West Lothian Bin Collection 2026: Calendar, Brown Bin & Missed Bins

West Lothian Bin Collection 2026: Quick Answer

How to Check Your West Lothian Bin Collection Date

1. Enter the postcode.
   Search the postcode for the property where the bins are collected.
2. Select the exact address.
   Choose the correct house, flat or named property.
3. Read the next bin colour and date.
   Do not save only the weekday.
4. Look ahead on the calendar.
   The current service covers dates from May 2026 to August 2027.
5. Download the property PDF if useful.
   The address result provides a current PDF calendar option.
6. Use reminder options.
   West Lothian also provides collection reminders so you do not have to depend on an old printed sheet.

If the address or dates are wrong

Use the council’s calendar-issues route where:

• Your address is missing.
• The address is displayed incorrectly.
• The collection day is wrong.
• The property has not been added to a collection round.
• Your bins have not been added to the council’s records.

Which West Lothian Recycling System Does Your Home Use?

Typical West Lothian Collection Pattern

Homes with separate blue and green recycling bins

Brown food/garden waste normally operates every two weeks alongside the wider sequence.

Homes with one blue recycling bin

The combined blue recycling bin normally alternates every two weeks with the grey bin.

West Lothian Bin Set-Out Rules: Kerbside by 7am

Before the crew arrives

• Close the lid completely.
• Keep all waste inside the container.
• Remove straps.
• Remove locks.
• Remove weights placed on the lid.
• Keep the bin accessible.
• Do not overfill it.
• Do not make it excessively heavy.

No normal side waste

West Lothian does not collect ordinary bags or loose waste placed beside a wheelie bin.

Do not compact waste too tightly

Material that is tightly compacted can remain inside when the bin is tipped.

Frozen contents can cause the same problem during cold weather.

Grey-bin vacuum problem

Large black bags containing lots of trapped air can stick inside a grey bin. Squeeze excess air from the bag before putting it into the bin.

West Lothian Blue and Green Recycling Bins

Blue bin: paper and cardboard only

• Newspapers.
• Magazines.
• Catalogues.
• Brochures.
• Unwanted mail.
• Phone directories.
• Cardboard boxes.
• Corrugated cardboard.
• Cereal boxes.
• Washing-powder boxes.
• Cardboard egg boxes.
• Kitchen-roll tubes.
• Toilet-roll tubes.
• Envelopes, including window envelopes.
• Cards without glitter or foil.
• Shredded paper.

Shredded paper

Keep loose shreddings contained inside newspaper or a cardboard box so they do not blow away.

Keep out of blue

• Food waste.
• Wet paper/card.
• Greasy pizza boxes.
• Used tissues.
• Kitchen roll.
• Glass.
• Plastic packaging.
• Metal cans.
• Cartons.
• Batteries.
• Electricals.
• Nappies.

Green bin: clean containers

Everything going into green recycling should be clean, empty and dry.

• Plastic drinks bottles.
• Shampoo bottles.
• Detergent bottles.
• Plastic pots.
• Plastic tubs.
• Plastic trays.
• Fruit punnets.
• Yoghurt pots.
• Ice-cream tubs.
• Food and drink cans.
• Food tins.
• Empty aerosols.
• Clean aluminium foil.
• Clean foil trays.
• Juice cartons.
• Soup cartons.
• Custard and smoothie cartons.
• Accepted empty plastic carrier bags.
• Accepted empty bread and vegetable bags.

West Lothian’s unusual plastic-bag rule

Not every flexible plastic is accepted

Keep these out:

• Crisp packets.
• Mixed-material food pouches.
• Sweet wrappers.
• Bubble wrap.
• Dirty plastic packaging.
• Polystyrene.

Batteries and electricals

Only Have One Blue Recycling Bin? Use These Rules Instead

The blue-only bin can take

• Newspapers.
• Magazines.
• Catalogues.
• Junk mail.
• Paper.
• Cardboard.
• Cereal boxes.
• Cardboard egg cartons.
• Plastic bottles.
• Plastic pots.
• Plastic tubs.
• Plastic trays.
• Accepted empty plastic bags.
• Tins.
• Cans.
• Clean foil.
• Empty aerosols.
• Food and drink cartons.

