Gravesham Council Bin Collection: Schedule, Dates & Calendar
Need to know whether it is rubbish week, recycling week, when the orange-lidded food caddy goes out or when your paid garden waste is due? Gravesham’s collection system is address-specific, especially after the borough reorganised collection rounds from September 2025.
This guide explains the current Gravesham Council bin-day system, the fortnightly rubbish/recycling pattern, weekly food waste, garden subscriptions, the 7am rule, missed-bin deadlines, contamination letters, extra capacity, sacks, flats, clinical waste, bulky collections, moving house and Pepperhill Household Waste Recycling Centre.
Gravesham Bin Days: Quick Answer
Gravesham does not have one borough-wide date that every household can follow. Check your exact property in the council’s online bin-day service. Your rubbish is normally collected one week and recycling the next, while eligible food waste is collected every week. Paid garden waste is collected once every two weeks.
Gravesham Rounds Can Differ Between Nearby Areas
The same collection principles apply across Gravesend, Northfleet, Meopham, Istead Rise, Higham, Shorne, Cobham, Vigo and the borough’s rural communities, but the actual weekday and alternating week are property-specific.
Local tip: an old reminder created before the September 2025 route reorganisation can show the wrong weekday or collection week even though rubbish and recycling are still fortnightly.
How to Check Your Exact Gravesham Council Bin Date
The council’s address-level checker is the correct starting point because it reflects your own round and bank-holiday updates.
Open Gravesham’s bin-day page
Use the official borough service rather than an old saved timetable.
Search your property
Use the exact address whose collection you need.
Read every stream
Check rubbish, recycling, food and subscribed garden waste separately.
Check again around holidays
Bank-holiday changes are applied to the council’s bin-day information.
Why an Old Gravesham Bin Calendar May No Longer Match
Gravesham reorganised collection routes from September 2025 to improve capacity, efficiency and resilience.
Collection day may have changed
Some households moved to a different weekday.
Collection week may have changed
Some homes kept the same weekday but changed which alternating week rubbish or recycling was collected.
Frequency stayed the same
The borough retained fortnightly rubbish/recycling and weekly food waste even where the route changed.
Gravesham Council Collection Schedule in 2026
| Waste stream | Typical container | Frequency | Key collection rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residual rubbish | 180L black wheeled bin, or black sacks at eligible sack properties | Every other week | Only one standard black rubbish bin is normally emptied per property. |
| Mixed recycling | 240L black-bodied bin with green lid, or clear recycling sacks | Every other week | Collected on the week opposite normal rubbish. |
| Food waste | 23L black caddy with orange lid for houses; larger communal containers can be used at flats | Weekly | Put the handle in the locked position when presented. |
| Garden waste | Paid 240L brown bin, existing-subscriber 140L option, or paper garden sacks | Every two weeks | Subscription service and normally paused over Christmas/New Year. |
Gravesham’s Four Household Waste Streams
Black Rubbish Bin
Non-recyclable household rubbish after food waste and recyclable material have been separated.
Green-Lidded Recycling
Mixed household recycling such as paper, cardboard, cartons, suitable plastic containers, glass, cans, aerosols and foil.
Orange-Lidded Food Caddy
Cooked and uncooked food, peelings, meat, bones, eggshells, leftovers, tea bags and coffee grounds.
Brown Garden Waste
Paid collection for suitable grass, leaves, plants, flowers, weeds, hedge cuttings and small prunings.
How the Gravesham Two-Week Cycle Works
Black Rubbish Bin: What Gravesham Accepts
Typical black-bin waste
- Pet waste
- Nappies
- Plastic bags
- Cling film and bread bags
- Crisp packets
- Broken hard-plastic toys and plant pots
- Light bulbs
- Used tissues and cotton wool
- Sanitary waste
- Wrapped broken glass, vases and mirrors
Keep these out
- Food waste
- Garden waste
- Electrical items
- Batteries
- Vapes
- Builders’ waste
- Paint
- Hazardous waste
- Clinical waste requiring specialist disposal
- Wood
Gravesham Recycling: Green Lid, Black Bin Body
The standard household recycling container is a 240-litre wheeled bin with a black/grey body and green lid. Sack properties use clear recycling sacks instead.
