Plastics and cans
Grey-lidded bin
All councils
Shetland Islands 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 Shetland Islands
These are the containers used in Shetland Islands. Which ones a home has depends on its address.
Paper and cardboard
Blue-lidded bin
Container details
The container pictures and words are Shetland Islands Council's own. This may not be every container it uses.
Container descriptions checked 18 September 2026.
Order, book and apply
- Buy bags or binsShetland Islands Council
- Household skip hire guidanceShetland Islands Council
- Get rid of a bulky itemShetland Islands Council
Links checked 17 September 2026.
Missed bin or a problem
Tell Shetland Islands Council first - it can only fix what it knows about.
Missed-bin guidance checked 20 September 2026.
- Make a complaint to Shetland Islands 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 Shetland Islands Council.
WriteToThem is an independent mySociety service. You'll enter your postcode there before choosing who to contact.
Complaint routes verified 6 September 2026.
Local bins and recycling news
AI-generated summary, reviewed before publication. Checked 18 September 2026.
Shetland Islands Council said in July 2026 that it would challenge Scottish Government plans for household collections of flexible plastics. Officers argued that collecting lightweight wrappers and shipping them south could be costly and environmentally counterproductive for the islands.
Chief executive Maggie Sandison said the council could use island-impact assessments to explain its concerns, while discussing the issue with both government and regulators. She also acknowledged that waste-service licence conditions must be followed, including any future requirement to stop burning the material. The proposed collections cover items such as clingfilm, crisp packets and sweet wrappers.
- SIC to lobby Scottish Government over proposed flexible plastic recycling — www.shetnews.co.uk