South Hams Bin Collection: Calendar, Schedule & Missed Reports
Check your exact South Hams property before relying on a remembered weekday. South Hams District Council’s live collection finder uses your postcode and address to show the collections available at your home.
The standard household service uses recycling boxes, a reusable white recycling sack and a food caddy, while residual rubbish is normally collected using either a 180-litre wheelie bin or an approved seagull sack. Garden waste is a separate paid service.
South Hams Bin Collection: Quick Answer
Use South Hams District Council’s live address checker for the exact date. Enter the postcode, click “Find Address”, select the correct property and read all collections shown for that address. Do not assume a nearby road has the same collection sequence.
South Hams’ established household pattern is weekly kerbside recycling and food waste with residual refuse normally every other week. The current council finder also warns that during peak periods crews can collect before 7am, so putting containers out the evening before is the safer routine when practical.
Jump to the South Hams waste task you need
How to Check Your South Hams Bin Collection Day
The official postcode tool is more useful than a static district-wide calendar because it identifies the service attached to the selected address. This matters for rural lanes, coastal properties, flats, gull-proof sack areas, assisted households and subscribed garden-waste rounds.
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Open the council collection finder.
Use South Hams District Council’s live waste service rather than an old screenshot or a neighbour’s calendar. -
Enter your postcode.
Click the address-search control and wait for the property list to load. -
Select the exact property.
Check the house name, number or flat carefully before relying on the result. -
Read every collection shown.
Refuse, recycling, food and garden waste do not necessarily share the same collection rhythm. -
Recheck around public holidays or disruptions.
A normal weekday should not be treated as permanent when the live service displays a revised date.
South Hams Bin Collection Schedule
South Hams uses separate containers so recyclable material and food can be collected more frequently than ordinary residual rubbish. Exact dates still depend on the property, but the normal household pattern can be understood as follows.
| Waste stream | Normal pattern | Container | Important point |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dry recycling | Weekly | 2 recycling boxes + reusable white sack | Use the correct container for each material. |
| Food waste | Weekly | Kerbside food caddy | Keep food separate from ordinary refuse. |
| Residual refuse | Normally every other week | 180L wheelie bin or seagull sack | Check the property calendar for the actual date. |
| Garden waste | Fortnightly for subscribers | 180L brown wheelie bin | May be collected on a different day from household waste. |
Which Containers Should a South Hams Household Have?
The council’s current container-order service states that properties can have a kerbside food caddy, two recycling boxes and one reusable white plastic recycling sack. A household also has either a 180-litre refuse wheelie bin or a seagull sack. Subscribed garden-waste customers use a separate brown 180-litre bin.
Two Boxes
Used to keep household recyclable materials separated for the kerbside service.
Reusable White Sack
Part of the standard kerbside recycling set and used for accepted plastic recycling.
Kerbside Food Caddy
Presented for the separate household food-waste collection.
Bin or Seagull Sack
The normal residual-waste container depends on the property’s service arrangement.
What Time Should South Hams Bins Be Ready?
Older printed South Hams calendars commonly instructed households to present containers before 7am. The current collection finder now warns that during peak-season periods collections may take place before 7am.
Normal household collections
Check the live collection information and, where practical, place containers correctly the evening before so an unusually early round is not missed.
Garden waste
The current 2026/27 garden-waste service specifically instructs subscribers to have the brown bin ready by 6am.
Bulky collections
Booked bulky items must be outside the property and accessible by 7am on the agreed collection day.
South Hams Missed Bin or Recycling Collection
South Hams does not accept a missed-collection report during the collection day itself. The council allows the full day for the crew to finish the route or log a reason why the service could not be completed.
Missed collection reporting window
Check These Before You Submit the Form
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Confirm that the container was actually due.
Reopen the property-level collection checker. -
Make sure the whole collection day has passed.
A vehicle arriving later than usual is not yet a confirmed missed collection. -
Check whether the crew recorded a reason.