| Accepted recycling | Practical preparation | Keep out |
|---|---|---|
| Paper and cardboard | Keep reasonably clean and flatten large boxes. | Food-contaminated material |
| Food and drink cartons | Empty before recycling. | Food waste |
| Plastic bottles, tubs and trays | Empty containers before putting them in. | Plastic bags and wrappers |
| Glass bottles and jars | Empty first. | Mirrors and miscellaneous broken glass |
| Metal food/drink cans | Empty before recycling. | Batteries and electrical items |
| Empty aerosols | Only put empty suitable household aerosols into recycling. | Vapes |
| Clean foil | Remove food residue. | Nappies and sanitary products |
Gravesham Battery Collection Trick Many Residents Miss
Why batteries stay outside
Batteries inside waste and recycling vehicles can be damaged, crushed or ignite and are a recognised waste-fire risk.
Other option
Household batteries can also be taken to suitable supermarket battery-recycling points.
Weekly Gravesham Food Waste Collection
Gravesham says more than 90% of borough households have access to food-waste collection. Houses typically use a 23-litre black caddy with an orange lid.
Put these in
- Cooked and uncooked food
- Meat and fish
- Bones
- Eggs and eggshells
- Fruit and vegetables
- Vegetable peelings
- Plate scrapings
- Leftovers
- Tea bags and tea leaves
- Coffee grounds
- Bread, cake, pastry, rice and pasta
- Food past its use-by date
Keep these out
- General household rubbish
- Garden waste
- Soil
- Liquids
- Nappies
- Plastic bags
- Pet waste or litter
- Sanitary products
Food Waste for Flats and Communal Properties
Houses
The standard external food container is a 23-litre black caddy with an orange lid.
Flats
Gravesham’s current waste information says some flats use larger black food-waste wheelie bins rather than individual outdoor caddies.
Planning standard
The council’s policy uses a planning guide of approximately one 140-litre food-waste container per ten flats for new flatted developments.
Gravesham Garden Waste Collection Prices in 2026
Accepted garden material
- Hedge cuttings
- Cut flowers
- Plants
- Grass cuttings
- Prunings
- Leaves
- Weeds
- Dead plants
- Bark and suitable tree wood waste
Do not add
- Soil
- Compost
- Earth
- Peat
- Flower pots
- Plastic plant trays
- General rubbish
Garden Sacks: Useful If Your Property Cannot Store a Garden Bin
Pack of 5
Current price: £10.
Pack of 25
Current price: £50.
No collection limit
Gravesham says there is no fixed limit on the number of purchased garden sacks you may present on your scheduled garden collection.
Gravesham’s 7am / 4pm Bin Presentation Rules
Ready by 7am
Rubbish, recycling and food containers should be at the collection point by 7am.
Not before 4pm
Wheeled bins should normally not be placed out before 4pm on the previous day.
Boundary / highway edge
Present containers where the property boundary meets the public highway or at the agreed collection point.
Gravesham Missed / Rejected Bin Checker
Use this before submitting a missed-bin report.
Gravesham Missed Bin Rules
Check these first
- The bin was actually due that day.
- It was presented before 7am.
- No bank-holiday change applied.
- There was no contamination.
- No black-bin side waste caused confusion.
- The wheelie bin was supplied by Gravesham.
Report within two working days
Gravesham’s public guidance and Waste Management Policy both require a missed collection to be reported promptly.
The policy states that a report received more than two working days after the missed collection will normally have to wait until the next scheduled collection.
Recycling Contamination: Gravesham Uses an Escalating Process
A recycling bin deliberately left because it contains the wrong material is not classed in the same way as a genuinely missed bin.
First contaminated collection
The bin/sacks are left and the resident receives information explaining what must be removed before the next scheduled collection.
Second occasion within six months
A council officer may visit the property to help the household understand the recycling rules.
Continued contamination
Where further contamination continues despite reasonable attempts to educate the household, Gravesham’s policy allows the recycling bin to be removed.
Black-Bin Side Waste vs Extra Recycling
Extra black rubbish
Gravesham does not normally collect rubbish bags left beside the standard black residual bin.
The crew normally empties only the rubbish that fits inside the council-supplied residual container.
Extra recycling
Extra recycling is treated more flexibly.
- Flatten large cardboard boxes.
- Put suitable extra recycling in a cardboard box.
