Use this Lewisham Council bins guide to check your collection day, understand weekly recycling and food waste, every-other-week rubbish, flats and estates, missed collections, garden waste subscriptions, bulky item fees and Landmann Way recycling centre rules.
What do you need today?
Choose the resident action first. This page is built as a practical Lewisham bins help hub, not a generic article.
How to check your Lewisham Council bin collection day
Open Lewisham Council’s official bin collection calendar, enter your postcode or full street name, select your exact address and check the dates shown for rubbish, recycling, food or garden waste. When searching by street name, use the full name rather than an abbreviation, and do not enter your house or flat number in the street-name search box.
Official source verification for Lewisham Council bins
This is an independent resident guide for Lewisham Council bin collection users. It is not the official Lewisham Council website, and it does not replace live council forms, calendars, bookings or payment pages.
Official calendar checked
Lewisham’s calendar asks for postcode or street name, then exact address. Addresses with flats are shown at the bottom of the list.
Collection schedule checked
For kerbside properties, recycling and food waste are weekly. General waste is every other week, or weekly if there is no food waste service.
Bin types checked
Houses and converted flats usually have a 180L black rubbish bin, 240L green recycling bin, 23L silver food waste bin and 5L kitchen caddy.
Live actions linked
Use official pages before reporting, booking bulky waste, paying garden waste, ordering bins or visiting Landmann Way.
Last checked: 15 June 2026. Live council pages can change without notice, so use the official links before making a report, payment, booking or trip.
3-minute Lewisham bin setup for houses, flats, estates and new tenants
Do this once. It prevents the most common Lewisham bin problems: wrong address result, wrong container, red-tagged recycling, late presentation and missed-bin reports outside the 48-hour window.
Open the official bin calendar
Use the official Lewisham bin collection day page. Search by postcode or full street name, then select your exact property from the list.
Find your property setup
Check whether your home uses wheeled bins, clear/orange sacks, communal estate bins or a flat-above-shop arrangement.
Save each service separately
Record black rubbish, green recycling, silver food waste and brown garden waste if subscribed. Do not assume all services run on the same rhythm.
Create a 6am reminder
Lewisham asks kerbside residents to put bins out before 6am. Set a reminder the night before so you are not rushing in the morning.
Share a house note
For families, shared houses and landlords, share a simple note: “This week: black rubbish / green recycling / food caddy / garden waste.”
Lewisham bin calendar: postcode, street name, exact address and flats
People searching “Lewisham Council bin collection”, “Lewisham bin collection dates”, “Lewisham council bins” or “what bin is it this week Lewisham” usually need an address-specific result, not a borough-wide guess.
| Resident need | What to do | Important caution |
|---|---|---|
| Find my next collection day | Enter your postcode or full street name in the official Lewisham calendar. | Use full street names, not abbreviations such as “Rd” for “Road”. |
| Find a flat or converted property | Select the exact address from the list. | Lewisham says addresses with flats appear at the bottom of the list. |
| Check rubbish and recycling rhythm | Separate black rubbish, green recycling and silver food waste dates. | Recycling and food are weekly; general waste may be every other week. |
| Garden waste date | Check the calendar after subscribing. | Brown garden waste collection is a paid subscription service. |
| Bank holiday or disruption | Recheck the live calendar and council updates. | Do not assume a one-day delay unless Lewisham confirms it. |
Lewisham bin collection schedule: weekly recycling and food waste, general rubbish by address
Lewisham schedule intent is simple: residents need to know how often each waste stream is collected and what to put out before 6am.
| Service | Typical kerbside schedule | Resident action |
|---|---|---|
| Green recycling bin or clear sacks | Weekly for kerbside properties. | Use for accepted recycling only. If contaminated, it may be collected with general waste and you may receive a warning. |
| Silver food waste bin/caddy | Weekly where the food waste service is available. | Use indoor caddy inside only; empty into the outdoor bin or communal food bin. |
| Black rubbish bin | Every other week where food waste exists; weekly if there is no food waste service. | Use for non-recyclable rubbish only. |
| Brown garden waste bin | Weekly during the paid subscription year. | Display the valid sticker/permit and use the official calendar. |
| Communal estate bins | Depends on building and bin area. | Follow bin labels and contact housing/management if collection access is blocked. |
Hard truth: most missed-bin problems are not solved by guessing. Check the address calendar first, then check whether the bin was out before 6am, not red-tagged, visible and accessible.
Lewisham Bin Reminder Planner: save what goes out tonight
This mini-tool stores a reminder in your browser only. It does not submit personal data and does not replace the official Lewisham Council bin calendar.
