Swale Borough Council Bin Collection Schedule, Dates and Calendar Guide
Use this practical Swale guide to check your bin collection day, understand the green refuse bin, blue recycling bin, black and orange food waste bin, brown garden waste subscription, missed-bin reporting, replacement bins, bulky waste collections and Kent household waste recycling centre rules for Sittingbourne, Sheerness, Faversham and surrounding villages.
What do you need today?
Choose the exact job first. This page is built for residents searching Swale bin collection dates, refuse calendar, blue bin recycling, food waste, garden waste renewal, missed bin, bulky waste or replacement bin prices.
Find Your Swale Bin Collection Calendar
Enter your postcode here to keep it handy, then open Swale Borough Council’s official bin day page. The official lookup is the safest way to check your next green bin, blue bin, food waste and brown garden waste collection date.
How do I check Swale Borough Council bin collection dates?
Use Swale Borough Council’s official “Check Your Bin Day” page and enter your postcode. On collection day, put bins at the edge of your property by 6am with the lids fully closed. In Swale, green bins are for general household waste that cannot be recycled, blue bins are for recyclable household waste, black and orange bins are for food waste, and brown bins are for paid garden waste subscriptions.
Official Swale Bin Collection Sources Used for This 2026 Guide
This page is based on official Swale Borough Council and Kent County Council pages, not guessed bin dates or copied schedules from another Kent district.
Collection day lookup
Swale’s official “Check Your Bin Day” page asks residents to enter their postcode to check the date of the next household waste collection, including garden waste where relevant.
Set-out rule
Swale says bins should be at the edge of your property by 6am on collection day and lids should be fully closed.
Garden waste fee
Swale lists the garden waste subscription at £62 each year, with fortnightly brown-bin collections except over Christmas and New Year.
Missed-bin limit
The missed-bin service cannot normally be used if it has been more than two working days since your collection day.
Swale Borough Council Bin Collection Dates 2026: Schedule, Calendar and Postcode Lookup
Your Swale bin day depends on your exact property, so always start with the official postcode lookup before putting bins out.
Swale covers Sittingbourne, Faversham, Sheerness, Queenborough, Minster, Leysdown, Iwade, Teynham, Eastchurch, Kemsley, Milton Regis and many villages. Collection routes can vary by road, estate, lane, flat block or new development. The official lookup is especially important if you have recently moved, if your street has new bins, if you subscribe to garden waste or if your area has been affected by Christmas and New Year collection changes.
Open the official Check Your Bin Day page
Use Swale Borough Council’s Check Your Bin Day page.
Enter your full postcode
Use the postcode for the property that needs the collection date. Do not use the postcode of a nearby shop, neighbour or old address.
Check each service separately
Look for household waste, recycling, food waste and garden waste if you have a brown bin subscription.
Re-check around Christmas and New Year
Swale publishes Christmas and New Year changes when they apply. Garden waste and bulky waste can be suspended during festive periods.
Resident tip: save the lookup result on your phone after checking your postcode. If you live on the Isle of Sheppey, in a rural lane or on a new estate, this is safer than relying on a neighbour’s bin.
Swale Bin Set-Out Rules: 6am, Edge of Property, Closed Lid and No Dangerous Items
Many missed collections are not route problems. They happen because bins were not presented correctly, were blocked or contained the wrong items.
By 6am
Put bins at the edge of your property by 6am on collection day. Collection times can change from week to week.
Lid fully closed
Overfilled bins with open lids can cause safety issues and may not be collected.
Use correct bin
Food belongs in the food waste bin, nappies in the green refuse bin, and textiles/electricals should go to a household waste recycling centre.
No dangerous items
Gas canisters, batteries and disposable vapes are dangerous and are not collected in normal kerbside bins.
Safety warning: batteries, vapes and gas canisters can cause fires and explosions. Use Kent County Council guidance or household waste recycling centres for safe disposal.
Swale Bin Colours Explained: Green Refuse, Blue Recycling, Food Waste and Brown Garden Waste
Swale’s bin colours are easy once you remember the local meanings: green is general waste, blue is recycling, black/orange is food waste, and brown is paid garden waste.
