We collect rubbish and recycling on alternate weeks: we will collect your blue bin (or boxes) for recycling and green bin for compostable waste one week, and your black bin for non-recyclable waste the next.
Collections start early, so please put your containers out by the road by 7am on the morning of collection, but no earlier than 6pm the day before.
Bank holiday bin collections
Bin collections in the week beginning Monday 30 August will take place one day later than normal.
Friday's collections will be made on Saturday.
Collection schedules will return to normal on Monday 6 September.
Report a missed collection
Please email our Customer Service Centre at enquiries@cambridge.gov.uk or telephone 01223 457000 to report a missed bin collection.
Please make sure you tell us your name, address and contact information.
When are my bins collected?
We are experiencing some problems with the postcode search. Please note that information for a small number of addresses may show incorrectly, displaying the wrong bin on the wrong week.
If you are not sure about your collection day please contact us on 01223 458282. Apologies for any inconvenience; we are working to fix the problem.
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Preparation for your bin collection
Please bring your containers back in as soon as possible after they have been emptied, to avoid causing obstruction on the pavement.
Only rubbish that is inside the containers will be collected; sacks or items left next to or on top of bins will not be taken.
Please also ensure that the lids of your wheelie bins are properly closed. Overloaded or very heavy bins or boxes may not be emptied.
Sack collections
Residents who do not have a place to store bins on their premises are issued with brown sacks for their compostable waste and white sacks for their general refuse.
A maximum of five white sacks or six brown sacks will be collected at one time.
Further sacks can be taken to a recycling centre.
Collect and return
If you are unable to carry your bin or box to the kerbside, you can ask to be put on the 'collect and return' list.
The collection crew will then collect your box or bin from your property.
Email our Customer Service Centre or telephone 01223 457000 to put your name on the list.
Bulky waste collections
We can only collect rubbish that fits inside the bin with the lid closed.
If you have too much rubbish, you can take it to your nearest recycling centre.
If you would like us to collect bulky waste we can do this, although we charge for this service. Charges depend on the amount of waste to be collected.
For more information read the bulky waste page.
Contaminated bins
If any non-compostable waste (e.g. plastic, metals) is put in the green bin it will be classed as ‘contaminated’.
If non-recyclable waste (e.g. bags of refuse, nappies, building materials) is put in the blue bin or recycling box it will be classed as ‘contaminated’.
Contaminated bins will not be emptied.
This is because materials that we collect for recycling or composting need to be good quality, with as few incorrect items as possible. Some items (e.g. bricks) can also damage collection vehicles and sorting machinery.
If a bin is found to be contaminated a card will be left on the bin to explain why it was not collected. Please re-sort your rubbish into the correct bin and put back out for collection on the appropriate day.
