North Somerset Bin Collection: Check Your Date, 6:30am Rule & Missed Bin
Most North Somerset households now receive recycling and food-waste collections every week, while the standard black rubbish bin is collected every three weeks. Your actual dates are tied to the property, so use the council postcode calendar rather than calculating the next collection yourself.
This guide explains the 2026 collection system, recycling boxes and red bag, soft-plastic recycling, missed-bin deadline, garden-waste subscription, assisted and clinical collections, bulky waste and the new booking requirement at all three North Somerset recycling centres.
North Somerset Bin Collection: Quick Answer
Enter your postcode on North Somerset Council’s collection-date page, choose the exact address and use the dates displayed for that property. Put containers at the edge of the property the night before or by 6:30am on collection day.
For most households, recycling and food waste are collected weekly and the black rubbish bin is collected every three weeks. Ordinary bank holidays normally keep the usual collection day; Christmas and New Year arrangements should be checked separately.
Jump to the North Somerset waste task you need
How to Check Your North Somerset Bin Collection Date
Collection days can change when routes are reorganised, so the council’s property search is more reliable than a remembered weekday or a neighbour’s calendar.
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Open the official bin collection date page.
Use the current North Somerset Council service rather than an old calendar screenshot. -
Enter your postcode.
The checker uses the postcode to return the addresses it serves. -
Select the exact property.
This matters because communal sites and some properties can have different collection arrangements. -
Read every stream shown.
Check recycling, food waste, black-bin rubbish and garden waste separately where you subscribe. -
Download the property calendar if useful.
Recheck the live service when a route change, severe-weather event or festive period affects collections.
North Somerset Three-Weekly Black Bin Collections
North Somerset changed most household black-bin collections from fortnightly to every three weeks on 9 June 2025. Weekly kerbside recycling and weekly food-waste collection continue alongside the less frequent general-rubbish service.
Every three weeks
The standard black wheelie bin is for non-recyclable rubbish. North Somerset currently describes the normal household bin as 180 litres.
Every week
Kerbside recycling remains weekly, giving households regular capacity for paper, card, glass, plastics, metals, textiles, batteries and other accepted items.
Every week
Food waste is collected every week from houses and flats, helping keep food out of the three-weekly black bin.
North Somerset Recycling Boxes and Red Bag: What Goes Where?
North Somerset uses source-separated recycling rather than putting everything into one wheelie bin. Standard households use recycling boxes, a red recycling bag and a food-waste container.
Plastic & metal packaging
- Plastic bottles
- Plastic pots, tubs and trays
- Tins and cans
- Foil
- Empty aerosols
Wash and squash items where practical to keep the bag cleaner and create more space.
Paper & cardboard
- Newspapers and magazines
- Paper
- Flattened cardboard
- Cartons including Tetra Paks
- Shredded paper in a paper bag or envelope
Glass & soft plastics
- Glass bottles and jars
- Tied bags of accepted soft-plastic packaging
Keep broken glass, drinking glasses and sheet glass out of kerbside recycling.
Can North Somerset Households Recycle Soft Plastics at the Kerbside?
Yes. North Somerset introduced district-wide kerbside collection of plastic bags and soft-plastic wrapping in June 2025.
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Collect accepted soft plastics.
Examples include bread bags, cereal liners, crisp packets, pouches, vegetable packaging, carrier bags and film lids. -
Put them inside a small plastic bag.
Use something no larger than a normal carrier bag. -
Squash the air out.
Compress the packaging and tie the top securely. -
Place the tied bag in the recycling box used with glass.
Put it out with the weekly kerbside recycling.
North Somerset Red Bag Replacement Programme
North Somerset is currently replacing damaged and faded red recycling bags with an improved version. The council says the replacement programme is expected to continue until spring 2027.
Red-bag orders are temporarily closed during this programme. If your current bag is unusable while you wait, the council says you can continue recycling using existing recycling boxes and suitable alternative containers, including carrier bags and boxes no larger than a standard recycling box.
North Somerset Food Waste Collection
Food waste is collected every week from houses and flats. Households normally use a small kitchen caddy and a larger outdoor food-waste container.
Food you can recycle
- Cooked and raw food
- Meat, fish and bones
- Dairy products
- Fruit and vegetables
- Bread, pasta and rice
- Eggshells
- Tea bags and coffee grounds
- Pet food
Lining the caddy
The council allows plastic bags, newspaper, kitchen roll or compostable liners to line the container.
Do not put loose plastic wrapping into the food waste. Lock the outdoor caddy before collection to reduce spills.
North Somerset Collection-Day Rules
Ready by 6:30am
Containers should be available at the collection point by 6:30am.
Use the property edge
This may be the end of the driveway, private road, rear access or another agreed point serving the property.
Use council containers
The council supplies the household bins and boxes used for its normal collection services.
Bring containers back
Return emptied containers to the property as soon as practical after collection.
