This bank holiday, Brits are being urged to be vigilant in case their bin collection day has changed, potentially putting them at risk of a hefty fine. If your normal day for bin or recycling collection falls on Monday, August 25, depending on your local council, the waste service may have been moved to another day.
It’s possible refuse workers may come a day earlier, or the nearest working day before the holiday date, or they may come a day after, or a new date allocated by the local authority. It’s important for residents to check their local council website for any updates.
Many people may be planning a getaway on Monday, but leaving your bin out too long can result in a fine, particularly if it causes an obstruction, attracts pests, or is unsightly. Councils can issue fixed penalty notices, usually up to £80, under Section 46A of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. This bank holiday Monday is also expected to see some unsettled weather from the tail end of Hurricane Erin, which could lead to bin toppling over.
Graham Matthews, waste collection expert at BusinessWaste.co.uk, said: “The August bank holiday can cause interruptions to waste schedules and confusion for residents.
“It’s everyone’s responsibility to check whether their waste collection will be affected by the longer weekend to ensure they don’t miss out and have to wait until their next collection.
“This avoids unnecessary stress and the risk of bulkier collections, as well as potential health and hygiene hazards caused by not leaving waste out in the open for too long.”
Many councils have published their new collection dates, or said if waste will be removed as normal. See the list below for some authorities who have stated their intentions.
Cheshire West and Chester
Liverpool City Council
Denbighshire County Council
Havering London Borough Council
Herefordshire Council
Belfast City Council – Bin and box collections, including Bryson recycling collections, will take place as normal on Monday August 25.
Preston City Council
Flintshire County Council
Central Bedfordshire Council
Swansea Council
South Gloucestershire Council
East Suffolk Council
Derry City and Strabane District Council
Northumberland County Council – bins will be collected 1 day later than usual.
Buckinghamshire Council – August 26.
North Herts Council – August 26.
Telford and Wrekin – August 26.
Cheltenham Borough Council – August 26.
Royal Borough of Greenwich – August 26.
Neath Port Talbot Council – August 26.
Worcester City Council – August 26.
North Devon Council – August 26.
Sevenoaks District Council – no collections on Monday August 25. All collections this week will be one day later than usual until Saturday 30 August.
Newham London – August 26.
Lewisham – all bin collections, including general, food, and garden waste, as well as your recycling, will be collected one day after the usual collection day. This will take effect from Sunday, August 24, until Saturday, August 30.
Harrow – August 26.
West Suffolk Council – August 26.
North Norfolk District Council – August 26.