North Devon Bin Collection: Check Your Calendar, Day & Correct Container
North Devon does not have one collection date that applies to every home. Use North Devon Council’s property calendar, enter your postcode and select the exact address to see whether black refuse, weekly recycling, food waste or subscribed green garden waste is due.
The normal service pattern is straightforward: recycling and food waste are collected every week, black household refuse is normally collected every two weeks, and subscribed garden waste is normally fortnightly between February and November.
North Devon Bin Collection: Quick Answer
Use North Devon Council’s collection calendar for the exact date at your home. Standard household recycling and food waste are weekly, the black wheelie bin is fortnightly, and paid green garden-waste collections are normally fortnightly from February to November.
Put bins, boxes, bags and the kerbside food caddy at the correct collection point by 6am. North Devon says household containers should not normally be placed out earlier than 6pm the evening before.
Jump to the North Devon bin information you need
How to Check Your North Devon Bin Collection Date
Your collection day depends on the property. A general Monday-to-Friday timetable cannot tell you whether your own black bin, recycling containers or subscribed green bin is due this week.
-
Open North Devon Council’s collection calendar.
Use the live council service rather than an old printed rota or another household’s dates. -
Enter your postcode.
Use the postcode for the property where the waste is actually collected. -
Select the exact address.
Similar addresses, flats and neighbouring roads may have different arrangements. -
Read the collection stream and date together.
Check whether the entry refers to recycling, black refuse or subscribed garden waste. -
Recheck around bank holidays and Christmas.
Temporary collection changes can override the normal weekday.
North Devon Bin Collection Schedule for 2026
North Devon Council’s current collection procedures confirm three main frequencies for ordinary households: weekly recycling, fortnightly black refuse and fortnightly subscribed garden waste during most of the year. Food waste goes out with the weekly recycling service.
| Waste stream | Normal frequency | Main container | Resident action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dry recycling | Weekly | Recycling boxes and bags | Separate materials into the council’s correct box or bag. |
| Food waste | Weekly | 27-litre kerbside caddy | Put the kerbside caddy out with weekly recycling. |
| Residual rubbish | Fortnightly | Black wheelie bin or approved alternative | Keep recyclable and food waste out of the black bin. |
| Garden waste | Fortnightly Feb–Nov | Registered green wheelie bin | A valid paid permit is required. |
North Devon Bin Colours, Boxes, Bags and Caddies
North Devon uses more than one recycling container, so “recycling bin” is too vague when sorting waste. The colour and type of the container tells you which material belongs inside.
Black Wheelie Bin
General non-recyclable household waste. The standard household container is normally 240 litres, although smaller bins or bag collections can apply to some properties.
Green / Black Recycling Box
A 55-litre box for accepted plastics, tins, cans, foil, aerosols and suitable small electrical equipment.
Blue Recycling Box
Used for glass bottles and jars. Window glass, mirrors and other flat glass do not belong in this box.
Brown Recycling Bag
Used for flattened cardboard and brown paper, including accepted cartons and crisp tubes under the current rules.
Green Recycling Bag
Used for accepted paper and suitable reusable textiles such as dry clothing, paired shoes and bedding sheets.
Food Caddy
A small kitchen caddy is used indoors. Food is transferred to the larger 27-litre kerbside caddy for weekly collection.
Green Wheelie Bin
Optional paid garden-waste container. A current permit must be attached for the collection service.
North Devon Weekly Recycling: What Goes Where?
North Devon collects household recycling every week, but residents need to separate material into the correct box, bag or caddy rather than mixing everything together.
Green or Black Recycling Box
- Plastic bottles
- Accepted plastic pots, tubs and trays
- Food tins and drink cans
- Aluminium foil
- Empty aerosol cans
- Suitable small electrical items
Blue Glass Box
- Glass bottles
- Glass jars
- Lids can be put back on after rinsing
- Broken bottle or jar glass is accepted
Brown Bag
- Corrugated cardboard
- Cereal and food boxes
- Cardboard tubes
- Cardboard egg boxes
- Brown paper and envelopes
- Tetra Paks and crisp tubes under current 2026 rules
Green Bag
- White and coloured paper
- Newspapers and magazines
- Catalogues and junk mail
- Dry usable clothes
- Paired usable shoes
- Suitable bedding sheets and blankets
North Devon Food Waste Is Collected Every Week
All households across the district have access to weekly food-waste collection. Use the small kitchen caddy indoors and empty it into the larger kerbside food caddy before collection.
