All councils
Durham 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 Durham
These are the containers used in Durham. Which ones a home has depends on its address.
Recycling
Blue-lidded recycling bin
Food waste
Container details
The container pictures and words are Durham County 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.
Container descriptions checked 18 September 2026; list of collections built from Durham County Council's own service names 22 September 2026.
Order, book and apply
- What goes in my rubbish binDurham County Council
- Garden waste bin contentsDurham County Council
- Garden waste collectionsDurham County Council
- Food waste collectionsDurham County Council
- Get rid of a bulky itemDurham County Council
- Recycling centres and tipsDurham County Council
- Garden waste collectionsDurham County Council
Links checked 17 September 2026.
Missed bin or a problem
Tell Durham County Council first - it can only fix what it knows about.
- Report a missed binA bin that wasn't emptied on the day.
- Report another bin collection problemAnything else about the collection or your bins.
- Make a complaint to Durham County 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 unitary authority councillors can take up a repeated problem or a wider service failure. Find and write to my unitary authority councillors on Durham County Council.
WriteToThem is an independent mySociety service. You'll enter your postcode there before choosing who to contact.
Complaint routes verified 6 September 2026.
How Durham compares
- Recycled or composted
- 37%of household waste, 2024 to 2025
- Rubbish not recycled
- 571 kgper household a year
- Cost of collections
- £63per household a year. Similar councils: £78
- Value for money
- 6 out of 10 Limited confidence. 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 September 2026 ITV report described Durham’s phased food-waste rollout, with collections reaching about two-thirds of the county by the end of July. It said communal properties were due to receive collections from autumn. Earlier scrutiny reporting, from November 2024, recorded councillor Jonathan Elmer’s call for a wider review of waste management as recycling rates fell. He questioned reliance on incineration; the council defended its approach and pointed to services for difficult-to-recycle items. ITV said Durham’s collected food waste was being converted into renewable energy. The council said its waste strategy prioritised reuse and repair.