Green bin
General household waste that cannot be recycledUse for non-recyclable household waste. Do not use it for food waste, garden waste, batteries, vapes, gas canisters or electrical items.
- Nappies and sanitary waste
- General rubbish that cannot be recycled
- Pet waste where appropriate
- Non-recyclable packaging
Blue bin
Recyclable household wasteUse for clean, dry recycling. Loose recycling is preferred. If extra recycling does not fit, Swale allows clear sacks or a separate cardboard box next to the blue bin.
- Clean and dry recyclable containers
- Paper and card where accepted
- Clear sacks only for extra recycling
- No food, nappies, textiles, black sacks or electricals
Black and orange food waste bin
Food waste collectionPut food waste out beside your refuse or recycling bin each week on collection day.
- Food scraps and leftovers
- Fruit and vegetable peelings
- Tea bags and coffee grounds
- No packaging or liquids
Brown garden waste bin
Paid yearly subscriptionUse only if you subscribe to Swale’s garden waste collection service. Brown bins are collected fortnightly except over Christmas and New Year.
- Grass cuttings and leaves
- Hedge trimmings
- Small garden prunings
- One brown bin for each subscription
Swale Blue Bin Recycling: Clean, Dry, Loose and No Food, Nappies, Textiles or Electricals
Swale’s blue bin is for recyclable household waste. The simplest rule is clean, dry and loose.
Swale specifically warns residents not to put food, nappies, textiles, black bin sacks or electricals in recycling. Food should go in the food waste bin. Nappies should go in the green refuse bin. Textiles and electrical items should go to a household waste recycling centre or other correct reuse/recycling route.
Extra recycling
If your blue bin is full, Swale says you can put extra recycling in additional clear sacks or a separate cardboard box next to the bin, but loose recycling is preferred.
Prepare items first
Rinse containers, remove food, keep paper and card dry, and flatten boxes before collection day.
Avoid these mistakes
No food waste, nappies, textiles, black sacks, electricals, batteries, disposable vapes or gas canisters.
Practical tip: if you regularly have extra recycling, keep a clear sack or spare cardboard box ready. Do not use black sacks for recycling because crews cannot confirm what is inside.
Swale Food Waste Collection: Black and Orange Bin, Weekly Set-Out and Liner Rules
Food waste should be separated from your green refuse bin and put beside your refuse or recycling bin each week on collection day.
Swale provides food waste bins and replaces food caddies free of charge. The council does not supply or replace liners for silver food caddies. It advises residents to use compostable liners whenever possible, or newspaper or kitchen paper to wrap food waste if compostable liners are not available.
Why use it?
Food waste takes up space in the green bin and can smell. Weekly food waste collection keeps general waste cleaner.
What to avoid
Do not put packaging or liquids into your food waste bin.
Need a caddy?
Food waste bins and caddies are part of Swale’s order and replacement bin service, and food caddies are replaced free.
Swale Green Bin: General Household Waste That Cannot Be Recycled
The green bin is for household waste that cannot be recycled in the blue bin or separated into the food waste bin.
Do not use the green bin as the first option. Before putting something in it, ask whether it can go into the blue recycling bin, food waste bin, garden waste service, bulky waste booking or Kent household waste recycling centre. This helps avoid overflowing bins and contamination.
Use green bin for
General household waste that cannot be recycled, nappies, non-recyclable packaging and small household rubbish.
Keep out
No dangerous items, gas canisters, batteries, disposable vapes, electrical items, food waste, garden waste, rubble or bulky waste.
Closed lid matters
Make sure the lid is fully closed by 6am on collection day to reduce the chance of non-collection.
Swale Garden Waste Collection 2026: £62 Brown Bin Subscription and Fortnightly Collections
Swale garden waste is an optional paid service. You need a brown bin subscription before garden waste will be collected.
Swale lists the garden waste subscription at £62 each year. If you subscribe, the council collects your garden waste every two weeks, except over Christmas and New Year when garden waste collections are suspended for two weeks. Each subscription includes one brown garden waste bin. If you need extra garden waste collections, you must pay the garden waste subscription fee for each garden waste bin you order.
