Solihull Bin Collection 2026: Dates, October Changes & Food Waste

Solihull Bin Collection Right Now: August 2026

How to Check Your Exact Solihull Bin Collection Day

There is no single borough-wide collection weekday. Start with the full postcode and select the exact property.

1. Open Solihull’s digital collection calendar.
   Use the council tool rather than an old screenshot or neighbour’s rota.
2. Enter the full postcode.
   Then select the correct address from the list.
3. Read both date and waste stream.
   Brown is mixed recycling, black is household rubbish and green is subscribed garden waste.
4. Check again before 5 October.
   Your future black-bin pattern can differ from the current August pattern.
5. Watch for direct communication.
   Solihull says a small number of households may have their weekday changed as part of the new service.
6. Use the reminder option.
   The council calendar lets residents request an email reminder telling them when and which bin is due.

Solihull Bin Changes From 5 October 2026

Garden waste continues on its separate fortnightly subscribed timetable.

Will your collection weekday change?

Most homes are expected to keep the same weekday, but Solihull says a small number will need to change and will be contacted directly.

House or flat with its own bins

These properties are included in the main October transition unless the council tells the address otherwise.

Shared-bin flat

Flat above a shop

Even where it has its own bins, Solihull currently says a flat above a shop is not included in the initial food-waste rollout. Its rubbish remains weekly until the later 2027 change.

Purple-sack properties

Properties already using council sacks are included in food-caddy delivery for the initial food-waste rollout. Solihull is separately reviewing whether some sack households can move to wheelie-bin collection later, so follow the address-specific communication rather than assuming a new container or frequency.

Home business, Airbnb or holiday let

Solihull Food Waste Collection: Caddies Now, Collections From 5 October

When does it start?

Weekly collections start from Monday 5 October 2026 and take place on the same normal weekday as the other household containers.

Who is in the first rollout?

• Houses with their own containers.
• Flats with their own household bins.
• Properties using the council sack service.

Who waits until 2027?

• Most flats using shared communal bins.
• Flats above shops under the current transition plan.

What can go in?

• Plate scrapings and leftovers.
• Fruit and vegetable waste.
• Bread, rice, pasta and cereals.
• Meat and fish.
• Bones.
• Dairy foods.
• Tea bags.
• Coffee grounds.
• Herbs, spices, jams and spreads.
• Wet and dry pet food.

Keep out

• Liquids.
• Cooking oil and liquid fat.
• Garden waste.
• Food packaging.
• Nappies.
• Pet litter.
• Biodegradable coffee pods.

Do you need special liners?

No. A liner is optional. Solihull says you can use newspaper, no liner or almost any reused bag as long as it is not a black bag. A clean bread or salad bag is an example.

Collection morning

1. Transfer food to the outdoor caddy.
   Do not present the small kitchen caddy.
2. Tie any liner.
   Keep food secure inside the outdoor container.
3. Close and lock the lid.
   Move the handle forward to lock it against pests and spills.
4. Number your caddy.
   This helps stop it being confused with a neighbour’s.
5. Put it beside the main bin by 6am.
   Use the same edge-of-property collection point.

Too much food for one outdoor caddy?

Solihull first encourages households to reduce avoidable food waste, but it can assess a request for a second outdoor caddy case by case where capacity remains insufficient.

A second indoor kitchen caddy is not supplied.

Choosing not to use food waste

Moving house

Leave the food caddies at the property for the next resident.

What Time Should Solihull Bins Be Put Out?

The normal collection point is the edge of the property where it meets the public footpath or road, unless the council has agreed another point.

Prevent avoidable non-collection

• Check the correct date.
• Use the correct container.
• Put it out by 6am.
• Keep the bin lid fully closed.
• Do not overload the bin.
• Do not compact material so it becomes stuck.
• Keep the collection point accessible.
• Mark containers with the house number/name.
• Bring containers back onto the property promptly after emptying.

No side waste for ordinary rubbish

If uncollected side rubbish is then left on the highway rather than taken back onto the property, the council warns that it may constitute fly-tipping.

Solihull Brown Recycling Bin: What Goes In?

Paper and card

• Paper.
• Card and cardboard.
• Clean packaging card.
• Cartons.

Plastic containers

• Plastic bottles.
• Food pots.
• Tubs.
• Trays.

Metal and glass

• Tins.
• Cans.
• Empty aerosols.
• Clean foil.
• Glass bottles.
• Glass jars.
• Suitable metal bottle and jar lids.

