General household waste
Black wheelie bin
All councils
Hertsmere 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 Hertsmere
These are the containers used in Hertsmere. Which ones a home has depends on its address.
Garden waste
Green bin
Only if you've subscribed
Container details
The container pictures and words are Hertsmere Borough Council's own. This may not be every container it uses.
- General household waste: Households using bins rather than sack collections
- Garden waste: Households subscribed to the garden waste collection service
Container descriptions checked 19 September 2026.
Order, book and apply
- What goes in your black household waste binHertsmere Borough Council
- Garden waste collectionsHertsmere Borough Council
- Food waste collectionsHertsmere Borough Council
- Get rid of a bulky itemHertsmere Borough Council
- Recycling centres and tipsHertfordshire County Council
Links checked 19 September 2026.
Missed bin or a problem
Tell Hertsmere Borough 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 Hertsmere 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 Hertsmere Borough 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 Hertsmere compares
- Recycled or composted
- 43%of household waste, 2024 to 2025
- Rubbish not recycled
- 451 kgper household a year
- Cost of collections
- £81per household a year. Similar councils: £54
- Value for money
- 1 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.
Since April 2025, Hertsmere has run weekly food waste collections alongside fortnightly black bin (rubbish) and brown bin (mixed recycling) rounds, with garden waste collected fortnightly for subscribers. The rollout meant some households' collection day changed, and the council prioritised black bin collections during transition, occasionally leaving a longer gap for brown bins. This remains the current system.
Council performance data for Q1 2025/26 showed missed collections running well above target (234.8 per 100,000 collections against a target of 60), and recycling at 43.5% against a 50% goal. Waste services are the most-complained-about area in 2024/25, with 285/565 total complaints. Garden waste subscription charges rose to £55 for 2026/27.
- Waste and Recycling changes start early April — www.hertsmere.gov.uk
- Hertsmere - Cabinet - 10/09/2025 — opencouncil.network
- Hertsmere - Operations Review Committee - 16/09/2025 — opencouncil.network
- Garden Waste - Hertsmere Borough Council — www.hertsmere.gov.uk