- Policy also allows appropriately presented clear sacks.
Need More Bin Capacity?
Gravesham allows extra capacity in genuine cases, but extra black bins are not automatically provided because a household regularly produces too much rubbish.
Six or more residents
The Waste Management Policy defines a larger household as one with at least six permanent residents.
Medical need
Additional residual waste caused by a medical condition can also support an application for extra capacity.
Extra recycling
Households fully using their recycling capacity can apply for a larger or additional recycling container.
Gravesham Sack Collections
Some properties cannot safely or practically store/use standard wheeled bins. These homes remain on a sack collection.
General rubbish
Eligible sack properties use black refuse sacks, but Gravesham says it no longer supplies ordinary black sacks. Residents buy suitable refuse sacks themselves.
Recycling
Clear recycling sacks are supplied to eligible sack properties on request.
Frequency
Sack properties still follow the normal fortnightly rubbish/recycling structure.
Assisted Bin Collections
Gravesham provides an assisted collection for residents who cannot move bins or sacks to the kerb because of physical disability or ill-health and who do not have somebody available to help.
What the crew does
Collection staff retrieve the bins or sacks from an agreed location and return the bins to that location after emptying.
Access still matters
The council cannot normally collect waste through locked gates or carry bins up and down unsuitable steps.
New, Missing and Replacement Bin Charges
| Container | Current charge if applicable | Free replacement situations | Delivery target |
|---|---|---|---|
| 180L rubbish bin | £45 | Collection damage, bin lost into vehicle, or qualifying theft with crime reference. | Up to 10 working days |
| 240L recycling bin | £45 | Collection damage, bin lost into vehicle, or qualifying theft. | Up to 10 working days |
| 23L food caddy | No charge | Gravesham encourages food recycling and does not charge for replacement orange-lidded food bins. | Up to 10 working days |
Moving House? The Garden Bin Is the Important Exception
Rubbish, recycling and food bins
Leave these at the property for the next resident. The council owns the containers and they normally stay with the address.
Paid garden bin
If you move to another eligible property within Gravesham, the garden subscription can move with you and you are responsible for taking the paid garden bin to the new address after notifying the council.
Gravesham Clinical Waste & Sharps Service
Gravesham provides a free domestic clinical-waste service for qualifying medical waste.
Sharps boxes
Gravesham can collect, deliver or exchange suitable sharps boxes. Sharps themselves must never be put loose into ordinary rubbish or clinical bags.
Clinical bags
Regular scheduled collection and/or delivery of clinical bags can be arranged for qualifying domestic medical waste.
Response
For a new clinical-bag arrangement, Gravesham says it will contact the resident within 7 working days.
Gravesham Bulky Waste Collection Prices
Large household items
Current charge: £35 for up to four eligible items.
Bookings can normally be made online for a convenient available date.
Upholstered seating
Sofas, armchairs, futons, sofa beds, upholstered dining/office chairs, beanbags and similar seating use a separate collection.
Current charge: £35 for up to four upholstered items.
Metal collection
Current charge: £20 for up to three eligible metal items.
Examples include bikes, metal bed frames, cookers, washing machines and metal furniture.
Current Fridge & Freezer Collection Warning
Buying a replacement?
Ask the retailer whether it can take the old fridge or freezer when the new appliance is delivered.
Do not leave it outside
A suspended council collection is not permission to place an appliance on the pavement or beside your normal black bin.
Bank Holidays, Christmas and Temporary Collection Changes
Bank holidays
Bin days can change. Gravesham says relevant updates are applied to its online bin-day checker.
Christmas / New Year
Garden waste has a Christmas/New Year pause and household collection dates can also use revised arrangements.
Hot weather / disruption
The council can temporarily adjust operating hours. For example, during the August 2026 hot-weather period, some collections temporarily started at 6am.
Pepperhill Household Waste Recycling Centre
Kent County Council operates Pepperhill HWRC at Station Road, Southfleet. It is the key local alternative for suitable excess household waste and materials that do not belong in Gravesham’s kerbside bins.
Monday–Saturday
Current published hours are 8am–4:30pm.
Sunday / Bank Holiday
Current published hours are 9am–4pm.
Height barrier
Pepperhill has a 2 metre vehicle height restriction.
