Rubbish
Black wheelie bin, or orange bags
All councils
Lewisham 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 Lewisham
These are the containers used in Lewisham. Which ones a home has depends on its address.
or or Recycling
Green wheelie bin, or clear bags
Food waste
23-litre grey food waste bin
Container details
The container pictures and words are Lewisham Borough Council's own. This may not be every container it uses.
- Rubbish: Houses and converted flats with space for individual bins
- Rubbish: Homes without space for bins
- Recycling: Houses and converted flats with space for individual bins
- Recycling: Homes without space for bins
- Food waste: Houses and converted flats with space for individual bins
Container descriptions checked 18 September 2026; list of collections built from Lewisham Borough Council's own service names 22 September 2026.
Order, book and apply
- What goes in your bins and sacksLewisham Borough Council
- A-Z of recyclingLewisham Borough Council
- Garden waste collectionsLewisham Borough Council
- Food waste collectionsLewisham Borough Council
- Get rid of a bulky itemLewisham Borough Council
- Get help putting your bins outLewisham Borough Council
Links checked 14 September 2026.
Missed bin or a problem
Tell Lewisham 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 Lewisham 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 borough councillors can take up a repeated problem or a wider service failure. Find and write to my borough councillors on Lewisham 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 Lewisham compares
- Recycled or composted
- 27%of household waste, 2024 to 2025
- Rubbish not recycled
- 502 kgper household a year
- Cost of collections
- £82per household a year. Similar councils: £79
- 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.
Residents in Lee challenged Lewisham Council over bags of street-cleaning rubbish left uncollected, a report in April 2026 said. They described foxes ripping bags open and scattering waste, and said the problem sometimes lasted for days. Some were considering legal action if it continued. The council said staff avoided leaving bags on Woodyates Road where possible and aimed to collect them promptly, although temporary storage was sometimes necessary. The dispute followed an increase in the maximum fly-tipping penalty from £400 to £1,000 the previous year, prompting residents to question the consistency of the council’s approach.