Find out when your bins are collected

Refuse will be collected each fortnight and must be presented inside your council-issue black wheeled bin.  As long as your refuse is inside the bin it can be put in either loose or in bags.  Please do not leave any sacks either beside or on top of your wheeled bin as these will not be collected.

Where a property cannot accommodate a wheeled bin (such as flats), we will supply you with 80 beige council-issue refuse sacks each year or a communal bin.  These will only be issued once an assessment of your property has been undertaken by a Council officer.

What day is my refuse collected?

Use this link to find out when your refuse and recycling will be collected.  Please be aware that collections will take place a day later than stated during weeks where a Bank Holiday Monday falls due.

What happens if I am unable to carry my refuse to the kerbside?

If you are elderly, infirm or disabled and cannot manage to take your refuse to the kerbside then you may be entitled to receive an assisted collection.  Please telephone us on 01594 810000 and we will send you a form which will need to be completed and returned to us in order for your assisted collections to start.  For more information, please refer to our Assisted Collections leaflet. 

What happens if my refuse is not collected?

If your refuse is not collected please call our team on 01594 810000.  Please report missed collections to us by 12.00pm the following day (or Monday if your collection was due on the preceding Friday) and we will endeavour to return to your property and pick up the missed waste as soon as possible.  In such circumstances, please leave your waste out at the kerbside so that we are able to collect it.

In adverse weather, please ring 01594 812666 (recorded message) or visit to the Recycing, Rubbish and Waste home page for up to date information.

What happens to the refuse and recycling services on Bank Holidays and at Christmas?

During the Easter holidays, collections will operate as normal on Good Friday.  However, as no collections will be made on Easter Monday, your refuse and recycling will be collected a day later than normal for this week (i.e. if your collection in usually a Monday then the collection will be made on a Tuesday). Normal services will resume the following week.  Following the May and August Bank Holiday Mondays, collections will also be made a day later than normal.  Details of how your collections will be affected over the Christmas and New Year period can be found using this link.  For further information please call 01594 810000.

Is there anything else I need to know about the refuse service?

Please remember the following:

• All refuse should be securely contained within your black wheeled bin.
• Please ensure the lid of your wheeled bin is closed shut when presenting your refuse.  This is for the safety of the collection crew.
• Please make sure that any sharp objects e.g. broken glass, kitchen knives, razor blades are double wrapped in paper.  These items should then be placed within a container (i.e. such as an old plastic milk bottle) before being put in with your refuse.  If you have been allocated with the beige council-issue refuse sacks please mark clearly on the bag that it contains sharp objects.
• Please ensure that your refuse is at the kerbside or designated collection point for 7.30am on your collection day. 
• Garden waste must not be disposed of as part of the refuse collection. 
• Please allow hot ashes to cool in a metal bin before transferring them to your refuse wheeled bin.

Please do not put paint cans in your domestic refuse collection; it is illegal to dispose of these items in this way.  The spillage and damage to road surfaces are costly to clean and repair.  Please ensure that paint and oils are disposed of properly.  For further information about the safe disposal of these types of materials please call the Household Recycling Centre helpline on 0845 602 9344.

Commercial waste

Commercial waste contracts are a necessity for any business whether it is run from a private residence or from business premises.  It is the responsibility of the company/owner to ensure that an authorised and licensed waste carrier manages their waste and that the waste is disposed of correctly and complies with all the relevant legislation.  You can find a list of commercial waste providers in the Yellow Pages.  Any spillage that occurs during a commercial waste collection is the responsibility of the chosen contract supplying the service and the business that engaged their services.  THE FOREST OF DEAN DISTRIC COUNCIL ONLY OPERATES A DOMESTIC REFUSE SERVICE. 

Frequently Asked Questions - Refuse Service