Food you can include
- Cooked food
- Raw food
- Meat and bones
- Fish
- Plate leftovers
- Fruit and vegetables
- Egg shells
- Tea bags and coffee grounds
Use the caddy correctly
- Wrap or line food waste to help hygiene.
- Newspaper, kitchen roll or a suitable bag can be used.
- Present the larger kerbside caddy, not the kitchen caddy.
- Do not add garden waste or non-food packaging.
North Devon Black Bin: Fortnightly General Waste
The black wheelie bin is normally collected every two weeks. It is for household waste left after using recycling, food-waste and other appropriate disposal services.
Normal container
Eligible households normally receive a council-provided 240-litre black wheelie bin, although 120-litre bins or black-bag arrangements can apply to assessed properties.
100kg limit
North Devon’s procedures say an overloaded black wheelie bin weighing more than 100kg can be left unemptied.
Bag messy waste
The council advises residents to bag household refuse such as ash and vacuum-cleaner contents for crew safety and bin cleanliness.
Keep these materials out of the black bin
- Garden waste
- Food waste
- Material accepted in the recycling service
- Soil, rubble, cement and other building waste
- Hazardous waste such as asbestos
- Liquids, oil and paint
- Large bulky items
- Infectious clinical waste and sharps
Put North Devon Bins Out by 6am
Bins, boxes, bags and caddies should be at the kerbside, pavement or agreed collection point by 6am on collection day. Standard containers should normally be put out no earlier than 6pm the previous evening.
North Devon Missed Bin: When to Report It
A household collection can be reported as missed from 4pm on the scheduled collection day. North Devon requires missed collections to be reported within two days of the scheduled date.
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Confirm the collection was due.
Check the exact address calendar before assuming the crew has missed your property. -
Check the 6am deadline.
A container put out after the crew has passed is not treated as a genuine missed collection. -
Check presentation and contents.
Confirm the container was accessible, correctly sorted and at the proper collection point. -
Wait until 4pm.
Crews may still be completing rounds earlier in the day. -
Report within two days.
Use the appropriate North Devon Council missed black-bin, recycling or garden-waste report.
When the council may not return
Bin was late
If it was not available by 6am, the waste normally waits for the next scheduled collection.
Road blocked by cars
Crews may make up to two attempts that day. If access remains blocked, collection may wait until the next scheduled date.
Roadworks blocked access
The council says it will make arrangements to revisit after roadworks have cleared.
North Devon Garden Waste: £65 Annual Service
The green wheelie-bin garden-waste service is optional and chargeable. North Devon Council lists the price at £65 from April 2026, with the permit valid for one year.
December and January operate on a reduced or revised timetable, so do not assume the normal fortnightly pattern continues through winter. Check the collection calendar for your property.
Accepted garden waste
- Grass cuttings
- Leaves
- Hedge clippings
- Weeds
- Cut flowers
- Plants with soil removed
- Small garden prunings
- Bark and clean straw
Keep out
- Food waste
- Soil
- General household rubbish
- Plastic bags
- Material packed in compostable bags
- Unsuitable heavy or non-garden waste
North Devon Bulky Waste Collection: Current Charges
Large household items such as furniture and suitable appliances use a separate booked service. North Devon Council currently asks residents to book through its Waste and Recycling Team.
| Booking | Current charge | Key rule |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 20 flattened cardboard items | £0 | Cardboard must be secured with tape. |
| Up to 2 standard items | £32.55 | Check that each item is accepted before booking. |
| Up to 3 standard items | £40.95 | Items must be ready at the required collection point. |
| Up to 4 standard items | £48.30 | The service is for eligible household items. |
| Exceptionally large items | Quote required | Contact the council before making assumptions about price. |
Booked items should be outside and ready by 6am. Fabric items such as sofas and mattresses should be protected from rain, and collection crews cannot normally enter the home to remove them.
Need an Extra or Replacement Black Bin?
North Devon can consider additional black-bin capacity in qualifying household circumstances rather than supplying extra residual bins automatically.
Large households
An additional 240-litre bin can be considered where six or more permanent residents live at the property and recycling and composting are being used properly.
Young children in nappies
The council also lists households with five permanent residents including children in nappies among the circumstances it can assess.
North Devon Assisted Bin Collections
Residents who cannot move their refuse or recycling containers because of temporary or permanent incapacity or disability can ask for an assisted collection.