Flexible plastics are now accepted

This is an important Solihull-specific rule. Current council guidance also accepts:

• Crisp packets.
• Confectionery wrappers.
• Plastic carrier bags.
• Fruit and vegetable net bags.
• Cheese, meat and fish wrapping.
• Plastic film and sleeves.
• Pouches.
• Bubble wrap and cling film in sections no longer than 1m.

Keep these out of brown recycling

• Food.
• Tissues and kitchen roll.
• Nappies.
• Clothing and textiles.
• Wallpaper.
• Pyrex-style glass.
• Drinking glasses.
• Broken glass.
• Light bulbs.
• Vapes.
• Batteries.
• Nitrous-oxide cylinders.
• Hard non-packaging plastics such as toys.

Brown bin full?

Use a suitable container such as:

• A sturdy plastic box no larger than around 55L.
• A reusable hessian/jute-style bag.

Do not present extra recycling in black sacks or builders’ bags.

Extra cardboard

Flatten and fold cardboard into manageable pieces. Oversized cardboard should be reduced to a size that would normally fit the recycling bin.

Still regularly full?

Solihull can provide an additional brown recycling bin free of charge where appropriate.

Solihull Black Bin and Purple Sacks: Non-Recyclable Rubbish

Use the black wheelie bin or council-authorised purple sacks for household material that cannot use the recycling, specialist-waste or—once available—food-waste service.

Keep out

• Recyclable household packaging.
• Garden waste.
• Soil and rubble.
• Bricks and building timber.
• Liquid waste.
• Paint.
• Asbestos.
• Electrical items.
• Batteries.
• Vapes.
• Nitrous-oxide cylinders.
• Commercial waste.

Nappies, sanitary and hygiene waste

Bag this type of non-infectious household waste securely before putting it in the black bin.

Pet waste

Small amounts of normal domestic pet waste should also be bagged and placed inside the bin—not left beside it.

Broken household glass

Where a glass item cannot use the brown recycling stream, wrap it securely so it cannot cut collection staff or puncture bags.

Solihull Missed Bin: Wait Until After 4pm

1. Recheck the calendar.
   Make sure that waste stream was actually due.
2. Confirm it was out by 6am.
   A late container does not qualify as a missed collection.
3. Check the position.
   It needs to be at the property edge or agreed collection point.
4. Check the contents.
   Incorrect material can cause rejection.
5. Check the weight.
   A bin too heavy for the vehicle lift will not qualify for a return.
6. Wait until after 4pm.
   Crews may still be completing the route.
7. Report within two working days.
   Do not wait until the next collection cycle.

How fast should the return be?

For a genuine missed collection, Solihull says it will return to empty the bin within two working days.

Food waste from October

The food-waste FAQs also use a two-working-day reporting/return approach for a correctly presented outdoor food caddy once the service begins.

Solihull Garden Waste 2026/27: £49 Per Green Bin

Where does the sticker go?

Place the 2026/27 permit on the back of the green bin underneath the handles and orient the bin so the crew can see the sticker from the roadside.

Accepted garden waste

• Grass cuttings.
• Leaves.
• Weeds.
• Flowers.
• Prunings.
• Small branches.
• Windfall fruit.
• Suitable seeds and cones.

Keep out

• Soil and turf.
• Bricks and rubble.
• Large branches and tree stumps.
• Food.
• Animal waste.
• Plastic bags.
• Plant pots.
• Ash.
• Woodchip and animal bedding.
• Japanese knotweed.
• Himalayan balsam.

Join part-way through the year?

You can normally subscribe later, but there is no reduced fee. The full £49 still applies.

Neighbour sharing

Neighbours can share a subscribed green bin and split the cost. The permit remains linked to the paying property.

Do benefits qualify for a discount?

No. The current garden service does not offer a concessionary discount.

Unwanted green bin?

Solihull can collect an empty unwanted green bin. The council says to allow up to six weeks after making that request.

Solihull Replacement Bin Prices 2026

When payment is required

If another replacement has already been supplied during the previous two years, current prices are:

The published prices include delivery.

How long does delivery take?

Damaged container being exchanged?

Leave the damaged bin empty, visible and accessible. Do not lock it in a bin store or behind a gate because the crew will not leave the replacement if it cannot retrieve the old container.

Moved into an existing property with no black or brown bin?

Solihull can normally provide the standard black and brown household containers free where none are present.