North Somerset Missed Collection: Report Deadline and Return Time
Before submitting a missed-collection form, check North Somerset Council’s daily missed-collection report. It is normally uploaded at around 6:30pm on weeknights.
Your road is already listed
You do not need to submit another report. Check the revised collection information and leave the relevant container available for the returning crew.
Your road is not listed
Report the missed collection by the end of the following working day.
After reporting
Leave the containers out. The council says it will usually return within 48 hours of the report.
When it may not count as a missed collection
- The container had incorrect or contaminated material.
- A black bin contained unsuitable DIY waste.
- An unauthorised additional black bin was presented.
- The container was not available at the correct time or collection point.
North Somerset Bin Collections During Severe Weather
Snow, ice and unsafe road conditions can delay rounds. If it is safe to do so, still present the containers on the scheduled collection day.
Recycling / food still out after 7pm
Take the containers back in and present them again on the next scheduled collection unless the council publishes different instructions.
Black bin missed
Leave the black wheelie bin in a safe collection position. Crews will return when they can.
Whole area affected
You do not need to report an individual missed collection when the wider road or round is already affected by severe weather.
North Somerset Garden Waste 2026/27: Price, Permit and Collection Frequency
Garden waste is a separate annual subscription service. The current service year runs from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027.
Where a wheeled bin cannot be used at the property, the same £70 subscription currently provides three garden-waste bags. Households using the bag option can have up to six bags.
Discount for eligible households
North Somerset currently applies a 75% discount for eligible households, including qualifying Council Tax Reduction households, student-only households, households receiving a severe mental impairment discount and those entitled to an armed-forces exemption.
Garden-waste collection pattern
Garden waste is normally collected every two weeks for most of the year. During December, January and February it changes to a monthly collection, with a service pause around Christmas so crews can support increased festive recycling and rubbish demand.
Accepted
- Grass cuttings
- Leaves
- Plants and weeds
- Flowers
- Hedge and conifer clippings
- Twigs and branches up to 10cm diameter
Not accepted
- Soil and turf
- Stone or rubble
- Treated wood
- Plant pots
- Cat or dog litter
- Wood or coal ash
Lost Bins, Free Recycling Boxes and Extra Black-Bin Capacity
Extra recycling containers
Extra recycling boxes and food-waste containers can currently be requested free of charge through MyAccount.
Red bag limit
Each household normally has one red recycling bag. New red-bag orders are temporarily closed while the council carries out its replacement programme.
Black bin
A normal household has one black rubbish bin. If it is lost or damaged, contact the Recycling and Waste team for help with a replacement.
Regularly running out of black-bin space?
North Somerset asks residents to check that they are using all available recycling and food-waste services first. If unavoidable non-recyclable waste still exceeds the standard allowance, an additional-capacity application can be reviewed by a waste minimisation officer.
If approved, the council may provide a larger bin or an additional refuse-sack allowance. This route can be relevant to households with medical needs, children in disposable nappies or larger household sizes.
North Somerset Assisted Bin Collection
If you cannot move the bins to the normal collection point and nobody is available to do it for you, North Somerset may provide an assisted collection.
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Sign in to MyAccount.
Choose the assisted-collection request. -
Provide the address and required duration.
The application asks a small number of questions about the assistance needed. -
Wait for assessment.
The council reviews the request and contacts the resident to arrange a visit. -
Agree the collection location.
If approved, crews collect the containers from an agreed place on the property and return them after emptying.
Clinical Waste, Sharps and Medical Waste
North Somerset provides a free clinical-waste collection service where the service is required, but the request must first come through an NHS referral.
Sharps
Needles, syringes, insulin pen needles and other sharp medical items must go in an approved sharps box. Do not put sharps into ordinary household rubbish or loose bags.
Non-infectious healthcare waste
Some lower-risk waste such as certain incontinence products, empty stoma bags and non-infectious dressings can go into the normal black bin when double-bagged, according to the council’s current guidance.
North Somerset Bulky Waste Collection
North Somerset’s bulky household waste service is delivered in partnership with local charity Changing Lives. The current council fees schedule lists the charge as price on application, so do not rely on an old fixed-price figure.
Examples they can collect
- Sofas and armchairs
- Tables and chairs
- Mattresses and bed frames
- Fridges and freezers
- Other domestic appliances
- Wooden doors
Examples not covered
- Normal household rubbish
- Garden waste
- Paint
- Hazardous chemicals
- Asbestos or plasterboard
- Construction / demolition waste
- Fencing, decking and similar wood
North Somerset Recycling Centres: Booking Is Now Required
North Somerset operates three household recycling centres: Weston-super-Mare, Portishead and Backwell. A booking is now required before visiting any of the three sites.
Weston-super-Mare
Aisecome Way
Weston-super-Mare
BS22 8NA
Summer: daily 8am–6pm. Winter hours vary by weekday.
Portishead
Black Rock Quarry
Portishead
BS20 8JY
Open on selected weekdays and weekends; seasonal hours apply.