Business waste is not accepted. You cannot walk waste into the centre on foot, and Kent advises visitors to keep children inside vehicles and wear appropriate clothing and footwear.
Paying Someone to Take Rubbish Away? Gravesham’s Duty-of-Care Rule
Householders remain responsible for taking reasonable steps to make sure waste is handed to an authorised carrier.
Check registration
Confirm that the waste collector is registered as a Waste Carrier with the Environment Agency.
Ask where it is going
A legitimate collector should be able to explain that the waste is going to an authorised disposal or recycling site.
Keep paperwork
Gravesham recommends obtaining a waste transfer note or receipt and keeping it for two years.
What Happens to Gravesham’s Household Waste?
Gravesham collects several major household waste streams separately and sends them to different treatment routes.
Residual rubbish
Household rubbish is sent to the Energy from Waste facility at Allington, Kent, where it is incinerated to generate energy.
Mixed recycling
Gravesham’s mixed recycling goes to a Materials Recycling Facility in Crayford where different recyclable materials are sorted for reprocessing.
Food waste
Separately collected food goes to a Kent food-recycling facility where it can produce compost and/or renewable energy through anaerobic digestion.
Official Gravesham Bin & Waste Shortcuts
Check Bin Day
Address-specific rubbish, recycling, food and garden dates.
Missed Bin
Check eligibility and report a valid missed collection.
Order Bin / Sacks
Replacement containers, food caddies and eligible recycling sacks.
Garden Waste
Subscribe, renew, order sacks and check garden collection days.
Bulky Collections
Large items, upholstered seating and metal collection.
Clinical Waste
Sharps boxes, clinical bags, collection and exchange services.
Civic Centre
Windmill Street
Gravesend
Kent
DA12 1AU
Customer Services: 01474 337000
Civic Centre customer service desk: Monday–Friday, 9am–4pm.
Gravesham Council Bin Collection FAQs
1. How do I check my Gravesham Council bin day?
Use Gravesham Borough Council’s official online bin-day checker and search your exact property. The checker shows the scheduled dates for rubbish, recycling, food waste and subscribed garden waste and is more reliable than an old printed reminder.
2. What time must Gravesham bins be put out?
Household rubbish, recycling and food containers should normally be presented by 7am on collection day. Wheeled bins should not normally be put out before 4pm on the previous day unless the council publishes a temporary instruction.
3. How often are rubbish and recycling collected in Gravesham?
Residual rubbish and mixed recycling are collected on alternate weeks. One week is the black rubbish collection and the other week is the green-lidded recycling collection. Your exact weekday depends on your property.
4. Is Gravesham food waste collected every week?
Yes. Eligible households receive a weekly food-waste collection. Houses normally use a 23-litre black caddy with an orange lid. The caddy should be presented by 7am with the handle in the locked position.
5. How much is Gravesham garden waste collection in 2026?
The current 12-month charge is £65 for a 240-litre garden bin. Existing subscribers with the smaller 140-litre option pay £50. Garden sacks cost £10 for five or £50 for 25. Garden waste is normally collected once every two weeks.
6. How quickly must I report a missed Gravesham bin?
A missed bin, sack or caddy should be reported within two working days. If the report is made later, Gravesham says the waste will normally have to wait until the next scheduled collection.
7. Can I leave extra black sacks beside my rubbish bin?
Normally no. Gravesham’s crews empty the waste inside the council-supplied black rubbish bin and do not normally collect residual side waste. Extra recycling is different and can be appropriately presented in a clear sack or cardboard box beside the recycling bin.
8. Can a large family get an extra black bin in Gravesham?
Households with six or more permanent residents may apply for additional residual capacity. Medical conditions producing extra refuse can also support a request. The council assesses recycling use and household circumstances before approving additional black bin capacity.
9. Do Gravesham bin days change on bank holidays?
They can. Gravesham says bank-holiday changes are applied to its online bin-day checker. Christmas and New Year can have additional arrangements, and the paid garden-waste service also pauses over that period.
10. Where can Gravesham residents take extra household waste?
Pepperhill Household Waste Recycling Centre is at Station Road, Southfleet, DA13 9PA. A booking is required before visiting. Current opening hours are 8am–4:30pm Monday to Saturday and 9am–4pm on Sunday, with 9am–4pm bank-holiday hours. Check Kent County Council’s current site page before travelling.