New-build property?

Missing green garden bin?

Garden waste is different. If there is no green bin at the property and you want the paid service, you need to buy the £38.50 green bin as well as paying the annual garden subscription.

Crew damaged the garden bin?

Where there is clear evidence the collection crew or vehicle caused the damage, Solihull may replace it free and may use a refurbished bin.

Can You Get a Bigger Black Bin or Extra Sacks?

Larger black wheelie bin

You can apply where:

• Six or more people permanently live at the address; or
• A medical condition creates additional non-recyclable waste.

The council expects households to make full use of available recycling and, once it starts, weekly food-waste collection.

Nappy households

Additional authorised sacks can be considered where:

• Four permanent residents include more than one child in nappies; or
• Five permanent residents include a child in nappies.

For the nappy criteria, the council provides extra sacks rather than a larger bin.

Medical waste

A medical condition that creates additional ordinary non-recyclable household waste can support a larger-bin application. Infectious clinical waste is different and should be arranged through the healthcare provider.

Lots of pet waste?

Pet waste alone does not qualify a household for additional rubbish capacity.

Need more recycling instead?

An extra brown recycling bin can be requested free.

Solihull Flats: Own Bins vs Shared Communal Bins

Flat above a shop

Communal recycling

Shared recycling remains fortnightly and can include current accepted plastic films, wrappers, carrier bags and pouches as well as ordinary paper, cardboard, bottles, cans and jars.

Extra communal cardboard

Flatten, fold or tear cardboard into manageable pieces. Large rubbish items should never be abandoned in the communal bin area because they can prevent collection access.

Shared recycling regularly full?

Ask the council about additional recycling capacity rather than putting recyclable material into general rubbish.

Solihull Assisted Bin Collection

How quickly can it begin?

Where the application is approved and the council receives at least five working days’ notice, assistance can begin from the next scheduled collection.

Where should containers be stored?

Keep them at the front of the property and visible from the road so crews can find them.

Existing assistance and food waste

Residents already receiving assisted household collections will receive help with the outdoor food caddy when the new food-waste service begins.

Reviews

Solihull periodically asks assisted-service residents to confirm that help is still required. Failure to respond can result in assistance ending.

Free Solihull Small-Item Collection: Batteries, Paint, Electricals and Textiles

Collection morning

Put booked items outside the front door by 8am. At a block of flats, use the main building’s front entrance unless your booking instructs otherwise.

Keep access clear

• Leave necessary gates unlocked.
• Keep dogs inside.
• Do not let parked vehicles block the items.
• Keep textiles dry.

Not accepted through this service

• Microwaves.
• Televisions.
• Large appliances.
• Car batteries.
• Vapes and e-cigarettes.
• Wet textiles.
• Duvets.
• Pillows.
• Mattress toppers.

Use Bickenhill, retailer take-back or the bulky-waste service for larger electrical items.

Solihull Bulky Waste Collection 2026: Current Charges

Count separate parts separately

A bed base, mattress and headboard are separate items. Separate fridge and freezer units also count separately.

Collection morning

• Put items outside by 8am.
• Use the front of the property.
• Keep items clearly visible.
• Place them as close to the roadside as practical.
• Do not block them with parked cars.

Maximum size and weight

Items over approximately 2m long or 50kg can be refused, as can anything the two-person crew cannot safely manoeuvre.

The crew will not

• Enter your home.
• Collect from a back garden.
• Collect from a garage or shed.
• Use a gated alleyway.
• Carry items up or down steps.
• Dismantle furniture.
• Disconnect appliances.
• Provide a house-clearance service.

Common exclusions

• Asbestos.
• Batteries.
• Builders’ rubble.
• DIY waste.
• Garden waste.
• Gas bottles.
• Hazardous waste.
• Paint tins.
• Plasterboard.
• Soil.
• Timber.
• Tyres.
• Commercial waste.

Cancellation deadline

Call 0121 704 8000 by midday on the last working day before collection if you need to cancel or change the booking.

Paid collection itself missed?

Report the problem within two working days of the booked date. A late report can result in the resident needing to pay for another booking.

Bickenhill Recycling Centre: Booking, Hours and Visit Rules

Appointment rules

• Each slot is 15 minutes.
• New slots are released regularly.
• The booking system normally works on a rolling three-week basis.
• A normal car can book and visit on the same day if a slot is available.
• Households can currently make up to five visits per Monday–Sunday week.