My next Lewisham bin reminder
First check the official calendar. Then save your next collection note here so the household knows what to put out.
No reminder saved yet. Check the official calendar, then save your next bin note here.
Tonight’s Lewisham bin checklist
Best use: bookmark this page and share it with family, housemates, estate WhatsApp groups or tenants.
Lewisham item route helper: rubbish, recycling, food, garden, bulky or Landmann Way?
Use this quick helper for common Lewisham disposal routes. It is not a full official database, but it prevents the most common green-bin contamination and bulky-waste mistakes.
Choose an item
Result: Select an item to see the likely Lewisham route.
Most common mistake
Do not put black bag rubbish, nappies, food waste, plastic bags, bubble wrap, textiles, hard plastics, batteries or small electricals in the green recycling bin. Contaminated recycling can be rejected or collected as general waste.
Lewisham bin types: black rubbish bin, green recycling bin, silver food caddy and brown garden bin
Lewisham bin collection depends heavily on property type. A house, converted flat, flat above a shop and estate block can use different containers.
| Property / container | What you normally get | Resident note |
|---|---|---|
| House or converted flat | 180L black rubbish bin, 240L green recycling bin, 23L silver food waste bin and 5L kitchen caddy. | Label bins with your house number to reduce mix-ups. |
| Flat above a shop | Orange sacks for general household waste and clear plastic sacks for recycling. | Sacks are usually delivered quarterly in March, June, September and December. |
| Blocks of flats and estates | Large blue communal rubbish bins and green communal recycling bins. | Some bigger estates have more than one bin area; use the correct communal bin. |
| Food waste service | Kerbside homes use an indoor caddy and outdoor food bin; flats use shared outdoor bins where introduced. | Do not leave the indoor caddy outside for collection. |
| Garden waste subscriber | 240L brown garden waste bin with valid permit sticker. | If a valid sticker is not displayed, the bin can be removed. |
Lewisham recycling collection: what goes in the green bin or clear sacks?
Lewisham recycling intent is item-specific. Residents need to know exactly what can go in green recycling and what causes red tags or contamination warnings.
| Common item | Lewisham route | Resident caution |
|---|---|---|
| Paper, magazines, newspapers, envelopes, junk mail | Green recycling bin or clear recycling sack. | Avoid plastic or metallic wrapping paper. |
| Glass bottles and jars | Green recycling bin; leave lids on glass jars and bottles. | Do not add window glass, broken glass, Pyrex, ceramics, light bulbs or fluorescent tubes. |
| Cans, cleaned food tins and drinks cans | Green recycling bin. | Rinse first to reduce contamination. |
| Flattened cardboard, cereal boxes, egg cartons | Green recycling bin. | Remove plastic padding and keep cardboard dry. |
| Plastic drinks, shampoo and cleaning bottles | Green recycling bin. | Keep lids on drinks bottles and do not flatten plastic drinks bottles. |
| Food-soiled pizza boxes, tissues, wet paper | Black rubbish bin. | Food contamination can spoil recycling. |
| Plastic bags, cling film, bubble wrap, crisp packets | Black rubbish bin or specialist route where available. | Do not put these in green recycling. |
| Batteries and small electricals | Special recycling route or Landmann Way if accepted. | Do not hide electricals or batteries in normal bins. |
Red-tag rule: if your bin has a red tag, it contains incorrect items and was not collected. Remove the wrong items before the next scheduled collection.
Lewisham food waste collection: weekly caddies, flats, liners and smell control
Lewisham collects food waste weekly where the service is available. Kerbside homes should already have a food waste bin, while flats are being introduced in phases.
Kerbside homes
Use the indoor caddy in the kitchen and empty it into the 23L outdoor food waste bin.
Flats
Most flats receive an indoor caddy and use a shared outdoor food waste bin near communal rubbish and recycling bins.
Liners
Lewisham provides one starter roll of liners. Lining is optional; clear bags or newspaper can be used, but no black bags.
Smell and pests
Food waste is collected weekly. Keep lids closed and empty the indoor caddy regularly.
| Food waste issue | Practical answer | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Indoor caddy outside? | Do not leave the indoor caddy outside for collection. | It is for kitchen use only and emptying into the outdoor bin. |
| Flats waiting for service | If no food waste collection is listed, the service may not be available at your address yet. | Lewisham is introducing food waste to flats in phases. |
| Where food waste goes | Food waste is processed through anaerobic digestion. | It creates green energy and natural fertiliser. |
Lewisham flats, estates, converted houses and flats above shops: what to do
Lewisham has many flats, estate blocks, converted houses and flats above shops. These properties often fail because residents use the wrong bin area or miss sack-delivery rules.