South Hams says collection logs can be compared against the information you submit, and certain vehicles also have photographic or CCTV records. -
Check presentation and contents.
Incorrect material, an inaccessible collection point or another service problem can explain why something was left. -
Submit within the reporting window.
Enter the postcode and select the correct address on the official missed-collection form.
South Hams Garden Waste Collection 2026/27
The paid garden-waste service runs from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027. The current annual subscription after 1 April costs £73 and covers fortnightly emptying of a 180-litre brown wheelie bin.
Sticker required
The council posts a sticker for each subscribed brown bin. Display the property name or number so the collection crew can identify the registered container.
Allow 10 working days
New subscribers are asked to allow up to 10 working days for the sticker to arrive and the service to be attached to a collection round.
Different collection day
The garden-waste round can operate on a different day from normal recycling and refuse collections.
2026 Christmas and Winter Suspension
The current service is suspended for four weeks over winter. The council states that garden-waste collections end on 19 December 2026 and resume on 18 January 2027.
Accepted examples
- Grass cuttings
- Hedge trimmings
- Cut flowers and plants
- Windfall fruit
- Branches up to 10cm / 4 inches in diameter
Keep these out
- Cardboard
- Food and food packaging
- Hutch sweepings
- Soil and rubble
- Bags or twine
Lost Bin, Recycling Box, White Sack or Food Caddy
South Hams provides an online container-order service for wheelie bins, seagull sacks and recycling containers. Recycling containers can also be arranged for collection from the council offices at Follaton House in Totnes.
Kerbside recycling set
Two recycling boxes, one reusable white sack and one outdoor food caddy form the normal recycling-container set.
Indoor kitchen caddy
The council currently lists the optional 7-litre internal kitchen food caddy at £7.
Delivery target
The current container service says deliveries are aimed to be completed within four weeks.
South Hams Assisted Bin Collections
An assisted collection can help a resident who is physically or medically unable to put recycling and refuse out for collection. South Hams states that the service is intended for cases where an age-related or medical condition prevents presentation and there is no other adult available to help.
Who should apply?
A resident who cannot reasonably move the normal household containers because of qualifying physical, medical or age-related circumstances.
Property-specific assessment
The council can review eligibility and may contact the resident again later if circumstances could have changed.
South Hams Bulky Waste Collection
Furniture and large household items should use the council’s bulky-waste route, a suitable reuse service or a recycling centre rather than being left beside normal kerbside containers.
Current charge
The live South Hams booking service currently charges £25 per item.
Choose a date
Available collection dates can be selected up to 12 weeks ahead, subject to availability.
Ready by 7am
Booked items must be outside and in an easily accessible location with no steps, locked gates or similar obstruction.
Holiday Lets and Other Non-Domestic Properties
South Hams has a large visitor economy, so it is important not to assume that every property can use the household collection service simply because it looks like a home. The council states that certain properties operating as holiday lets fall under controlled-waste rules and are not entitled to use the council-tax-funded domestic service.
The current South Hams council-operated controlled-waste collection service is listed at £390 per year for the applicable refuse and recycling service. Confirm current eligibility, terms and pricing before applying.
Healthcare Waste and Sharps Collections
South Hams provides separate household healthcare-waste routes for material that should not use ordinary kerbside containers. The council’s current service includes sharps collections and a weekly high-grade medical-waste collection for eligible waste such as contaminated dressings.
Sharps
A sharps box can be collected and replaced when required through the specialist council service.
Weekly healthcare sacks
The arranged service collects healthcare sacks and supplies replacement sacks for the following week.
