NELC Bin Collection: Find Your Dates, Days & Bin Calendar
Not sure whether it is your green, blue, grey or brown bin day? North East Lincolnshire Council provides an address-based collection calendar for homes in Grimsby, Cleethorpes, Immingham and surrounding communities.
Check your property’s actual schedule first. Then use this guide to sort your rubbish correctly, understand the four bin types and deal with a missed collection without losing the council’s reporting window.
NELC Bin Collection: Quick Answer
Enter your postcode into the North East Lincolnshire Council refuse collection schedule and select your property. The council’s calendar shows your household rubbish, recycling and any registered garden-waste dates. Put the correct bin outside your property or at your agreed collection point before 7am.
If the calendar is temporarily unavailable for maintenance, check the council’s bins and recycling page or call Waste Services on 01472 326288, option 1. Do not rely on another street’s dates.
Jump to a bin collection task
How to Find Your NELC Bin Collection Dates
The collection calendar is specific to your property. This matters when you live near the boundary of another council or have recently moved into a new build. A general calendar for Grimsby or Cleethorpes is not a substitute for the address-specific result.
- Open the council calendar. Visit the official NELC refuse collection schedule.
- Search for your property. Enter the postcode and choose your full address where the search provides a property list.
- Read each collection stream. Check household waste, paper, mixed-container recycling and garden waste if you have a subscription.
- Record the next dates. Save the calendar or make a reminder that includes both the bin colour and collection date.
- Check for changes. Revisit the live council service before public holidays, after moving or whenever the normal collection pattern changes.
How Often Are Bins Collected in North East Lincolnshire?
NELC’s 2026 waste collection policy describes fortnightly household rubbish and recycling services. Garden waste has a separate paid seasonal schedule. The collection day and recycling rotation must still be checked for your address.
| Bin | Service | Collection pattern |
|---|---|---|
| Green | General household waste | Fortnightly service |
| Blue | Paper and cardboard | Part of the recycling rotation; check your calendar |
| Grey | Mixed container recycling | Part of the recycling rotation; check your calendar |
| Brown | Garden waste | 2026/27 subscription; 23 scheduled collections with a winter break |
Blue and grey recycling dates may be shown on alternating collection rounds rather than both bins being taken together. Do not assume each individual recycling bin is emptied every fortnight. The council’s address calendar identifies the correct stream for each date.
NELC Bin Colours: What Goes in Green, Blue, Grey and Brown?
Green Bin
For household waste that cannot be recycled through the normal collection service.
- Bagged household rubbish
- Crisp packets and sweet wrappers
- Nappies, wipes and tissues
- Plastic film and carrier bags
- Plastic plant pots
Keep out: batteries, electrical equipment, hazardous waste and building materials.
Blue Bin
For clean, suitable paper and cardboard.
- Cardboard boxes and packaging
- Newspapers and magazines
- Letters, envelopes and junk mail
- Greeting cards without unsuitable decorations
- Shredded paper
Keep out: contaminated takeaway boxes, books and notepad wire.
Grey Bin
For accepted household containers and metal packaging.
- Plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays
- Food tins and drink cans
- Glass bottles and jars
- Clean foil and foil trays
- Empty suitable aerosols
- Food and drink cartons
Keep out: polystyrene, plastic bags, broken glass and light bulbs.
Brown Bin
For suitable garden cuttings where the household has an active paid collection.
- Grass cuttings
- Leaves and weeds
- Flowers and plant material
- Hedge trimmings
- Small branches
Keep out: food waste, soil, rubble, plastic bags and animal bedding.
Common Household Items: Which NELC Bin Should You Use?
These examples answer some of the most common sorting questions. Check the council’s A–Z directory for anything unusual, hazardous or not listed below.
| Item | Correct route |
|---|---|
| Newspapers and clean cardboard | Blue bin |
| Clean glass bottles and jars | Grey bin |
| Plastic food tubs and trays | Grey bin |
| Empty suitable aerosols | Grey bin |
| Clean aluminium foil | Grey bin |
| Crisp packets and cling film | Green bin |
| Nappies and wipes | Green bin |
| Grass cuttings and leaves | Subscribed brown bin |
| Small electrical appliances | Appropriate electrical recycling route |
| Batteries and vapes | Separate battery/electrical recycling |
| Bulky furniture | Reuse, booked bulky collection or recycling centre |
| Soil and rubble | Recycling centre under quantity and vehicle restrictions |
Missed NELC Bin Collection: Reporting Times and Steps
North East Lincolnshire Council has a specific reporting window. You can report a missed collection after 2:30pm on the scheduled collection day and before 12 noon the following day.
