Portsmouth Bin Collection 2026: Dates, Recycling, Food Waste & Missed Bins
Portsmouth household rubbish is collected weekly, household recycling is normally collected every two weeks, and food waste is collected weekly. For houses, these services normally use the same collection weekday, although different crews may arrive at different times. Communal properties can have a different schedule.
Use Portsmouth City Council’s live collection-day service for the exact property, then put the correct bin, bags or food caddy at the required collection point before 6am.
Portsmouth Bin Collection: Quick Answer
Start with Portsmouth City Council’s Recycling and Rubbish service and choose Find your bin collection day. For ordinary houses, rubbish is collected weekly, green household recycling is normally collected fortnightly on the same weekday, and food waste is collected weekly on rubbish day by a separate crew.
Put containers at the front boundary or agreed collection point before 6am. You can put them out after 7pm the evening before. Portsmouth collections can take place between 6am and 4pm.
Jump to the Portsmouth waste task you need
How to Check Your Portsmouth Bin Collection Day
Portsmouth does not require residents to calculate a citywide timetable manually. Use the council’s collection-day service so the result matches the property and its collection arrangement.
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Open Portsmouth City Council’s Recycling and Rubbish page.
Choose the council task labelled “Find your bin collection day”. -
Search for the household.
Use the council collection tool for the address you are checking rather than assuming a nearby road has the same pattern. -
Check each relevant waste service.
Confirm rubbish, recycling and food waste, plus garden waste if the property subscribes to Leaf it Out. -
Take extra care with communal properties.
Flats and blocks using shared bins can have collection arrangements that differ from standard house collections. -
Prepare the correct container before 6am.
Put it at the required collection point after 7pm the previous evening or before 6am on collection day.
How Often Are Portsmouth Bins Collected?
| Service | Typical frequency | Key point |
|---|---|---|
| Rubbish | Weekly | For houses, normally the same weekday each week. |
| Green recycling | Every two weeks | For houses, normally on the same weekday as rubbish. |
| Food waste | Weekly | Normally collected on rubbish day by a separate vehicle. |
| Garden waste | Every two weeks | Paid subscription; the collection day can differ from other services. |
| Communal bins | Property-specific | Rubbish and food are usually weekly; recycling can be weekly or fortnightly. |
Where and When to Put Portsmouth Bins Out
Use the front boundary
Place the container where the property meets the pavement. Keep it accessible rather than behind a gate or wall, and position a wheelie-bin handle towards the pavement.
Use secure rubbish sacks
Residents without suitable wheelie-bin storage can use strong rubbish sacks. A normal round dustbin can help protect bags from cats and foxes on collection day.
Use communal containers
Put household waste into the correct shared bins. Do not apply an individual-house collection arrangement to a communal bin store.
What Goes in Portsmouth’s Green Recycling Bin?
Portsmouth’s household recycling list is specific. A recycling logo on packaging does not automatically mean an item belongs in the green kerbside recycling bin.
Accepted at the kerbside
- Paper, but not shredded paper
- Card and cardboard
- Plastic bottles
- Food and drink tins
- Drink cans
- Empty aerosols
Preparation: keep recycling clean, dry and loose. Do not bag recyclable items inside the bin.
Keep these out
- Glass bottles and jars
- Plastic pots, tubs and trays
- Carrier bags and plastic film
- Food waste
- Batteries
- General rubbish
Portsmouth has local recycling banks for materials such as glass and some other items that are not collected in the standard green recycling bin.
Portsmouth Weekly Food-Waste Collection
Portsmouth food waste is collected every week. Houses normally receive a small indoor caddy and a larger outdoor caddy. The outdoor caddy is placed out for collection; the kitchen caddy stays indoors.
5-litre kitchen caddy
Use this indoors for scraps and leftovers before transferring them to the collection caddy.
23-litre outdoor caddy
Put the larger caddy at the front boundary by 6am. Keep it clearly visible rather than hidden between larger bins.
Separate collection crew
The food caddy can be emptied at a different time from your black rubbish bin even though both services are due on the same day.
