utility bill or bank statement.
- The site is for household waste, not trade waste.
- Staff may inspect the load before or during unloading.
- Site staff cannot unload the vehicle for you.
- Children and animals must remain inside vehicles.
Sun–Fri: 8am–3:30pm
Sat: 8am–11:30am
Vans, bikes & pedestrians
Sun–Fri: 8am–3pm
Sat: 8am–11am
Useful Landmann Way restrictions
Examples accepted
- Furniture and mattresses
- Electrical items
- Domestic fridges and freezers
- Garden waste
- Glass
- Paper and cardboard
- Rigid plastics
- Scrap metal
- Textiles
- Wood and MDF
- Limited DIY waste
Examples not accepted
- Trade waste
- Landlord waste from vacant properties
- Paint and solvents
- Plasterboard
- Pallets
- Turf
- Car batteries
Lewisham Bank Holiday and Christmas Bin Collections
Do not assume that every Lewisham Bank Holiday moves the collection by one day. The safest route is to use the address checker because it displays the next date applicable to the property.
Ordinary week
Use the live property calendar and normal before-6am presentation rule.
Special holiday
Check the address calendar again rather than copying a timetable from a previous year.
Garden waste
The paid service can use revised dates around special holidays and Bank Holidays.
Nearby London Bin Collection Guide
Bromley Bin Collection
Use Bromley’s guide only if Bromley Council actually serves the address. Bromley uses a different collection system and a different morning presentation deadline from Lewisham.
Official Lewisham Waste Services
Lewisham Bin Collection FAQs
How do I find my Lewisham bin collection day?
Open Lewisham Council’s collection-day checker, enter your postcode or full street name, select the exact property and check the dates shown for rubbish, recycling, food and subscribed garden waste.
What time should Lewisham bins be out?
Normal kerbside bins should be correctly presented at the edge of the property before 6am on collection day.
How often is rubbish collected in Lewisham?
For standard kerbside properties receiving food-waste collection, general rubbish is normally collected every other week. A property without a food-waste service can have weekly general-waste collection, so check the exact address.
How often is recycling collected in Lewisham?
Kerbside recycling is normally collected weekly. The exact container depends on the property: houses typically use a green wheelie bin, while some flats use communal bins or clear sacks.
When can I report a missed Lewisham bin?
Lewisham’s current pages contain a timing discrepancy: the missed-bin page says after 1pm and the service standards say after 2pm. Waiting until after 2pm satisfies both. Report the missed collection within 48 hours.
How much is Lewisham garden waste collection in 2026/27?
The current dedicated garden-waste page lists the annual 2026/27 subscription at £100.63 for weekly collections using a 240-litre brown bin with a valid purple permit sticker.
How much is a replacement Lewisham rubbish or recycling bin?
The current bin-order page lists a £30 administration charge for a standard black rubbish bin or green recycling bin. The standard grey food-waste bin and kitchen caddy are listed as free.
How much does Lewisham bulky waste collection cost?
The current service lists mattresses and most other eligible large household items at £5 each. Fridges and freezers are £25 each, subject to the service’s size and item restrictions.
Do I need to book Landmann Way Recycling Centre?
No normal booking is currently required. Lewisham residents should take photo ID and proof of address, and vehicle restrictions still apply.
Can I put food waste in my black bin?
For kerbside homes receiving the separate food-waste service, food waste should use the grey food-waste container rather than the black general-rubbish bin.
The Simplest Lewisham Bin Routine
- Check the exact address rather than relying on a borough-wide weekday.
- Put kerbside containers at the property edge before 6am.
- Remember that recycling and food waste are normally weekly.
- General rubbish is normally every other week where a food-waste service is provided.
- Keep carrier bags, cling film, textiles, batteries and food out of the green recycling bin.
- If a bin is still full, check for a red contamination tag before reporting it.
- Use the safer missed-bin reporting point of after 2pm and report within 48 hours.
- For garden waste, use the current purple 2026/27 permit and check the £100.63 subscription before paying.
- Compare a £5 bulky collection with free disposal at Landmann Way where practical.
- Take ID and proof of address to Landmann Way.
Independent guide: BinCollectionGuide.org is not Lewisham Council and cannot access or amend council collection records. Live dates, reports, payments, subscriptions and waste-service requests should be completed through Lewisham Council.
Operational rules and charges on this page were checked against current Lewisham Council guidance on 21 September 2026. Property dates and service arrangements can change, so use the linked official service before reporting, paying, booking or travelling.