Yearly cost
£62 each year for a garden waste subscription.
Collection pattern
Fortnightly collections, with a two-week suspension over Christmas and New Year.
New brown bin
Swale says a new garden waste bin is delivered within 10 working days after subscribing.
Renew on time
Renew before your renewal date to continue receiving collections.
Missed Bin Collection Swale: Report Within Two Working Days and Check Refusal Reasons First
Swale lets residents report missed green, blue and food waste bins, and subscribed brown garden waste bins, but some reports are not accepted.
You cannot normally report a missed collection if it has been more than two working days since your collection day, if someone has already reported it, if the crew has not reached your road yet, if the bin was not out when the crew came, if the wrong items were in the bin, if the bin included items Swale does not collect, or if the crew could not get access after trying three times.
Check the official bin day first
Make sure the correct bin was due for your postcode and address.
Check the 6am and lid rule
Was the bin at the edge of your property by 6am, with the lid fully closed?
Check contamination and access
Wrong items, dangerous materials, blocked roads or blocked access can stop collection.
Report online within two working days
Use the official missed-bin service and keep the reference number you receive.
Order or Replace Swale Bins: New Development Set, Green/Blue Replacement Cost and Free Food Caddies
Swale charges for many replacement wheeled bins, but food caddies are replaced free of charge.
| Container or service | Official Swale detail | Resident note |
|---|---|---|
| New development full set | £130.20 for a full set of 4 bins | Includes 180L green bin, 240L blue bin, 23L food waste bin and 5L kitchen caddy. |
| Replacement green or blue bin | £32.70 | Applies to lost or damaged green/blue bins, including moved-in properties without them. |
| Food waste bin or caddy | Replaced free of charge | Swale does not supply or replace liners for silver food caddies. |
| Garden waste bin | Through garden waste subscription | Garden waste subscription reference may be needed for brown bin replacement. |
New development tip: if you moved into a new housing development without bins, ask the developer first. If the developer is not supplying them, Swale lets residents order a bin set online or through customer services.
Swale Bulky Waste Collection: Prices, White Goods and Upholstered Seating Charge
Use Swale’s bulky collection service for larger furniture and electrical appliances that will not fit in your normal bins.
Swale lists bulky collection at £34.70 for up to four items, or £34.70 each for white goods such as washing machines and tumble dryers. An additional £6 is added if the bulky collection includes upholstered seating such as sofas or armchairs.
Standard bulky booking
£34.70 for up to four items, subject to Swale accepting the items.
White goods
£34.70 each for white goods such as washing machines and tumble dryers.
Upholstered seating
Add £6 if the collection includes upholstered seating items like sofas or armchairs.
Free add-ons with booking
When booking a bulky item, Swale also collects one small electrical item and AA, AAA, C, D or 9V batteries free of charge.
Before booking: Swale asks residents to check that the council will collect the items before making a bulky waste booking.
Swale Household Waste Recycling Centres: Sittingbourne, Sheerness, Faversham and Kent Booking Rules
Kent County Council runs household waste recycling centres, and residents should book a slot before visiting any Kent HWRC.
Kent says residents need to book a slot before visiting household waste recycling centres, can book on the same day or up to two weeks in advance, and should check vehicle restrictions and chargeable items before travelling. Sittingbourne Household Waste Recycling Centre is at Gas Road, Milton, Sittingbourne, ME10 2QD. It has a 2 metre height barrier, does not accept business waste, and residents must not carry waste into the site on foot.
Book before visiting
Kent requires a booked slot before visiting HWRCs. Bring your booking reference on your phone, printed or written down.
Separate items first
Group electricals, paper, textiles and other materials before arrival to speed up your visit.
No business waste
Business and commercial waste cannot be taken to household waste recycling centres.
Non-Kent residents
Kent says residents who do not pay Council Tax to a Kent council must pay £10 per visit.