Converted house flats
Usually use household wheeled bins: black rubbish, green recycling and food caddy/bin. Label your bins with the property number.
Flats above shops
Use orange sacks for general waste and clear sacks for recycling. If you run out, use the official request route.
Blocks and estates
Use the communal blue rubbish bins and green recycling bins. Do not leave bulky items in estate areas unless the building has an official bulky collection point.
Landlord warning
Waste left after a property becomes vacant can be treated as commercial waste. Landlords should arrange safe, lawful removal.
Copy-paste tenant welcome note
“Please check the Lewisham bin calendar for this exact address. Put bins out before 6am. Green bins are for accepted recycling only. Food waste uses the silver caddy/outdoor bin. Do not leave furniture beside bins—use bulky waste booking, donation or Landmann Way if eligible.”
Lewisham missed bin collection: wait until 2pm and report within 48 hours
Lewisham says collections can happen any time of day. Wait until 2pm to report a missed collection and do it within 48 hours. If multiple bins were missed, report each one separately.
| Problem | Likely reason | Best next step |
|---|---|---|
| It is before 2pm | Crew may still collect later in the day. | Wait until after 2pm before reporting. |
| Bin was not out before 6am | Crew may have passed already. | Set a night-before reminder and use the next collection. |
| Bin has red tag | Incorrect items or contamination. | Remove the wrong items and wait for the scheduled date. |
| Several bins missed | Multiple service issue or access problem. | Report each missed bin separately. |
| Estate bin area issue | Access, contamination or building-management problem. | Check with housing/management, then use the correct official route. |
| Garden waste missed | No valid subscription, no sticker, wrong date or contamination. | Check subscription and report via garden waste missed route. |
Missed Bin Diagnosis Tool: report, wait, fix or recheck?
This tool helps residents avoid weak missed-bin reports. It gives a practical next step before using the official form.
Choose the likely issue
Result: Select a situation to get the next step.
Reporting rule
Report after 2pm, within 48 hours, and use the correct form for rubbish, recycling, food waste or garden waste. If several bins were missed, report each one separately.
Lewisham garden waste collection: £100.63 subscription, weekly brown bin and permit sticker
Garden waste is a paid annual service. Lewisham’s 2026/2027 garden waste subscription year runs weekly between 1 April 2026 and 31 March 2027.
Annual cost
The 2026/2027 subscription cost is listed as £100.63 per year for the 240L green waste bin service.
Payment options
The council lists one-off payment and Direct Debit options, with instalment dates used for eligible sign-ups.
Sticker rule
New and existing customers receive a permit sticker. Display it on the garden waste bin so crews know the subscription is current.
No valid subscription
If you have no valid subscription, your garden waste bin can be removed.
| Accepted garden waste | Not accepted | Resident note |
|---|---|---|
| Grass cuttings, weeds, leaves, flowers | General rubbish, food waste, rubble or soil. | Use only for normal garden waste. |
| Small branches and twigs | Large branches, Japanese knotweed and harmful weeds. | Branches must be within the size limits stated by the council. |
| Hedge trimmings and fallen fruit | Plastic bags, plant pots or non-garden items. | Keep the brown bin clean and sticker visible. |
Lewisham bulky item collection: £5 items, £25 fridges/freezers and no-refund warning
Lewisham bulky waste collection is for household large items that cannot go with normal collections. Businesses must use licensed waste carriers.
| Bulky item type | Listed fee | Resident caution |
|---|---|---|
| Mattresses, any size | £5 each. | Book before putting items out. |
| Other large items | £5 each for items such as carpets, chairs, beds or sofas. | Only items listed in the booking will be collected. |
| Fridges or freezers | £25. | Lewisham says it cannot collect American-style or double-door fridges/freezers. |
| Cancellation | Non-refundable. | The fee still applies even if you cancel before collection. |
Reuse first
Try donation, charity reuse, Freecycle, Gumtree or Facebook Marketplace before disposal.
Where to leave items
Items must be visible and accessible. If your block does not allow items outside, speak to the building manager.
Estate warning
Do not leave items at estate bulky points if you are not entitled to use them; it can be treated as fly-tipping.