Food accepted
- Plate scrapings and leftovers
- Fruit and vegetables
- Meat, fish and bones
- Dairy products
- Bread, cakes, rice and pasta
- Tea bags and coffee grounds
- Eggs and eggshells
- Pet food waste
Keep out
- Ordinary plastic bags
- Glass
- Milk and other liquids
- Cat litter or animal faeces
- Garden waste
- Compostable cutlery or packaging
Batteries and Small Electricals Have Separate Kerbside Rules
Household batteries
For eligible house collections, place household batteries in a clear bag on top of the rubbish bin or rubbish bag. Do not put loose batteries inside the rubbish.
Communal-bin residents should use an appropriate battery recycling point instead.
Small electrical items
Items small enough to fit inside a normal carrier bag can be placed in a carrier bag on top of the recycling container for the recycling round.
Remove batteries and glass components first. Larger electrical items need another route such as the HWRC or bulky-waste service.
Portsmouth Bin Not Collected: What to Do
Collections can take place up to 4pm, so a bin that is still full earlier in the day is not automatically missed. If the service has finished and the correctly presented container remains unemptied, work through these checks.
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Confirm the collection was due.
Check the council collection-day service for the property and the specific waste stream. -
Confirm correct presentation.
The container should have been out by 6am, accessible and at the correct boundary or collection point. -
Look for a rejection reason.
Contamination, excess weight, an open or overflowing rubbish bin, blocked access or late presentation can mean the council is not required to return. -
Report a genuine miss within two working days.
Use Portsmouth City Council’s reporting service promptly rather than waiting until the next collection cycle. -
Leave the container available after reporting.
The council aims to return within one to two working days where there is no valid recorded reason for the missed collection, although busy periods can take longer.
Report or fix?
Portsmouth Rubbish Limits and Extra Waste
140-litre black bin
The standard household rubbish container is a 140-litre black bin. Waste should be bagged inside it and the lid must close.
Three-bag weekly limit
The standard allowance is up to three normal-sized rubbish bags per week where the property uses a bag collection rather than a wheelie bin.
Paid extra-bag stickers
Portsmouth currently sells a sheet of 12 extra-rubbish stickers for £24. A sticker is required on each additional bag accepted through this route.
Need a Larger Bin or Help Moving Containers?
Larger rubbish allowance
If a household regularly produces more rubbish than the standard allowance despite using the available recycling and food-waste services correctly, Portsmouth can assess whether more residual-waste capacity is justified.
A Waste Management Officer may review the household’s waste before collection. The resident does not normally need to be present for that assessment.
Assisted bin collection
Residents who cannot move their containers because of mobility difficulties can request an assisted collection. Applications are considered individually.
Where approved, the crew collects the containers from an agreed location and returns them to that location after emptying.
Portsmouth Flats and Communal Bin Stores
Communal properties should be treated separately from individual houses. Shared rubbish, recycling and food-waste containers are sized around the block’s needs, and collection days can differ from standard kerbside rounds.
Rubbish
Use the designated shared general-waste container. Waste left outside a full communal bin is not automatically collected.
Recycling
Use the labelled shared recycling containers and keep contamination out. A contaminated communal recycling bin can require action by the landlord or managing agent.
Food waste
Individual flats can receive an indoor food caddy while the building uses a larger communal food-waste container.
Portsmouth Garden Waste: 2026 Prices and Collection Rules
Portsmouth’s paid garden-waste service is called Leaf it Out. Collections normally take place every two weeks, and the garden-waste day can differ from rubbish, recycling and food-waste collections.
| Option | Annual price | Useful detail |
|---|---|---|
| 240L brown bin | £72 | Fortnightly subscribed garden-waste service. |
| Garden-waste sacks | £80 | Subscription includes a pack of 25 sacks. |
| Extra sack pack | £15 | Additional pack for subscribed sack customers. |
Sack customers can put out up to four subscribed sacks at one collection. Garden material should be loose in a brown bin rather than placed inside ordinary plastic bags.