Everything must be clean, empty and dry

Food and liquid contamination can spoil paper/card and other recycling once the collection vehicle compresses the load.

Keep out

• Food.
• Liquids.
• Dirty nappies.
• Used tissues.
• Glass.
• Clothing.
• Electricals.
• Batteries.
• Polystyrene.
• Bubble wrap.
• Plastic toys.

West Lothian Brown Bin: Food Waste Is a Core Service

Solid food accepted

• Meat.
• Bones.
• Fish.
• Fish bones.
• Bread.
• Cakes.
• Pastries.
• Cheese.
• Fruit.
• Vegetables.
• Peelings.
• Egg shells.
• Pizza crusts.
• Plate scrapings.
• Tea bags.
• Coffee grounds.

Food can be loose or in an approved compostable bag

West Lothian allows food loose in the brown bin or inside compostable bags meeting the appropriate compostable-bag standard.

No liquids

• Soup.
• Milk.
• Cooking oil.
• Liquid sauces.
• Liquid yoghurt.
• Other free-flowing liquids.

Keep the brown bin even if you do not garden

A household receiving a brown-bin collection should retain it for food waste even if it chooses not to pay for garden-waste collection.

Food-only households and brown-bin capacity

Council service standards normally provide one brown bin where it is being used only for food waste.

Up to two brown bins can be presented by households participating in the permitted garden-waste service.

West Lothian Garden Waste Permit 2026/27

Where does the permit go?

Attach the personalised permit to the back of the brown bin underneath the handles.

What garden waste can go in?

• Grass cuttings.
• Leaves.
• Twigs.
• Small branches that fit with the lid closed.
• Hedge clippings.
• Plants.
• Flowers.
• Weeds.

Keep these out

• Soil.
• Turf.
• Rubble.
• Stones.
• Gravel.
• Concrete.
• Plasterboard.
• Pet waste.
• Pet bedding.
• Plant pots.
• Wood.
• Fencing.
• Timber.
• Logs.
• Garden furniture.

No permit = food only

Garden waste is still free at CRCs

You do not have to buy the kerbside permit. Domestic garden waste can instead be taken to a Community Recycling Centre without paying the garden-waste permit fee.

Buying late

You can buy a permit during the permit year, but the full £55.75 still applies and every 2026/27 permit ends on 31 May 2027.

Moving house

Moving home does not create a refund entitlement after the applicable cancellation period.

Cancellation

A permit can be cancelled within 14 days of purchase for a full refund where the cancellation conditions are met.

After the cooling-off period there is no normal full or partial refund.

Permit has not arrived

Allow up to 21 days after payment.

If confirmation was received but the permit has still not arrived after 21 days, use the replacement-permit route or contact Customer Services.

Permit system does not recognise your address

Try entering the postcode first and choosing the property from the official dropdown.

If a genuine brown-bin property is still not recognised, the council lists gardenwaste@westlothian.gov.uk for permit-address problems.

West Lothian Council tenant?

Council tenants can choose the special council-tenant payment arrangement and pay using the issued garden-waste reference number rather than their rent-account reference.

Assisted collection and garden waste

Assisted collection of a food-only brown bin does not require a garden permit.

If garden waste is added, the household still needs the paid permit.

West Lothian Grey Bin: General Residual Waste

Common grey-bin items

• Nappies.
• Sanitary products.
• Disposable razors.
• Disposable gloves.
• Coat hangers.
• Broken plastic toys.
• Bubble wrap.
• Polystyrene.
• Crisp packets.
• Sweet wrappers.
• Greasy pizza boxes.
• Vacuum-cleaner bags.
• Bagged pet waste.
• Cat litter.
• Pet bedding.
• Other ordinary non-recyclable household waste.

Cooking oil

Cooking oil should use an appropriate recycling route where one is available.

West Lothian’s household guidance says cooled oil can alternatively be sealed securely in a bag or plastic container and placed in the grey bin. It should not go into blue, green or brown recycling bins.

