Reading Bin Collection is owned and operated by Reading Borough Council. bins are collected on different days depending on where you are located in the Reading area. You can easily find your bin collection day by using the link below.
🗑️ Reading Borough Council Waste & Receptacle Guide
The council operates a structured waste collection system. Review the standard containers, collection timelines, and service criteria below.
| Receptacle / Service | Frequency | Waste Type | Chargeable |
|---|---|---|---|
| 140l Grey Refuse Bin | Fortnightly | General household waste | No |
| Black Refuse Sack | Weekly | General waste (specific sites) | No |
| 240l Red Recycling Bins/Boxes | Fortnightly | Mixed dry recycling | No |
| 23l Food Waste Bin | Weekly | Food scraps and leftovers | No |
| 5l Kitchen Food Caddy | As needed | Indoor food collection storage | No |
| Clinical Waste Collection | As required | Non-hazardous medical waste | No |
| 240l Green Garden Bin / Bag | Fortnightly | Garden & green waste | Yes (Subscription) |
| Bulky Waste Collection | As requested | Large unwanted household items | Yes (Per item) |
📌 Important Service Guidelines
- Ownership: All supplied council bins remain property of Reading Borough Council.
- Replacements: Bins damaged directly by collection vehicles are replaced free of charge; user damage or loss may incur replacement responsibilities.
- Exemptions: Larger families or qualifying HMOs can request extra waste capacity support via the official council portal.
🚚 Container Presentation & Collection Rules
To ensure smooth and efficient collections across Reading, residents must follow specific guidelines regarding placement times, locations, and access rules.
⏰ Timing & Kerbside Rules
- Deadline: Put bins or bags out by 6:00 AM on your scheduled collection day.
- Sack Collections: Sacks must never be left inside bins; remove them and place them directly on the pavement.
- Prompt Removal: Retrieve empty containers from the pavement promptly after collection to prevent pedestrian obstruction.
📍 Placement & Access
- Positioning: Place containers on the nearest public pavement without blocking pedestrian pathways.
- Narrow Roads: If there is no pavement, place containers just inside your property boundary edge.
- Parked Cars: Ensure vehicles do not block collection trucks from accessing your street on collection day.
⚠️ Issues & Missed Bins
- Assisted Collections: Available for elderly or infirm residents who cannot manage the kerbside.
- Stuck Waste: Crews cannot dislodge jammed or compacted waste; loosen items and report within 48 hours if missed.
- Reporting Window: Genuinely missed collections must be reported online within 48 hours to qualify for a return visit.
📌 Private Roads & Pull Distances
Collections on private roads require strict surface, width, and turning clearances. Additionally, collection crews adhere to British Standards safety limits, walking a maximum of 15 metres for 2-wheeled bins and 10 metres for 4-wheeled bins from the collection vehicle.
♻️ What Materials Can Go in Each Bin?
Proper sorting prevents contamination and ensures your waste is successfully processed. Review the accepted and prohibited items for both grey and red bins below.
🗑️ Grey Refuse Bin (General Household Waste)
| ✅ What CAN Go In | ❌ What CANNOT Go In |
|---|---|
|
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Note: Bins must close flat, weigh under 25kg, and contain strictly household waste (no building rubble or trade waste).
📦 Red Recycling Bins & Boxes (Dry Mixed Recycling)
| ✅ What CAN Go In (Loose Only) | ❌ What CANNOT Go In |
|---|---|
|
|
Important: Contaminated red bins will be rejected by collection crews. Keep extra cardboard dry and neatly stacked beside your bin if it cannot fit inside.
🍏 Food Waste Collection & Caddy Guidelines
Reading operates a weekly food waste collection service to process scraps sustainably. Use your 5l indoor kitchen caddy for daily collection, then transfer tied bags into your 23l outdoor food bin for weekly kerbside pickup.
5l Kitchen Caddy vs. 23l Kerbside Food Bin
Important Reminder: Only ever put out your 23l outdoor food bin at the kerbside for collection. Never present your small 5l kitchen caddy outside, as collection crews will not empty it.
🥗 What Can Go in Your Food Waste Bin?
| ✅ What CAN Go In | ❌ What CANNOT Go In |
|---|---|
|
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📌 Caddy Liners & Handling Rules
- Liners: You can use the official plastic liners provided, standard bread bags, newspaper, paper bags, or leave your caddy unlined. (Note: Compostable liners are prohibited).
- Contamination Warning: Food bins containing incorrect materials will be classed as contaminated and left uncollected. Crews log these via in-cab digital systems.
- Hygiene: Tie food bags securely before placing them in the 23l bin. If using unlined caddies, wash your containers regularly to maintain cleanliness.
🌿 Green Garden Waste Subscription & Guidelines
Reading operates a chargeable garden waste service available 50 weeks a year. Households can register for up to two council-approved green waste bins or bags (subscriptions run for 12 months, with council tax support concessions available).
Green Garden Waste Bins or Bags (Max 2 Per Property)
Presentation Rule: Position your green container at the property boundary by 6:00 AM with the handles facing the road and separated from your grey and red bins. Ensure lids close fully and total weight remains under 60kg.
🍃 What Materials Can Go in Your Green Container?
| ✅ What CAN Go In (Loose Only) | ❌ What CANNOT Go In |
|---|---|
|
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📌 Important Collection & Weather Advisories
- Contamination & Rejection: Containers with prohibited items or exceeding the 60kg weight limit will be refused and logged as contaminated via in-cab systems. Owners must clear incorrect items before the next scheduled cycle.
