General household waste
Black non-recycling wheelie bin, or council-provided purple bags
All councils
Harlow 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 Harlow
These are the containers used in Harlow. Which ones a home has depends on its address.
or Recycling
Blue recycling box
Food Caddy
Container details
The container pictures and words are Harlow District Council's own. This may not be every container it uses.
- General household waste: Homes using individual refuse wheelie bins
- General household waste: Homes without a refuse wheelie bin
- Recycling: Homes using individual recycling boxes
Container descriptions checked 19 September 2026; list of collections built from Harlow District Council's own service names 22 September 2026.
Order, book and apply
- Food waste caddy guidanceHarlow District Council
- What goes in each binHarlow District Council
- When and where to put your bins outHarlow District Council
- Garden waste collectionsHarlow District Council
- Get rid of a bulky itemHarlow District Council
- Get help putting your bins outHarlow District Council
Links checked 17 September 2026.
Missed bin or a problem
Tell Harlow District 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 Harlow District 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 Harlow District 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 Harlow compares
- Recycled or composted
- 40%of household waste, 2024 to 2025
- Rubbish not recycled
- 440 kgper household a year
- Cost of collections
- £40per household a year. Similar councils: £59
- Value for money
- 10 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.
Harlow announced that households could recycle more plastics and cartons from 1 April 2026 without needing another bin. The expanded list includes yoghurt pots, spread tubs and food trays, alongside familiar materials such as paper, cardboard, bottles and cans. The council told residents to put these additions with their usual recycling. Its separate food-waste guidance says outdoor caddies are collected weekly and households with regular extra food waste can request another caddy. For occasional surplus, it allows a securely packed cardboard box on top of the food caddy.
- From April you can recycle more at home — www.harlow.gov.uk
- Food bin | Harlow Council — www.harlow.gov.uk