Accepted garden material
- Grass cuttings
- Leaves
- Hedge and tree cuttings
- Woody material under 10cm in diameter
Keep out
- Food waste
- Animal waste and bedding
- Soil and hardcore
- Bricks and paving slabs
- Logs or branches over 10cm diameter
Portsmouth Bulky-Waste Collection
Sofas, beds, mattresses, furniture and large appliances should not be placed beside the normal household rubbish. Portsmouth offers a booked bulky-waste collection, or suitable items can be reused, donated or taken to the Household Waste Recycling Centre where accepted.
Current starting price
Chargeable Portsmouth bulky-waste collections currently start from £40. Call the council for the quotation for the items you need removed.
Council Tax Support
Qualifying residents can receive one free collection in a rolling 12-month period for up to two cubic metres of bulky waste.
Collection days
Free collections operate on Tuesdays. Chargeable collections operate on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Portsmouth Household Waste Recycling Centre at Port Solent
Portsmouth HWRC trip checklist
Address: Paulsgrove Portway, Port Solent, PO6 4UD.
Booking: required before visiting.
HWRC phone: 023 9238 7015.
The site closes every day between 1pm and 1:30pm. It is also closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.
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Book before travelling.
The Portsmouth HWRC uses an appointment system. Same-day visitors should have their booking confirmation ready. -
Check whether the vehicle needs a permit.
Vans and trailers can fall under the digital permit system. A booking can count towards the permit’s visit allowance. -
Separate materials before arrival.
This is particularly useful for waste that has special handling rules or disposal charges. -
Arrive within the booked slot.
Do not arrive early. Late arrival can result in the site refusing entry.
Portsmouth Bank-Holiday and Christmas Bin Collections
Portsmouth’s current collection policy says normal collection weekdays continue through ordinary bank holidays. The main exception is the Christmas period, when revised dates are published separately.
Ordinary bank holiday
Do not automatically move the collection to the next day. Follow the normal collection weekday unless Portsmouth City Council publishes a service change.
Christmas and New Year
Recheck the council’s winter waste information and property collection dates. Do not reuse an old Christmas calendar from a previous year.
Official Portsmouth Waste Services
Portsmouth Recycling and Rubbish
Collection presentation rules
Garden-waste service
Bulky-waste collection
Portsmouth HWRC
Portsmouth Bin Collection FAQs
How do I check my Portsmouth bin collection day?
Use Portsmouth City Council’s Recycling and Rubbish service and choose “Find your bin collection day”. Check the result for the exact property, especially if it uses communal bins.
What time should Portsmouth bins be put out?
Put household bins, bags and food caddies at the required collection point before 6am on collection day or after 7pm the evening before. Collections can take place between 6am and 4pm.
How often is rubbish collected in Portsmouth?
For houses, ordinary household rubbish is collected every week on the same weekday. Communal properties can have different arrangements.
How often is recycling collected in Portsmouth?
For houses, green household recycling is normally collected every two weeks on the same weekday as the weekly rubbish collection. Shared communal collections can differ.
Is Portsmouth food waste collected every week?
Yes. Food waste is collected weekly and normally on the same day as rubbish for houses. A separate collection crew means the caddy and rubbish bin may be emptied at different times.
When should I report a missed Portsmouth bin?
Report a genuine missed collection within two working days of the scheduled date. First make sure the waste was presented correctly and was not rejected because of contamination, excessive weight or blocked access.
How much is Portsmouth garden waste in 2026?
For subscriptions applying from 1 April 2026, the annual 240-litre brown-bin service is £72 and the annual garden-waste sack service is £80.
Do I need to book Portsmouth Household Waste Recycling Centre?
Yes. Book before visiting the Portsmouth HWRC at Paulsgrove Portway, Port Solent, PO6 4UD. Check vehicle-permit and accepted-material rules before travelling.
The Safest Portsmouth Bin Routine
Check the council’s live collection information for the property, put the correct container at the required collection point before 6am, and keep household rubbish, dry recycling and food waste separated.
If a correctly presented bin is genuinely missed, report it within two working days. For garden waste, bulky items or a trip to Port Solent HWRC, use the specific council service rather than putting unsuitable waste beside the normal black bin.
Independent guide: BinCollectionGuide.org is not Portsmouth City Council and cannot access council waste accounts, alter collection records, accept payments or complete bookings. Use Portsmouth City Council for live dates and transactions.