Proof of residence

Bickenhill is for Solihull households. Bring proof of your Solihull address, such as a utility bill. An electronic copy on a phone or tablet is accepted.

Current normal opening hours

Common household materials accepted

• Household rubbish.
• Mixed recycling.
• Garden waste.
• Soil.
• Hardcore and rubble.
• Wood and timber.
• Scrap metal.
• Cooking oil.
• Engine oil.
• Paint.
• Gas bottles.
• Household and car batteries.
• Vapes.
• Textiles and clothing.
• Small appliances.
• Mixed light bulbs.

Not accepted through the ordinary household route

• Trade or commercial waste.
• Liquid waste.
• Tyres.
• Asbestos.

Bickenhill Van and Trailer E-Permits: New From 3 August 2026

Vehicles commonly requiring a permit

• Vans.
• Single-, double- and king-cab pick-ups.
• Campervans.
• Vehicles with eight seats or more.
• Certain 4x4s.
• Cars towing larger trailers within the permitted size.

Permit allowance

Each approved permit provides up to 12 visits during a 12-month period.

Only one permit is issued per household, vehicle and person under the published conditions.

Permit-holder visiting hours

Vehicles not allowed

• Vehicles over 3.5 tonnes.
• Vehicles over 2.05m high.
• Long-wheelbase vans.
• Double/twin-axle vans.
• Vans towing trailers.
• Pick-ups towing trailers.
• Trailers over the published maximum length.

Hire vehicle

A qualifying hire vehicle needs the appropriate permit and booking. Solihull says hire-vehicle visits must be booked at least 48 hours before attending.

Solihull Asbestos, Chemicals, Sharps, Batteries and Vapes

Asbestos: not Bickenhill

Solihull operates a specialist permit allowing eligible household asbestos to be taken to an authorised Coventry disposal facility.

• Get the permit before travelling.
• Only one asbestos permit can be issued per month.
• The current scheme limits a visit to a maximum of six eligible sheets/bags.
• Material must be securely wrapped as instructed.
• Never cut or break asbestos merely to make transport easier.

Hazardous household chemicals

Small quantities of qualifying household chemicals can use Bickenhill only through the council’s hazardous-waste permit process.

Examples include certain household acids, antifreeze, garden chemicals, pesticides and petrol.

Prescribed medical sharps

Solihull provides a free collection for residents using prescribed sharps for self-medication.

• Your GP/healthcare provider supplies the first sharps box.
• Book each collection separately.
• Different coloured lids require separate requests.
• Solihull can provide one replacement 5L yellow-lid box where required.
• Collection staff do not enter the home.
• The service is for prescribed human medical sharps—not pet sharps.

Other clinical/infectious waste

Solihull does not provide the ordinary household collection for infectious clinical waste. Contact the GP, health trust, district nurse or healthcare professional responsible for treatment.

Batteries and vapes

Solihull Bank Holiday and Christmas Bin Collections

For example, Solihull’s May 2026 Bank Holiday notice explicitly told residents there was no collection change and to put bins out by 6am.

Summer Bank Holiday — 31 August 2026

The normal policy does not create an automatic one-day delay. Check the property calendar and any current operational notice before collection.

Main festive exceptions

Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day require special arrangements.

Garden waste

The paid garden service includes a short Christmas/New Year break as part of its 24-collection annual schedule.

Solihull Bin Collection Contact Number and Best Route

Council contact email: connectcc@solihull.gov.uk.

Related Bin Collection Guides Near Solihull

Collection rules change immediately across council boundaries. This matters around Birmingham and Warwickshire, where neighbouring services use different frequencies, disruption rules and waste sites.

Solihull Bin Problem Solver

Solihull Bin Night: Final 30-Second Checklist

• Exact property calendar checked.
• Current August service not confused with the 5 October change.
• Correct black, brown or subscribed green container selected.
• New food caddy not presented before the service starts.
• From 5 October, outdoor food caddy remembered every week where eligible.
• Brown recycling clean and correctly sorted.
• Flexible plastic checked against Solihull’s accepted list.
• Extra recycling in an approved sturdy container—not a black sack.
• Black-bin lid fully closed.
• No unauthorised rubbish side waste.
• Garden permit visible from the roadside.
• Container at property edge/agreed point.
• Everything ready by 6am.
• Missed rubbish/recycling not reported before 4pm.
• Valid miss reported within two working days.

Solihull Bin Collection FAQs