Somerset Waste Collection: Bin Days, Missed Bins, Bulky & Recycling
Check your Somerset bin collection day by postcode, understand weekly recycling and three-weekly rubbish collections, sort the Bright Blue Bag and recycling boxes, report a missed collection, order replacement containers, compare bulky and garden-waste costs and find the right recycling centre.
Coverage note: this guide applies to the Somerset Council area, including Taunton, Bridgwater, Yeovil, Frome, Wells, Minehead, Chard, Street, Wellington and surrounding towns and villages. North Somerset Council and Bath and North East Somerset use separate collection systems.
How to check Somerset bin collection days by postcode
Open Somerset Council’s online collection calendar, enter your postcode and select the exact address. You can then view upcoming recycling, food waste, rubbish and subscribed garden-waste dates.
Download or print the property schedule if several people manage the containers. Recheck around bank holidays, severe weather or route changes.
Set up your Somerset waste collection routine
Complete these steps once for your exact address. They prevent most wrong-day, wrong-container, excess-waste and rejected missed-collection reports.
Find the exact property calendar
Search the postcode and select your house or flat. Nearby properties can follow different routes, particularly in rural areas and new developments.
Check the official collection calendarRecord all collection streams separately
Recycling and food waste are normally weekly. Household rubbish is normally every three weeks, and garden waste is every two weeks for subscribers.
Read the weekly recycling rulesSort recycling before collection morning
Use the Bright Blue Bag, black box, green box, food-waste container and separate carrier bags for specific materials.
Check what goes in each containerPlace containers at the property edge
The safest routine is to present everything by 6am or the night before. Keep lids closed and do not obstruct roads or pavements.
Review missed-collection eligibilityWait until after 7pm before reporting a miss
Crews can be delayed by roadworks, breakdowns, route changes and weather. Check for a tag explaining why a container was not emptied.
Open the official missed collection pageWeekly recycling, three-weekly rubbish and fortnightly garden waste
The date varies by address, but the normal service frequency helps you understand the property calendar.
Every week
Recycling and food waste are normally collected weekly. Small electricals, batteries, vapes and wearable textiles can also be presented correctly with recycling.
Every three weeks
Most households receive a rubbish-bin collection every three weeks. Communal properties and authorised sack collections can operate differently.
Every two weeks
Subscribed garden-waste bins and sacks are normally collected fortnightly, with a two-week pause after Christmas.
| Service | Normal frequency | How to present it | Important rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recycling | Weekly | Correctly sorted into boxes, bags and separate carrier bags. | Never use black sacks for recycling. |
| Food waste | Weekly | Use the brown outdoor food-waste bin. | No packaging, liquids, oils or garden waste. |
| Household rubbish | Every three weeks | Inside the council-supplied bin with the lid closed. | Extra sacks beside or above the bin are not normally collected. |
| Garden waste | Every two weeks for subscribers | Use the subscribed 180-litre bin or booked paper sacks. | The service pauses for two weeks after Christmas. |
| Communal collections | Property-specific | Use the labelled shared bins in the bin store. | Check the building schedule rather than a house calendar. |
What goes in the Bright Blue Bag, black box and green box?
Somerset uses kerbside sorting. Keeping each material in the correct container reduces contamination and helps crews load materials into separate vehicle compartments.
Bright Blue Bag
Plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays; steel and aluminium tins and cans; rinsed and scrunched foil; empty aerosols; and empty toothpaste tubes.
Box 1, usually black
Newspapers, magazines, leaflets, directories, white paper, envelopes, cardboard, greeting cards, brown envelopes and accepted cardboard tubes.
Box 2, usually green
Rinsed glass bottles and jars, with lids replaced, plus rinsed and squashed drinks cartons such as Tetra Paks.