Order a Lewisham bin, request removal, bigger bin or replacement
Use this section when the user intent is “Lewisham new bin”, “order replacement bin”, “bigger bin”, “lost bin” or “damaged bin”.
| Request | Official detail | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| New black rubbish bin | Standard 180L black wheelie bin, administration cost listed as £30. | Use the official order form and check current fee. |
| New green recycling bin | Standard 240L green wheelie bin, administration cost listed as £30. | Only order if your property should have individual bins. |
| Food waste bin | 23L grey food waste bin and 5L kitchen caddy listed as free. | Order through the official food waste/bin request form. |
| Flats and estates | Communal bins are provided for estates, small blocks and new developments. | Contact housing management if unsure. |
| Bigger rubbish bin | Available only in exceptional circumstances if criteria are met. | Use the official bigger-bin route. |
Landmann Way Reuse and Recycling Centre: address, opening times and restrictions
Lewisham’s main household reuse and recycling centre is at Civic Amenities Site, Landmann Way, London, SE14 5RS. It is for domestic waste only, not landlord, business or trade waste.
Address
Civic Amenities Site, Landmann Way, London, SE14 5RS.
Cars
Cars: Sunday–Friday 8am–3.30pm; Saturday 8am–11.30am.
Vans, pedestrians and bikes
Sunday–Friday 8am–3pm; Saturday 8am–11am. Last entry at the stated closing time.
Commercial vehicles
Commercial vehicles are not allowed. Landlord waste after a property becomes vacant is not household waste.
| Not accepted / caution | Resident action | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Hazardous waste, paint and solvents | Use the City of London hazardous waste route where required. | Landmann Way does not accept these items. |
| Pallets, plasterboard, turf, car batteries | Check before travelling and use the correct disposal route. | These are listed as not accepted. |
| Hired vans | Bring hire evidence, ID and proof of address if using an accepted hired van. | Lewisham distinguishes allowed hired vans from commercial/trade vehicles. |
Official Lewisham Council bin collection links
Use these official links for live actions. This guide explains the process, but official pages control calendars, reports, payments, bookings and service rules.
Related council bin collection guides
Only confirmed-live, relevant internal links are included here. Other suggested guides are plain text to avoid weak or broken internal linking.
Suggested future guides as plain text: Lambeth Council bin collection, Southwark Council bin collection, Greenwich bin collection, Bromley bin collection, Croydon bin collection, Newham bin collection.
Service trust, reviews and complaint guidance
No fake ratings or testimonials are used on this page. Waste-service feedback is local and case-specific, so use the correct official reporting route rather than relying on social media comments.
For live service issues
Use missed collection, damaged bin, garden waste, bulky waste or bin-order pages first. These routes create the correct service record.
For estate blocks
Check with housing, managing agents or caretakers if communal bins are blocked, contaminated or inaccessible.
For repeat issues
Keep a simple log: date, bin type, address, time put out, photo if safe, and any tag or crew note.
Lewisham Council bin collection FAQs
Use Lewisham Council’s official bin collection day page, enter your postcode or full street name, select your exact address and check the dates shown for rubbish, recycling, food or garden waste.
For kerbside properties, bins should be put out before 6am on collection day at the edge of the property. Crews cannot enter the property boundary unless you have an assisted collection.
Wait until 2pm on the collection day before reporting a missed collection, and report it within 48 hours. If multiple bins were missed, report each bin separately.
For kerbside properties, recycling and food waste are collected weekly. General waste is every other week, or weekly if the property does not have a food waste service.
The green recycling bin can take accepted recycling such as paper, magazines, newspapers, envelopes, glass bottles and jars, cans, flattened cardboard, plastic drinks bottles, shampoo bottles and cleaning bottles.
Do not put black bag rubbish, nappies, pet waste, food waste, garden waste, tissues, plastic bags, cling film, bubble wrap, textiles, hard plastics, batteries or small electricals in the green recycling bin.
Kerbside homes use an indoor kitchen caddy and a 23L outdoor food waste bin. Food waste is collected weekly. Flats are receiving food waste services in phases and may use shared outdoor food waste bins.
The 2026/2027 Lewisham garden waste subscription is listed as £100.63 per year for weekly collections between 1 April 2026 and 31 March 2027. Always check the official page before paying.
Lewisham lists mattresses at £5 each, other large items such as carpets, chairs, beds or sofas at £5 each, and fridges or freezers at £25. Fees are non-refundable, even if you cancel before collection.
Lewisham’s Reuse and Recycling Centre is at Civic Amenities Site, Landmann Way, London, SE14 5RS. It is for domestic waste only, and residents should check opening times and restrictions before travelling.