Keep these out

• Paper and cardboard suitable for recycling.
• Accepted plastic packaging.
• Tins and cans.
• Foil.
• Cartons.
• Food waste where the property has brown collection.
• Garden waste.
• Batteries.
• Electrical equipment.
• Hazardous waste.

No extra bags beside grey

If the grey bin is full, loose side waste is not the answer.

Use all available recycling capacity, request an eligibility assessment where extra grey capacity is genuinely required, or use an appropriate CRC/bulky route.

Where Do Glass Bottles and Jars Go in West Lothian?

Take household glass bottles and jars to a bottle bank/glass recycling point or a Community Recycling Centre.

If the bottle bank is full

• Do not leave glass on the ground beside it.
• Use another local glass bank where possible.
• Report the full bank through the council’s glass-collection enquiry route.

Why Was My West Lothian Recycling Bin Not Emptied?

West Lothian Missed Bin: Wait Until After 8pm

Check these before reporting

• The correct bin was due.
• The bin was at the kerbside by 7am.
• The lid was closed.
• No straps, locks or weights remained attached.
• The bin was not contaminated.
• The container was not excessively heavy.
• The material was not frozen or tightly compacted.
• The street is not already listed on Daily Updates.
• Roadworks did not make the bin inaccessible.

Only your bin was missed

Whole street or wider area missed

Check the Bin Collection Daily Updates table.

Where a disruption is already recorded, look for the council’s reason and “Return By” instruction.

Leave the bin out where the current notice tells residents to do so.

Customer presentation issue

Bins missed because they were presented late, contaminated or otherwise incorrectly presented are not normally collected until the next scheduled date.

Half-emptied bin

If the crew tipped the bin but some waste remained because it was compacted or frozen, this is not treated like a standard missed collection.

Loosen the contents before the next scheduled date.

Roadworks, Severe Weather and Collection Disruption

Road closure

Move the bin to the nearest point the refuse vehicle can safely access.

This may be outside the closed section or at a specific collection point arranged by the contractor.

Severe weather

Continue to present the bin on its normal day unless the council publishes a different instruction.

During major disruption, updates can be issued through the website, email alerts, council social channels and local media.

Collection priorities during disruption

West Lothian Replacement Bin Charges from July 2026

When do you normally pay?

• Bin is missing.
• Bin was stolen.
• Bin is damaged through normal wear.
• Bin is damaged by weather.
• You need an additional recycling bin.

When can replacement be free?

After review, no charge applies where:

• The collection vehicle or council operative damaged the bin while emptying it.
• The bin fell into the collection vehicle while being emptied.

Check nearby first

A wheelie bin can be moved along the street during collection or bad weather. Check around the property and nearby streets before paying for a replacement.

Delivery target

Cannot pay online?

Call the Customer Service Centre on 01506 280000.

Private tenant?

Check with the landlord before paying because responsibility for the charge depends on the tenancy arrangement.

Need to cancel an order?

Contact the council as quickly as possible. Once a bin has been dispatched or delivered, cancellation/refund may no longer be possible.

Extra Grey-Bin Capacity and Additional Recycling Bins

Standard grey service

The standard household residual bin is one 140L grey bin.

You cannot simply order a larger grey bin.

Non-medical extra capacity

A household can apply for an assessment where the number of residents or another genuine circumstance means standard residual capacity is insufficient despite proper recycling.

The application is assessed before additional capacity is approved.

What does approved extra grey capacity look like?

Medical need

Do not use the ordinary extra-capacity form for a medical requirement.

Medical applications should be made through the District Nurse, Health Visitor or another relevant health professional.

Where approved on medical grounds, the additional 140L container is provided without the standard replacement-bin charge.

New baby

Additional recycling capacity

Households can have up to two 240L blue bins and two 240L green bins where required.

An additional recycling container is subject to the current bin charge.

Brown capacity

Food-only customers normally have one brown bin.

A valid garden-waste permit can cover up to two brown bins.

West Lothian Assisted Bin Collection

Assisted collection is available for residents who are infirm or whose medical condition/disability prevents them from presenting their bins normally.

Temporary and permanent needs

Waste Services can assess both temporary and permanent circumstances.