Household Recycling Centres in South Hams
Household Waste Recycling Centres are managed by Devon County Council rather than South Hams District Council. Devon currently lists three centres within the South Hams district: Totnes, Torr Quarry near Kingsbridge and Ivybridge.
| Recycling centre | Address | Apr–Sep | Oct–Mar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Totnes Recycling Centre | Babbage Road Industrial Estate, Totnes, TQ9 5JA | Mon–Fri 9am–5pm; Sat–Sun 10am–6pm | Mon–Fri 9am–4:30pm; Sat–Sun 10am–4:30pm |
| Torr Quarry Recycling Centre | Torr Quarry, Kingsbridge, TQ9 7QQ | Mon–Fri 9am–5pm; Sat–Sun 10am–6pm | Mon–Fri 9am–4:30pm; Sat–Sun 10am–4:30pm |
| Ivybridge Recycling Centre | Ermington Road, Ivybridge, PL21 9ES | Mon–Fri 9am–5pm; Sat–Sun 10am–6pm | Mon–Fri 9am–4:30pm; Sat–Sun 10am–4:30pm |
South Hams Bank Holiday and Christmas Collections
Bank holidays can alter the normal collection date, so do not automatically move your collection one day later unless the council’s current calendar confirms that change. Use your property record first and then check South Hams’ current bank-holiday information when a public holiday falls near your usual collection day.
Check your property
The address-level collection finder should be the starting point for the date actually attached to your home.
Do not reuse old PDFs
A calendar from a previous service year may contain the right weekday but the wrong bank-holiday date.
Garden waste differs
The 2026 garden service already has a published four-week winter suspension from 19 December 2026 until 18 January 2027.
Official South Hams Waste Services
BinCollectionGuide.org is an independent guide. South Hams District Council controls collection records, waste reports, service applications and subscriptions, while Devon County Council manages household recycling centres.
Open official collection finder
Report missed collection
Open garden-waste service
Order a container
View South Hams centres
South Hams Bin Collection FAQs
How do I check my South Hams bin collection day?
Use South Hams District Council’s live waste collection finder. Enter the postcode, select the exact property and read the collections shown for that address.
How often is recycling collected in South Hams?
The established household service uses weekly kerbside recycling. Check the live property calendar for the actual date because bank holidays and route changes can alter individual collections.
How often is South Hams food waste collected?
Food waste forms part of the weekly kerbside recycling service. Households use the outdoor food caddy provided for collection.
How often is general refuse collected?
Residual household refuse is normally collected every other week using either the property’s 180-litre wheelie bin or approved seagull sack. Always confirm the exact date against the address finder.
When can I report a missed South Hams collection?
The council does not accept a missed-collection report until the day after the collection was due. It must normally be reported within two working days. A missed Friday collection must be reported before the end of Monday.
How much is South Hams garden waste in 2026?
The current 2026/27 annual subscription after 1 April is £73 and provides fortnightly emptying of a 180-litre brown garden-waste bin.
When does South Hams garden waste stop for Christmas 2026?
The current service information says collections end on 19 December 2026 and resume on 18 January 2027 after a four-week winter suspension.
Where are the recycling centres in South Hams?
Devon County Council currently lists Totnes Recycling Centre, Torr Quarry Recycling Centre near Kingsbridge and Ivybridge Recycling Centre within the South Hams district.
Can I get help putting my bins out?
South Hams offers an assisted collection service for eligible residents who cannot present recycling and refuse because of age-related, physical or medical circumstances and do not have another adult available to help.
How much does South Hams bulky waste collection cost?
The current online booking service lists a charge of £25 per item. Confirm the item is accepted and check the current price before completing payment.
South Hams Bin Night: Final Check
- Open the official collection finder.
- Select the exact property, not only the postcode.
- Check which waste stream is actually due.
- Remember that recycling and food follow a different rhythm from residual refuse.
- During peak periods, allow for collections taking place before 7am.
- Garden-waste subscribers should use the separate garden date and 6am presentation rule.
- Do not report a missed collection until the day after it was due.
- Submit a genuine miss within the council’s reporting window.
- Recheck the calendar around bank holidays and Christmas.
Independent guide: BinCollectionGuide.org is not South Hams District Council or Devon County Council. Exact dates, charges, temporary disruptions, eligibility, opening hours and collection arrangements can change. Complete reports, subscriptions and bookings through the relevant official service.