Brown food-waste bin
All cooked and raw food, including meat, bones, fish, dairy, bread, rice, pasta, fruit, vegetables, tea bags and coffee grounds.
| Separate bag item | How to present it | Important caution |
|---|---|---|
| Household batteries | Place in a small tied plastic bag on top of a recycling box. | Never hide batteries inside the rubbish bin. |
| Small electrical items | Place in an untied carrier bag beside the recycling. | The item must be no bigger than a carrier bag; no TVs, monitors or microwaves. |
| Vapes | Keep separate in a small tied plastic bag. | Do not mix with batteries or put inside the Bright Blue Bag. |
| Wearable clothes and shoes | Keep dry in a tied bag placed on top of a recycling box. | Only present items good enough to be worn again. |
| Shredded paper | Contain it in a tied carrier bag. | Do not leave loose shredded paper in an open box. |
Cardboard limit: flatten all cardboard. Crews will not collect more than two recycling containers filled with cardboard, and pieces larger than the black recycling box should be cut down or taken to a recycling centre.
Small amount of recycling: Somerset Council says households producing only a little recycling can place it together in one box, but sorting into the normal containers remains the clearest method for crews.
Somerset bin-day reminder and collection-night checklist
Confirm the date on Somerset Council’s postcode calendar, then save a reminder in this browser. No information is sent to the council.
Save my next collection
Collection-night board
No collection saved. Check your postcode calendar and add the confirmed date.
Which box, bag, bin or service should I use?
Choose a common household item for a practical route. Hazardous or unusual materials should still be confirmed on the relevant official page.
Choose an item
Result: Select an item above.
Fast Somerset sorting rule
- Paper and cardboard: black recycling box.
- Glass bottles, jars and cartons: green recycling box.
- Plastic containers, cans and foil: Bright Blue Bag.
- Cooked and raw food: brown food-waste bin.
- Electrical, bulky, clinical or DIY waste: use a separate service.
Report a missed rubbish, recycling or garden-waste collection
Report only after 7pm on the scheduled day. Before submitting, confirm the correct date, presentation time, container contents and whether a non-collection tag was left.
| Check first | Why it matters | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| Was it the correct date? | Collections can change around holidays, weather or route updates. | Check the postcode calendar. |
| Was it outside by 6am? | The missed-report page asks residents to confirm the container was out by 6am. | If it was late, wait for the next collection. |
| Is it after 7pm? | Crews may still be completing the route earlier in the day. | Wait until after 7pm before reporting. |
| Was a tag left? | The tag can identify excess cardboard, wrong contents, excessive weight or another problem. | Correct the tagged issue before the next date. |
| Was everything contained? | Overflowing bins and loose waste are not normally collected. | Remove excess waste or use a recycling centre. |
| Is the report still in time? | Rubbish and garden waste have a five-working-day window; recycling has a three-working-day window. | Submit the report immediately. |
Missed collection diagnosis
Result: Select the situation that best matches your collection.
Prepare before reporting
- Full address and postcode
- Scheduled collection date
- Container or service type
- Confirmation it was out by 6am
- Details from any non-collection tag
- Eight-digit request number for an unresolved previous report
Order Somerset recycling boxes, bags and rubbish bins
Replacement recycling containers can be requested online. Garden-waste containers are managed through the separate garden subscription service.
Lost or damaged container
Request a replacement black box, green box, Bright Blue Bag, food-waste container or rubbish bin through the official online service.
Moving home
Leave council-supplied recycling boxes, food bins and rubbish bins at the property for the next occupier.
Recycling-box lids
Somerset Council does not supply or recommend rigid lids or box dividers. Remove private stretch covers before collection.
Extra or larger rubbish bin
You may qualify if five or more people live at the property, someone has a medical waste need or two or more children use nappies.
Extra-capacity applications: approval depends on the household fully using the weekly recycling and food-waste services. The council may request evidence or visit to assess the need.
Somerset waste collection for flats and residents needing support
Flats and shared bins
Communal properties can have a different frequency and use labelled shared bins. Follow the building schedule and ask the landlord or managing agent about bin-store problems.
Free assisted collection
Residents unable to carry containers to the kerbside for health reasons can request collection from an agreed point outside the property.
Free clinical collection
Somerset provides separate Tiger bag, orange bag and sharps-box collection routes for eligible domestic medical waste.