Report from 2:30pm on collection day until midday on the following day. Reporting too early or outside the window can prevent the normal missed-bin process being used.
- Confirm the bin was due. Check your address calendar and make sure you selected the correct waste stream.
- Check presentation time. The bin must have been outside the property or at the agreed location before 7am.
- Check the contents. Overfilled, overweight or contaminated bins may be rejected. A vehicle obstruction can also prevent collection.
- Report within the window. Use the council’s official missed-collection service from 2:30pm until noon the next day.
- Follow the council’s response. The authority reviews reports and determines whether a return collection is appropriate. If the bin was left for an identifiable fault, crews may not return before the next scheduled date.
NELC Garden Waste Collection 2026/27: Cost, Dates and Registration
The council’s brown-bin garden-waste scheme requires an annual payment. The 2026/27 service began on 30 March 2026 and is scheduled to run until March 2027, with a winter break.
Published NELC garden-waste subscription price for the 2026/27 service, covering 23 planned collections. Check the current payment page before purchasing or renewing.
Key 2026/27 dates
- Service starts: 30 March 2026
- Winter break: 15 December to 25 January
- Service ends: March 2027
- Collection time: bin ready before 7am
How to sign up
- Register and pay using NELC’s garden-waste service.
- Allow up to 10 working days for the sticker and schedule update.
- Clearly mark the bin with your property number.
- Check your actual collection dates before putting it out.
Payment and renewal options
Residents can pay online by debit or credit card, use the council’s telephone payment route on 01472 326288, option 3, or use a barcoded letter at a participating Post Office or PayPoint outlet. Direct Debit is also available and can renew the subscription automatically.
Moving house or cancelling
If you move within North East Lincolnshire, the council’s garden-waste form allows you to update the address, and its published guidance says to take the garden-waste bin with you. An existing Direct Debit does not transfer automatically to the new address. The council also states that cancellation after payment does not normally result in a refund.
Order, Repair or Replace an NELC Bin
If a bin is missing, damaged or unsuitable for your household, use the official order-a-bin service rather than assuming a replacement is free. Charges depend on the request and container type.
| Request | Published charge |
|---|---|
| Individual standard bin for a new home | £31.25 |
| Standard three-bin set for a new home | £93.75 |
| Replacement 180L domestic bin following theft | £31.25 |
| Replacement 240L garden bin following theft | £31.25 |
| Replacement 360L large domestic bin following theft | £35.25 |
| Additional 240L recycling bin | £31.25 |
These are selected published charges, not a quotation for every repair or replacement. The council can repair faults such as missing lids, split lids or wheel problems. Check the applicable charge and eligibility through the official form before making payment.
Who may qualify for a larger green bin?
NELC lists circumstances including households with six or more permanent residents, five residents with a child in nappies, three or more children in nappies, and particular medical needs. An application is still required; additional capacity is not granted automatically.
New build address missing from the calendar?
A newly built property may not appear until it has been added to the Local Land and Property Gazetteer. Check that the home has an official postcode and contact the council if the address still cannot be found.
Assisted Bin Collections for Residents Who Cannot Move Their Bins
NELC offers an assisted collection arrangement for qualifying households where no resident is physically able to present the bins. The council can arrange to collect and return wheelie bins from an agreed point within the property boundary.
Eligibility considerations
- Ill health or disability prevents the bins being presented.
- No other household member aged over 18 can assist.
- Safe access to the agreed collection point is possible.
Evidence you may need
- Blue Badge
- Letter from a medical professional
- Council Tax evidence for single occupancy, where relevant
Temporary assistance may also be considered when the criteria are met and appropriate evidence is supplied. The service is subject to review, and property access can affect eligibility.
Bulky Waste Collections: Sofas, Furniture and Large Items
Large unwanted household items should not simply be left beside the wheelie bins. NELC runs a separate bulky-waste collection service with standard and rapid booking options.
Standard booking
The council describes a collection window of 4 to 10 working days, subject to service arrangements.
Rapid booking
A faster option can collect within 1 to 3 working days, subject to availability.
Examples of items listed by the council include suitable sofas, tables, wardrobes, mattresses and certain electrical appliances. Accepted items, booking charges, preparation rules and availability must be confirmed in the official bulky-waste service before paying.
North East Lincolnshire Recycling Centres: Grimsby and Immingham
There are two council community recycling centres for North East Lincolnshire residents. Both are commonly called the tip. They accept suitable household waste that cannot be collected through normal wheelie-bin services.
