Non-recyclable rubbish
Black non-recyclable waste wheelie bin, or black rubbish bag
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Colchester bin collection dates
- Add your dates to Google, Apple or Outlook calendar
- Get an email the evening before
- Print an A4 sheet for the fridge
Bins in Colchester
These are the containers used in Colchester. Which ones a home has depends on its address.
or or Mixed recycling
Green-lidded recycling wheelie bin, or clear recycling bag
Food waste
Garden waste
Brown garden waste wheelie bin
Only if you've subscribed
Glass
Container details
The container pictures and words are Colchester Borough Council's own. This may not be every container it uses.
Greyed-out bin icons are placeholders where the container type or colour is not confirmed.
- Non-recyclable rubbish: Homes using a non-recyclable waste wheelie bin
- Non-recyclable rubbish: Only Use existing containers until your new bins arrive
- Non-recyclable rubbish: Homes using rubbish bags while awaiting bins or remaining on the bag service
- Mixed recycling: Homes using their delivered recycling wheelie bin
- Mixed recycling: Only Use existing containers until your new bins arrive
- Mixed recycling: Homes using recycling bags while awaiting bins or remaining on the bag service
- Garden waste: Homes subscribed to garden waste collections
- Waste strategy implementation: frequently asked questions
- What goes in your bins (kerbside)
- What goes in your bins (kerbside): dry mixed recycling
- What goes in your bins (kerbside): garden waste
Container descriptions checked 19 September 2026; list of collections built from Colchester Borough Council's own service names 22 September 2026.
Order, book and apply
- Garden waste collectionsColchester Borough Council
- Food waste collectionsColchester Borough Council
- Get rid of a bulky itemColchester Borough Council
- Get help putting your bins outColchester Borough Council
Links checked 20 September 2026.
Missed bin or a problem
Tell Colchester Borough Council first - it can only fix what it knows about.
- Report a missed binA bin that wasn't emptied on the day.
- Make a complaint to Colchester Borough CouncilIf reporting it didn't fix it.
Complaint didn't work either? Ask your councillors
If you've already reported the problem and used the council's complaints process, your district councillors can take up a repeated problem or a wider service failure. Find and write to my district councillors on Colchester Borough Council.
WriteToThem is an independent mySociety service. You'll enter your postcode there before choosing who to contact.
Complaint routes verified 7 September 2026.
How Colchester compares
- Recycled or composted
- 52%of household waste, 2024 to 2025
- Rubbish not recycled
- 326 kgper household a year
- Cost of collections
- £67per household a year. Similar councils: £50
- Value for money
- 5 out of 10 An independently constructed WhenIsBins rating, not an official government rating.
Official figures for England, 2024 to 2025.
Local bins and recycling news
AI-generated summary, reviewed before publication. Checked 18 September 2026.
A March 2026 Essex Live report described Colchester’s planned wheelie-bin rollout, due to begin on 1 June and take about nine months. The reported cost exceeded £2 million. Most households were to receive separate rubbish and mixed-recycling bins, with around 2% excluded because their locations were unsuitable. Residents raised objections about storage, blocked pavements and a lack of consultation. Councillor Martin Goss defended the scheme as a move towards a modern waste service. The plans included 180-litre rubbish bins, larger versions for families and 240-litre recycling bins.
- Most of Colchester to get new wheelie bins in latest council update — www.essexlive.news