Low-grade medical waste
Non-infectious items such as incontinence pads and empty stoma bags can normally be double-bagged and placed in household rubbish.
| Clinical waste | Correct container | Important instruction |
|---|---|---|
| High-volume non-infectious waste | Yellow Tiger bag with black stripes. | Replacement Tiger bags are supplied after collection. |
| Infectious waste | Orange or hazard-labelled clinical bag. | Obtain bags from a healthcare professional. |
| Needles and syringes | Approved sharps box. | Never put sharps in household rubbish or Tiger bags. |
Food caddies, liners, smells and weekly collection
Food waste is collected weekly and sent to an anaerobic digestion facility near Bridgwater, where it is used to generate energy and agricultural fertiliser.
| Food-waste question | Practical answer | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| What can go in? | Cooked and raw food, meat, fish, bones, dairy, bread, fruit, vegetables, tea bags, coffee grounds and pet food. | Do not include packaging. |
| Which liner can I use? | Use newspaper or a suitable compostable caddy liner. | Do not include compostable packaging or containers. |
| How can I reduce smells? | Empty the kitchen caddy regularly, keep the outdoor bin closed and rinse it after collection. | Do not pour liquids or cooking oil into it. |
| What happens to the food? | It is processed by anaerobic digestion to produce biogas and fertiliser. | Do not mix in garden waste or pet litter. |
Garden-waste subscription cost, sacks and collection rules
Subscribed domestic garden waste is collected every two weeks using a 180-litre wheeled bin or 90-litre compostable paper sacks.
| Garden service | Current detail | Resident action |
|---|---|---|
| Wheeled-bin subscription | £76.30, valid until 31 March 2027. | Subscribe, renew or update the number of bins online. |
| Paper garden sacks | £37.90 for a pack of ten. | Request collection before midday on the day before the scheduled collection. |
| Frequency | Every two weeks for subscribers. | Check the property calendar for the exact date. |
| Christmas pause | The service pauses for two weeks after Christmas. | Store material safely or use a recycling centre. |
| Accepted material | Flowers, plants, grass, leaves, hedge trimmings, bark and small branches under 15cm wide. | Place material loose in the subscribed bin. |
| Not accepted | Plastic, soil, turf, rubble, food, pet waste, invasive plants and treated wood. | Use the correct specialist or recycling-centre route. |
No mid-year refund: Somerset Council does not provide refunds when a garden-waste subscription is cancelled during the subscription year.
Bulky-waste cost, reuse options and collection limits
Somerset can collect household furniture and domestic appliances that two people can safely lift. The maximum booking is five items.
| Bulky-waste detail | Current information | Practical action |
|---|---|---|
| One to three items | £82.60. | List all items before starting the booking. |
| Each extra item | £23.10 per additional item, up to five items. | Compare the total with reuse or recycling-centre options. |
| Examples accepted | Sofas, chairs, tables, mattresses, bed frames, fridges, freezers and wooden doors. | Ensure two people can lift each item. |
| Reusable furniture | Somerset works with reuse organisations where suitable items meet condition and fire-label rules. | Donate reusable furniture before paying for disposal. |
| Unusual items | Some items, including old fuel tanks, may not be accepted. | Call 0300 123 2224 before booking. |
Bulky collection or another route?
Result: Select your situation.
Before booking
- Check whether the item can be donated or sold.
- Confirm that two people can safely lift it.
- Prepare a complete list of up to five items.
- Check upholstered furniture has a fire label if offered for reuse.
- Ask unusual-item questions before paying.
- Verify private collectors hold a waste-carrier licence.
Find one of Somerset’s 16 recycling centres
Opening days vary by site. Larger centres can open more days than smaller rural sites, so check the individual page immediately before travelling.
County-wide centre finder
Somerset’s sites include Bridgwater, Castle Cary, Chard, Cheddar, Crewkerne, Dulverton, Frome, Highbridge, Minehead, Somerton, Street, Taunton, Wellington, Wells, Williton and Yeovil.
- Many sites open from 9am.
- Summer closing is commonly 6pm on weekdays and 4pm at weekends.
- Closed weekdays differ by location.
- All sites close on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.
Vehicle and trailer permits
Some vehicles and trailers require a free Somerset resident permit. Vehicle and trailer size limits apply.
Queue cameras
Nine larger sites have regularly refreshed queue images to help residents choose a quieter arrival time.