Backwell
Coles Quarry
Backwell
BS48 3JF
Closed Wednesday and Thursday and closed on bank holidays.
Current booking rules
- Everyone visiting in a car, permitted vehicle or hire vehicle needs a booking.
- Slots are 15 minutes long.
- The acceptable arrival window is no more than 30 minutes either side of the booked slot.
- A booking can be made for another North Somerset resident.
- Commercial waste is not accepted at household recycling centres.
- Access is not available on foot, by bicycle, mobility scooter or electric scooter.
| Centre | Summer opening pattern | Winter opening pattern |
|---|---|---|
| Weston-super-Mare | 1 Mar–30 Sep: 8am–6pm daily; bank holidays 8am–4:30pm. | 1 Oct–28 Feb: Mon/Wed/Fri/Sat/Sun 9am–4pm; Tue/Thu 10am–4pm. |
| Portishead | Mon/Wed/Fri 8am–6pm; Thu 10am–6pm; Sat 9am–6pm; Sun 9am–5pm; closed Tue. | Mon/Wed/Thu/Fri 10am–4pm; Sat/Sun 9am–4pm; closed Tue. |
| Backwell | Mon/Tue/Fri 10am–4pm; Sat 9am–4:30pm; Sun 9am–4pm; closed Wed/Thu and bank holidays. | Mon/Tue/Fri 10am–3pm; Sat/Sun 9am–4pm; closed Wed/Thu and bank holidays. |
All three centres are closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. Published opening hours can change, so check the live site page before travelling.
North Somerset Bank Holiday Bin Collections
North Somerset currently collects bins on ordinary bank holidays, so residents should normally present their containers on the usual collection day.
Christmas and New Year are the exception. The council can publish revised festive dates, so use the property calendar rather than copying a previous year’s Christmas schedule.
North Somerset Flats and Communal Bin Stores
Flats can use different recycling containers and rubbish frequencies from standard houses. Many communal properties now have a green communal food-waste bin, collected weekly.
North Somerset does not currently offer the district-wide kerbside soft-plastic collection through all communal recycling systems. Residents using a communal scheme should follow the labels in their bin store and use supermarket collection points for soft plastics where the building does not provide a council route.
Official North Somerset Waste Services
Collection calendar
Enter the postcode, choose the property and check or download its current collection dates.
Missed collection
Check the council’s known-missed list first, then submit a report before the deadline if needed.
Garden waste
Check the 2026/27 subscription, permit and collection calendar.
Recycling centre
Check current opening information and make the required booking before travelling.
North Somerset Bin Collection FAQs
How do I check my North Somerset bin collection day?
Use North Somerset Council’s collection-date page, enter the postcode and select the exact property. The result shows the relevant recycling, rubbish, food and subscribed garden-waste dates.
What time do North Somerset bins need to be out?
Containers should be at the edge of the property the night before or by 6:30am on the scheduled collection day.
How often is the black bin collected in North Somerset?
Most standard households now have their black non-recyclable rubbish bin collected every three weeks. Some communal or operationally different properties can have another frequency, so check the property calendar.
How often is recycling collected in North Somerset?
Standard household kerbside recycling is collected weekly. Food waste is also collected weekly.
How long do I have to report a missed collection?
North Somerset says a missed collection should be reported by the end of the following working day. Check the council’s known missed-collection report first because your road may already be scheduled for a return visit.
How soon will North Somerset return for a missed bin?
The council says a return will usually take place within 48 hours after a valid missed-collection report. Leave the relevant containers available for collection.
How much is North Somerset garden waste in 2026?
The 2026/27 garden-waste subscription is £70 per bin for the service period from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027. Eligible households can receive a 75% discount.
Do North Somerset recycling centres need booking?
Yes. A booking is required before visiting Weston-super-Mare, Portishead or Backwell recycling centre. Bookings can normally be made up to two weeks ahead or as little as 10 minutes before a slot if availability remains.
Can I recycle soft plastics in North Somerset?
Yes. Accepted plastic bags and soft wrapping can be compressed into a carrier-size bag, tied securely and placed in the recycling box used with glass for the weekly collection.
Are North Somerset bins collected on bank holidays?
Ordinary bank holidays normally keep the usual collection day. Christmas and New Year can use revised dates, so check the live property calendar during the festive period.
Start With the Address — Then Use the Correct North Somerset Waste Route
For most North Somerset households, the simplest routine is weekly recycling, weekly food waste and a black rubbish bin every three weeks. The exact date still comes from the address calendar.
Have everything due at the property edge by 6:30am. If the collection is missed, check the council’s evening missed-round report first and submit an individual report by the end of the following working day when your road is not already listed.
Independent guide: BinCollectionGuide.org is not North Somerset Council and cannot access household collection records, MyAccount, garden-waste subscriptions, missed-bin reports or recycling-centre bookings. Complete live council actions through the official services linked above.