- Freezing Weather: Collections are attempted in sub-zero temperatures, but frozen contents may occasionally fail to empty. Crews will retry on the following scheduled date.
- Missed Collections: Genuinely missed, properly presented bins must be reported via the online portal within 48 hours to qualify for a return collection within 7 working days.
🏢 Communal Properties, Flats & Mixed-Use Developments
Purpose-built blocks of flats, conversions, and mixed-use sites operate under specific shared waste guidelines. Developers, managing agents, and residents must coordinate to ensure smooth, contamination-free collections.
🔄 Collection Frequencies
- General Waste & Recycling: Fortnightly collections for both household refuse and dry mixed recycling.
- Food Waste: Weekly communal food waste collections (utilizing dedicated bins or blue-lid containers).
- New Developments: Developers must collaborate with the council to supply the correct quantity of bins scaled to registered properties.
🔑 Access & Security Rules
- Store Security: Managing agents must maintain secure, well-lit bin stores and arrange presentation if crew access is limited.
- Access Codes: Gate or door locks must be combination or keypad style so codes can be shared with collection crews. Physical keys or fobs are not permitted.
- Binds & Excess: Overfilled bins or excess side waste will result in refusal until cleared (revisits may incur a fee).
🏪 Mixed-Use & Commercial Sites
- Strict Segregation: Properties combining living spaces and commercial units (e.g., flats above shops) must maintain completely separate, lockable bin areas.
- Illegal Disposal: Household bins must never be used for commercial business waste (subject to prosecution under the Environmental Protection Act 1990).
- Sack-Only Sites: Flats lacking physical bin space must present waste exclusively in official council sacks at designated collection zones.
📌 Contamination & Prohibited Items
Large or hazardous items (furniture, electronics, construction rubble, vehicle parts) are strictly prohibited from communal bins. If recycling or food bins are contaminated with incorrect materials, they will not be emptied. Managing agents must clear the contamination and pay for a special revisit, or wait for the next scheduled collection cycle.
⚡ Small Electrical & Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Collection
Reading offers a kerbside recycling service for small electrical items for homes with individual bins (note: this service is unavailable for communal properties).
📦 How to Present Electricals
- Bagging: Place small items in a single untied carrier bag next to or on top of your red recycling bin.
- Size Limit: Items must fit comfortably inside dimensions no larger than 30cm x 24cm (power cables can be included).
- Quantity: Crews collect a maximum of one bag per household on each scheduled recycling cycle.
💡 What Can Be Recycled
- Small electric or battery-powered children's toys
- Hairdryers, hair straighteners, and grooming tools
- Kitchen gadgets like toasters and small hand blenders
- Compact power tools and handheld electronics
⚠️ Critical Safety Warnings
- Bin Ban: Never put electrical items or batteries inside grey, red, or food waste bins. They pose a severe fire hazard inside collection trucks and sorting facilities.
- Oversized Items: Items too large for the carrier bag limit will not be collected and require alternative disposal arrangements.
🏥 Healthcare & Clinical Waste Collection Service
Reading Borough Council provides a specialized collection service for residents self-treating medical conditions at home that generate infectious or hazardous clinical waste.
📋 Referrals & Service Rules
- GP Referral Required: Must be referred in writing (letter/email) by your GP surgery, District Nurse, or NHS Trust.
- Self-Treatment Only: Applies to self-administered care. Professional healthcare treatment waste must be disposed of by the clinician.
- Exchange Basis: Contractors operate a strict one-for-one replacement policy when collecting containers.
🚚 Schedule & Presentation
- Collection Day: Service currently takes place on Fridays (morning through late afternoon).
- Discrete Location: Leave containers at your pre-agreed discrete spot on your property boundary; replacements are left in the same location.
- Activity Monitoring: If no waste is presented for 3 consecutive weeks, service may be temporarily suspended pending confirmation.
⚠️ Restrictions & Landlords
- Exclusions: Intravenous drug user waste/sharps are not collected via this domestic service (use needle return schemes instead).
- Vacated Property: Landlords are legally responsible for hiring a licensed commercial waste contractor to clear any medical waste left behind by departed tenants.
🚨 Report a Missed Bin Collection
If your bin was due for collection and hasn't been emptied, you can report it online—provided it meets the necessary reporting criteria.
☀️ Hot Weather Early Collection Notice
During periods of hot weather, collection crews may start their rounds early at 5:00 AM to beat the peak heat. Crews work quietly to minimize disturbance, but you must ensure your containers are at the kerbside by 5:00 AM to avoid missing your pickup.
🔍 Checks Before Reporting
- Collection Day: Verify your schedule (note potential changes after bank holidays).
- Correct Contents: Ensure your bin only contained permitted items and wasn't contaminated.
- Street Status: Check if other bins on your street were successfully collected.
❌ When You Cannot Report
- Round in Progress: Crews may simply be running late on their route.
- Time Window: It has been longer than 48 hours since the missed collection.
- Logged Issues: The crew recorded an issue (wrong bin, contamination, blocked access, or road closures).
- Rescheduling: The collection was already rescheduled (check the calendar after 3 PM for updates).
🌐 Submit a Missed Collection Report
Reports must be submitted within 48 hours of your scheduled collection day via the official Reading Borough Council portal.
Report Missed Bin Online ↗