DIY waste allowance
Each household can take up to eight 50-litre sacks of its own construction or demolition waste per month without charge, but booking rules apply.
Business waste
Trade, landlord, home-business and holiday-let waste cannot be disposed of as ordinary household waste.
Can plastic bags and wrappers go in Somerset recycling?
Most Somerset households must not place soft plastic bags and wrapping in ordinary kerbside recycling. Only households directly invited to the FlexCollect trial should use the special trial bags.
Trial households
Use only the council-supplied collection bags, tie them securely and place them between or on top of recycling boxes as instructed.
Non-trial households
Continue using supermarket front-of-store soft-plastic collection points where available.
Bright Blue Bag reminder
Plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays still belong in the Bright Blue Bag, not inside the FlexCollect trial bag.
Do not mix loose film
Loose wrappers and plastic film can contaminate the ordinary recycling collection and interfere with kerbside sorting.
Recycle More: Somerset’s recycling and rubbish system
Somerset Council Waste Services guide
The video explains the Recycle More collection system, additional kerbside recycling and why household rubbish is collected less often.
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Practical advice for towns, villages, flats and rural properties
Taunton, Yeovil and Frome
Nearby streets can follow different routes. Save the exact address calendar rather than relying on a town-wide assumption.
Bridgwater and flood-prone routes
Check weather and road updates during heavy rain. Flooding can prevent large collection vehicles reaching some properties.
Minehead and rural West Somerset
Recycling centres can have weekday closures. Check the centre page before making a long journey.
Flats and retirement developments
Use the communal schedule and labels. Contact the managing agent first about dirty bin stores, blocked access or fly-tipped waste.
Narrow rural lanes
Park so a collection vehicle can pass. If a fire engine could not get through, a recycling vehicle may also be unable to reach the property.
Windy collection days
Flatten light packaging, place heavier items above lighter recycling and stack boxes safely with the locked food bin on top where practical.
Severe heat
Collections can start from 6am during extreme heat. Present containers the night before when Somerset announces an early start.
Repeated collection problems
Keep dates and eight-digit service request numbers. Escalate through the waste complaints route only after normal reports remain unresolved.
Why correct kerbside sorting matters
Somerset’s kerbside sorting system produces cleaner materials that are easier to sell to UK reprocessors. Food waste is processed near Bridgwater, while garden waste is composted in Somerset.
Somerset Council waste links for final actions
Information checked: 26 June 2026. Collection dates, temporary disruption, prices, opening days and site restrictions can change. Use the linked official service for the final postcode result, booking, payment or report.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check my Somerset bin collection day?
Open Somerset Council’s collection-day calendar, enter your postcode and select the exact property. The result shows upcoming recycling, food waste, rubbish and garden-waste dates.
What time should Somerset bins be put out?
The safest approach is to put containers out by 6am or the night before. General service pages mention 7am, but the current missed-collection rules require confirmation that they were out by 6am.
How often is rubbish collected in Somerset?
Most households receive a rubbish-bin collection every three weeks. Communal properties and homes using authorised sacks may have different arrangements.
How often are recycling and food waste collected?
Recycling and food waste are normally collected every week. Communal properties can follow a different shared-bin schedule.
When can I report a missed Somerset collection?
Report after 7pm on the due day. Missed recycling can be reported up to three working days later, while rubbish and garden waste can be reported up to five working days later.
What goes in the Somerset Bright Blue Bag?
Use it for plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays, tins and cans, rinsed foil, empty aerosols and empty toothpaste tubes.
How much is Somerset garden-waste collection?
The current wheeled-bin subscription is £76.30. A pack of ten compostable paper garden sacks costs £37.90. These prices are listed as valid until 31 March 2027.
How much is a Somerset bulky-waste collection?
The current charge is £82.60 for one to three items and £23.10 for each additional item, with a maximum of five items per collection.
Do I need to book a Somerset recycling-centre visit?
Ordinary household visits do not always require a booking, but construction and demolition waste must be booked. Certain vehicles and trailers need a free resident permit.
Can I recycle plastic bags and wrappers at the kerbside?
Only households directly included in Somerset’s FlexCollect trial should use the special soft-plastic bags. Other households should use supermarket collection points where available.