Swale Flats, Communal Bins and New Developments: Why Your Collection May Look Different
Not every Swale property uses the same normal household bin layout.
Flats, communal stores, houses above shops and new developments can have different arrangements for waste and recycling. Swale says if a new housing development does not have green, blue and food waste bins, residents may need to contact the property developer first. If the developer is not supplying bins, a full set can be ordered through the council.
Common Swale property-type problems
Check these before reporting a missed collection or ordering a replacement bin.
New estate without bins
Ask the developer first, then use Swale’s bin order route if the developer is not providing them.
Communal stores
Blocked gates, locked bin stores or contamination can stop collection for the whole block.
Private lanes
Rural lanes and private roads may have specific collection points. Use your official postcode result.
Moved into a property
You can continue using green and blue bins if the previous occupiers left them behind.
Swale Bin Collection Tips Residents Learn the Hard Way
These practical checks help avoid rejected bins, missed collections and wasted trips across Sittingbourne, Sheerness, Faversham and Swale villages.
Set a 6am reminder
Put bins out the night before if mornings are busy. Collection lorries do not always arrive at the same time.
Keep recycling dry
Wet card and dirty containers reduce recycling quality. Rinse, flatten and keep items dry where possible.
Use food waste weekly
Food waste should not sit in the green bin. Use the black and orange food waste bin every week.
Never bin vapes or batteries
Use battery recycling and Kent HWRC routes instead of normal Swale bins.
Check Christmas changes
Garden waste and bulky collections can be suspended over Christmas and New Year, so re-check official updates in December.
Book HWRC before loading
Kent HWRC visits need a booking slot, and restricted vehicles may need vouchers.
Official Swale Borough Council Bin Collection Links
Use these official links before putting bins out, reporting, paying, booking or travelling with waste.
Swale Borough Council Bin Collection FAQ
These answers cover the main Swale searches: bin collection dates, schedule, calendar, green bin, blue bin, food waste, garden waste, missed bins, bulky waste and recycling centres.
Use Swale Borough Council’s official Check Your Bin Day page and enter your postcode. The lookup shows the date of your next household waste collection, including garden waste if you have a subscription.
Bins should be at the edge of your property by 6am on collection day, with lids fully closed.
The green bin is for general household waste that cannot be recycled. Food waste should go in the black and orange food waste bin, and recyclable household waste should go in the blue bin.
The blue bin is for recyclable household waste. Swale says recycling should be clean and dry. Do not put food, nappies, textiles, black bin sacks or electricals in the recycling bin.
Yes. Swale guidance says food waste should be put beside your refuse or recycling bin each week on collection day.
Swale lists the garden waste subscription at £62 each year. Brown garden waste bins are collected every two weeks except over Christmas and New Year, when collections are suspended for two weeks.
You can use the official missed-bin service for missed green, blue, food waste or subscribed brown bins, but you cannot normally report it if more than two working days have passed since collection day.
Swale lists £32.70 to replace a lost or damaged green or blue bin. Food waste bins and silver caddies are replaced free of charge.
Swale lists £34.70 for up to four bulky items, or £34.70 each for white goods. An additional £6 is added if the collection includes upholstered seating such as sofas or armchairs.
Yes. Kent County Council says you need to book a slot before visiting any household waste recycling centre. Check vehicle restrictions, chargeable items and the site page before travelling.
Editorial note
This is an independent resident guide for councilbincollection.org. It is not the official Swale Borough Council website. Always confirm collection dates, missed-bin deadlines, garden waste prices, replacement bin charges, bulky waste charges, Christmas changes and Kent household waste recycling centre rules on official Swale Borough Council or Kent County Council pages before taking action.
Final summary: For Swale Borough Council bin collection, start with the official postcode lookup. Put bins at the edge of your property by 6am with lids fully closed. Use the green bin for non-recyclable household waste, the blue bin for clean dry recycling, the black and orange bin for weekly food waste, and the brown bin only if you subscribe to garden waste. Report missed bins within the official two-working-day window, use Swale’s bulky waste booking for large items, and book Kent HWRC slots before travelling with extra waste.