Grimsby Recycling Centre
Address: Estuary Way, Pyewipe Industrial Estate, Grimsby, DN31 2UD.
Published opening: 8am–6pm daily except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.
Immingham Recycling Centre
Address: Queens Road, Immingham, DN40 1QN.
Published opening: 8am–6pm daily except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.
Rules to check before travelling
- Only residents of North East Lincolnshire can use these sites for household waste from their own home.
- Cars, small vans, SUVs and estate cars are subject to a maximum of two visits per household per day.
- Large vehicles and trailers have a one-visit-per-day limit.
- Many vehicle categories, including SUVs, estate cars, vans and trailers, require an online household declaration before visiting.
- Luton vans and large box vans are not accepted under the published vehicle rules.
- Soil, rubble and plasterboard have quantity and material restrictions.
Asbestos and hazardous waste
Bonded asbestos from a resident’s own home has a separate controlled disposal procedure at Grimsby only. It requires advance arrangements, identification, packaging and compliance with the council’s restrictions. Do not bring suspected asbestos without first checking the specialist procedure. If you are uncertain about the material or how to handle it safely, seek competent advice before disturbing it.
Bank Holidays, Christmas and Disrupted Bin Collections
Do not assume an NELC bin collection automatically moves by one day after every bank holiday. Check the address calendar and the council’s latest waste notices, especially around Christmas, New Year and severe-weather events.
Normal collection
Present the scheduled bin before 7am unless the council has announced different arrangements.
Unexpected delay
Check the council’s latest notices before reporting a missed round or leaving bins outside for an extended period.
Garden-waste break
The paid 2026/27 service includes its published winter break. Normal garden-waste collections should not be assumed during that period.
Quick Troubleshooting for NELC Residents
| Problem | What to do |
|---|---|
| Address not found | Check the postcode and contact NELC if your property is missing, particularly for new builds. |
| Wrong bin put out | Check the calendar and present the correct stream on its scheduled day. |
| Recycling rejected | Remove incorrect materials and follow the council’s rejection advice. |
| Garden bin not added | Allow the published registration processing period, then contact waste services if necessary. |
| Bin stolen or broken | Use the official repair or replacement form and check the applicable charge. |
| Cannot move the bin | Review the assisted-collection criteria and supporting evidence. |
| Collection calendar unavailable | Check the main NELC waste page or call the council instead of guessing a date. |
Official North East Lincolnshire Waste Services Contact
North East Lincolnshire Council — Waste Services
Telephone: 01472 326288, option 1 for general waste and recycling queries.
Published telephone hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30am–5pm, excluding bank holidays.
Depot: Doughty Road Depot, Doughty Road, Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire, DN32 0LL.
For specific actions, use the correct online collection, garden-waste, missed-bin or bin-order form rather than treating the depot as a public household recycling drop-off point.
NELC Bin Collection FAQs
How do I check my NELC bin collection day?
Enter your postcode into the official NELC refuse collection schedule, select your home and check the dates listed for each bin type. If the service is under maintenance, contact the council for assistance.
What time must my NELC bin be out?
Bins must be outside the property boundary or at the agreed collection point before 7am on the scheduled collection day.
Which NELC bin is for glass and plastic?
The grey recycling bin is used for accepted plastic containers, metal cans, glass bottles and jars, and other suitable packaging. Paper and cardboard belong in the blue bin.
How often are NELC recycling bins collected?
The council uses a recycling collection rotation. Check your address calendar for the specific blue and grey bin dates rather than assuming both recycling bins are emptied every fortnight.
When can I report a missed NELC collection?
Report after 2:30pm on the scheduled collection day and before noon the following day. Make sure the bin was correctly presented and not contaminated, overloaded or inaccessible.
How much is NELC garden waste collection in 2026?
The published 2026/27 price is £43.50 per garden-waste bin, covering 23 scheduled collections. Check the council’s live subscription page for the payment and renewal conditions.
Can I use the Grimsby or Immingham tip?
These community recycling centres serve North East Lincolnshire residents. Check vehicle declaration requirements, household waste restrictions, visit limits and current opening arrangements before travelling.
What if I have a disability and cannot put my bins out?
You may qualify for an assisted collection if ill health or disability prevents presentation and no other adult in the household can help. Apply through NELC and provide the evidence requested.
Check Your Next NELC Collection Before Putting the Bin Out
Use the council’s live calendar for your exact address, identify the correct bin colour and have the container ready before 7am. For missed collections, remember the short reporting window: from 2:30pm on collection day until noon the next day.
BinCollectionGuide.org is an independent information website. North East Lincolnshire Council operates the official waste services, collection records, payments and reports.