Three-weekly black bin collections 2026

From May 2026 your black bin will be collected once every 3 weeks.

This change is needed to reduce carbon emissions, save money and encourage people to recycle more.

It will only affect black bin collections. Recycling and food waste collections will stay weekly, and garden waste collections will stay fortnightly.

Arrangements for flats will continue to be considered on a case by case basis.

How to prepare

Get into the habit now of recycling as much as you can. This will help you adjust to three-weekly black bin collections.

There is no limit to the amount of recycling you can put out. You can order extra recycling boxes and a food waste bin if needed.

Most of what currently ends up in people’s black bins could have been recycled:

By spring 2026 everyone in South Gloucestershire will be able to recycle soft plastics from home.

We will also reintroduce large reusable bags for recycling plastic containers, cans and foil. This will make it easier for you to recycle more.

You can start using the soft plastic collection bags and the new large reusable recycling bag as soon as you get them.

You can check if an item can be recycled and set collection day reminders using the South Gloucestershire Council app.

Additional support

We will continue to offer additional services to help households who need more support. This includes:

• assisted collections
• large household item collections
• clinical waste collections including sharps
• extra black bins

In 2026, we will launch a free, fortnightly subscription for absorbent hygiene products such as disposable nappies. This means you will not have to wait 3 weeks for these to be collected. 

Avoiding smells and pests

Putting food waste in your black bin may cause smells and attract pests. Disposing of your food waste through the weekly recycling collection will stop this happening. 

Concerns about fly tipping 

Some people have raised concerns that changing to three-weekly collections may lead to an increase in fly tipping. This has not been seen in other council areas where it has already been introduced. 

In addition, fly tipping is a crime. Most people are actively against it and therefore unlikely to dispose of their waste illegally. 

If you pay someone else to dispose of any of your waste, check they have the appropriate licence and are taking it to a licensed site or you could be fined up to £5,000 if they do not dispose of it properly.