Agreed collection point
Crews collect containers from an agreed accessible point and return them after emptying.
Household circumstances matter
The council normally checks whether another able-bodied person or available family member or neighbour can help.
Annual renewal
North Devon says assisted arrangements are reviewed and residents are asked to renew the service each year.
The application can require your name, address, Council Tax reference, Blue Badge number where applicable, current collection point and preferred collection point. The council says applicants should receive confirmation within 10 working days after supervisor authorisation.
Flats, Narrow Access and Difficult Collection Points
Flats and hard-to-reach properties do not always use the same presentation arrangement as a standard house. North Devon can agree separate collection points for properties with long drives, narrow access or other access constraints.
Communal bins
Where individual wheelie bins are unsuitable, a development can use an alternative communal arrangement.
Keep access clear
Excess rubbish around communal containers can prevent crews reaching the bins safely.
Private roads
Where the council agrees to collect on a private road, residents may be required to sign a damage-indemnity waiver.
North Devon Household Recycling Centres
Larger household waste and materials excluded from normal bins can often be taken to a Devon County Council recycling centre. The centres are operated by the county council rather than North Devon Council.
Seven Brethren
Barnstaple-area household recycling centre. Check Devon County Council’s current site rules before travelling.
Killacleave
Ilfracombe-area household recycling centre. Confirm accepted materials and current access information first.
Maclins
South Molton-area household recycling centre. Use the live county information for current opening arrangements.
Bank Holidays, Christmas and Collection-Day Changes
North Devon has used revised collection dates around bank holidays. For the May 2026 bank holidays, affected collections moved one day later and Saturday collections were used to complete the week.
Do not turn that example into a permanent rule for every future holiday. Christmas, New Year and individual bank-holiday arrangements should be checked against the current property calendar and council notices.
Normal week
Use the collection date shown for your exact property.
Bank holiday week
Check whether the council has moved your collection rather than assuming the normal weekday still applies.
Christmas & New Year
Recheck the live calendar because festive changes and winter garden-waste dates can differ each year.
Official North Devon Waste Services
BinCollectionGuide.org is an independent information website. North Devon Council controls household collection dates, reports, permits and waste-service decisions, while Devon County Council manages Household Waste Recycling Centres.
Open North Devon collection dates
Open official sorting guide
Open report and request services
Open procedures guide
North Devon Bin Collection FAQs
How do I check my North Devon bin collection date?
Use North Devon Council’s collection calendar, enter your postcode, select the exact property and check which waste stream is scheduled.
What time should North Devon bins be put out?
Bins, boxes, bags and kerbside caddies should be available at the correct collection point by 6am. Standard containers should normally not be placed out before 6pm the previous evening.
How often is the North Devon black bin collected?
Standard domestic black refuse is normally collected every two weeks.
Is North Devon recycling weekly?
Yes. Household dry recycling is collected every week, and the kerbside food caddy is collected with the weekly recycling service.
Which North Devon box is for glass?
The blue recycling box is used for glass bottles and jars. Flat glass, mirrors and window glass need another disposal route.
What goes in the brown recycling bag?
The brown bag is for accepted cardboard and brown paper. Current council guidance also includes Tetra Paks and crisp tubes from 1 April 2026.
When can I report a missed North Devon bin?
A missed collection can be reported from 4pm on the scheduled collection day and must normally be reported within two days of that date.
How much is North Devon garden waste in 2026?
North Devon Council lists the optional garden-waste collection service at £65 from April 2026. The permit is valid for one year.
How often is the North Devon green garden bin collected?
Subscribed green bins are normally collected every two weeks from February to November. December and January use a revised winter schedule that can vary by year.
Can I put food waste in my North Devon black bin?
No. North Devon provides a weekly kerbside food-waste collection and instructs households to use the food caddy rather than the black refuse or green garden bin.
How much does North Devon bulky waste collection cost?
Current standard prices are £32.55 for up to two items, £40.95 for up to three items and £48.30 for up to four items. Exceptionally large items require a quote.
North Devon Bin Night: Final 60-Second Check
If everything was presented correctly but the collection still does not take place, wait until the council’s 4pm reporting point and use the correct missed-collection service within two days.
Independent publisher: BinCollectionGuide.org is not North Devon Council or Devon County Council. Live dates, missed-collection decisions, permit status, fees and recycling-centre arrangements should be completed or confirmed through the relevant official authority.