If approved

The crew collects the bin from an agreed accessible location inside the property boundary and returns it after emptying.

Assessment target

Assisted collection is not the same as extra capacity

Assisted collection helps with physically moving the container.

A medical need for additional residual-waste capacity follows the health-professional assessment route described above.

Flats, New Tenants and Homes With Limited Storage

Most flats do not receive the standard brown-bin service

West Lothian notes that many flatted properties are not offered brown collections because most flats do not have gardens.

If your flat does not receive a brown service, follow the property’s actual communal/bin-store arrangement rather than borrowing a nearby house’s timetable.

Food waste at a flat without a brown route

Council guidance allows households without a brown-bin collection to use the grey residual-waste service for their food waste.

Garden waste from a flat

Domestic garden waste can use a Community Recycling Centre where applicable.

Communal storage

For flatted properties, the factor/property manager is responsible for making sure suitable storage is available so containers do not have to remain permanently on the pavement or access path.

No room for blue and green?

You can request removal of a recycling bin, but removing blue or green does not create entitlement to extra grey capacity.

Think about which recycling material your household generates most before deciding which container would be least useful.

Could neighbours share recycling bins?

Where suitable and agreed, neighbouring households can consider sharing recycling capacity—for example one retaining blue and another retaining green.

New tenant / homeowner checklist

• Search the exact address calendar.
• Identify split blue/green versus single-blue recycling.
• Confirm which bins physically belong at the property.
• Keep a brown bin where the property has food-waste service even if you do not buy a garden permit.
• Check whether an existing garden permit is already registered at the property.
• Ask a private landlord who should pay for missing replacement bins.

West Lothian Bulky Uplift: 2026 Price and Collection Rules

Collection target

The normal target is within seven working days of the request.

When should items be ready?

Where should items be left?

• Outside the property.
• At ground level.
• Grouped together.
• At the nearest practical accessible point to the road.
• Not inside the house.
• Not inside a garage.
• Not hidden behind a locked gate.
• In an area free from dog fouling.

Only booked items are taken

Specify every item in the booking. This is required for collection planning, risk and insurance.

Changing the booking

Cancellation

Cancel by 12 noon on the previous working day where you need to use the normal refund process.

Wardrobes

Large wardrobes should be dismantled into manageable taped bundles.

Timber and laminate

• Maximum piece/bundle length around 6ft.
• Maximum width around 1ft.
• Tie or tape into manageable bundles.
• Remove protruding nails and screws.

Fridge/freezer

A domestic fridge or freezer counts as one booked item.

• Remove all food and drink.
• Tape the doors shut.

Soft furnishings

Cover mattresses, sofas and carpets to prevent them becoming wet.

Glass objects

Secure mirrors, glass tables and other glazed items with tape before collection.

No general refuse bags

Examples needing another route

• Cement.
• Garage doors.
• Bathroom suites where excluded.
• Loose garden waste.
• Gas cylinders.
• Motor oil.
• Car batteries.
• Clinical waste.
• Hazardous waste.
• Tyres.
• Commercial refrigeration.
• Oversized structures.

If the crew does not arrive that day

Leave the correctly presented items outside, covered and at the nearest accessible road-side point until the delayed collection is completed.

West Lothian Community Recycling Centres: 5 Sites

Basic booking rules

• Book before travelling.
• Same-day booking can be possible where slots remain.
• Only the registration on the booking can enter.
• One booking permits one vehicle entry.
• Proof of West Lothian address may be requested.
• Bring hire paperwork if using a hired vehicle.
• If you arrive too late for the slot, access can be refused.
• You can use any of the five sites; it does not have to be the geographically nearest one.

Booking by phone

Residents who need telephone booking support can call 01506 280000. Current CRC booking support is available by phone Monday to Friday during the council’s published booking hours.

Car visits

There is no fixed annual numerical limit for ordinary household car visits.

Very frequent use can still be monitored for fair use and potential commercial/waste-crime activity.

Van, pickup, flatbed or trailer

• Advance vehicle-specific booking required.
• Maximum 10 visits per calendar year.
• Vans are not permitted on Sundays.
• Vehicle over 3.5 tonnes is not allowed.
• Car + trailer must not exceed 3.5 tonnes combined.
• All vehicle seats must remain fitted.
• Maximum eight passenger seats.
• Household waste only.

No pedestrian or two-wheel access

Staff cannot unload your vehicle

Site staff can tell you which container to use but cannot physically unload the waste for you.

Trade waste

Waste from businesses, traders and charities is not accepted through the household CRC service.

Batteries, Vapes, Electricals and Other Special Waste

Batteries

West Lothian CRCs accept household portable batteries, rechargeable batteries, lithium-ion batteries, button/coin batteries and householders’ car batteries.

Electrical equipment

Small household electrical items such as hairdryers, irons, kettles, vacuum cleaners, tools, phones and games consoles can use the appropriate electrical recycling route at a CRC.

Disposable vapes

Disposable vapes are accepted in the electrical-waste stream at CRCs rather than household wheelie bins.

Textiles and shoes

Use a textile bank, reuse/charity route or CRC for suitable clothing, paired shoes and household textiles.

Wood

CRC wood streams include common household timber such as chipboard, MDF, plywood, decking, pallets and suitable wooden furniture.

Materials CRCs currently exclude

• Asbestos.
• Paint.
• Explosives such as fireworks/flares.
• Firearms.
• Poisons and chemicals.
• Specified heavy-metal waste such as mercury.
• Commercial waste.
• Tyres.
• Cooking oil.
• Acetylene gas bottles.
• CO2 gas bottles.

What Happens to West Lothian Waste After Collection?

Keeping the correct materials in each container matters because different streams are sent to different processing systems.

West Lothian Christmas and New Year Bin Collections 2026/27

Brown-bin festive suspension

Garden-waste terms confirm that brown-bin collections are suspended during the Christmas/New Year period.

Use the live 2026/27 calendar/announcement for the exact suspension and restart dates.

Grey, blue and green

Public holidays can also change these collection dates.

Do not assume every collection simply moves to the following day.

West Lothian Waste and Bin Collection Contact Details

Waste Services address

Waste Services
Whitehill Service Centre
4 Inchmuir Road
Whitehill Industrial Estate
Bathgate
EH48 2EP

Prepare before contacting the council

• Full property address.
• Postcode.
• Bin colour.
• Scheduled date.
• Whether neighbours were emptied.
• Whether Daily Updates lists the street.
• Any contamination/presentation issue.
• Existing report/order reference.

How to Escalate an Unresolved West Lothian Waste Problem

A routine missed bin, replacement request or collection-date correction should use its normal service form first.

Use the complaints process when there has been an actual service failure or you remain dissatisfied with how the council handled the matter.

Stage One: resolution

West Lothian aims to resolve Stage One complaints within five working days where possible.

Stage Two: investigation

If Stage One does not resolve the problem, you can ask for Stage Two consideration.

The council acknowledges Stage Two within three working days and normally aims to issue its decision within 20 working days unless there is a justified reason for longer.

Keep evidence

• Collection dates.
• Missed-bin reference numbers.
• Photos where relevant.
• Replacement-bin payment reference.
• Dates of calls/emails.
• Names or case references supplied by the council.

Near a West Lothian Council Boundary?

Bin colours and missed-collection rules change immediately across council boundaries. Use the guide for the authority that actually serves the property.

30-Second West Lothian Bin-Night Checklist

• Check the exact address.
• Confirm the date and bin colour.
• Work out whether the home uses split blue/green or blue-only recycling.
• Grey = residual waste.
• Blue = paper/card on split service.
• Green = clean containers on split service.
• Single blue = combined accepted recycling.
• Brown = food waste every two weeks.
• Garden waste in brown needs the valid permit.
• Put the bin at the kerbside by 7am.
• Close the lid.
• Remove locks, straps and weights.
• Do not leave side waste.
• Do not compact contents tightly.
• Keep glass out of blue/green.
• Keep batteries and electricals out of household wheelie bins.
• If a bin stays full, check Daily Updates.
• Wait until after 8pm before treating the collection as unresolved.
• Remember that a single missed bin normally does not receive a return visit.

West Lothian Bin Collection FAQs