East Devon Council Bin Days & Collection Schedule 2026
East Devon has one of the more unusual household collection patterns in England: recycling and food waste are normally collected every week, while the black non-recyclable bin or approved gull sack is normally collected only once every three weeks.
Your actual dates still depend on your property. Use the council’s address checker first, then use this guide for the 6am rule, three-weekly black-bin cycle, recycling box and sack, food caddy, £65 green-waste subscription, missed collections, extra recycling, flats, assisted collections, clinical waste, bulky items and local East Devon shortcuts.
East Devon Bin Collection: Quick Answer
Check your exact property rather than creating your own three-week timetable. Enter your postcode or part of your address into East Devon District Council’s live collection finder. The result shows the dates that apply to your household.
How to Find Your Exact East Devon Bin Day
East Devon’s frequencies are simple once you know them, but the actual date differs by property. The official address lookup is the safest source for normal dates, bank-holiday adjustments and your next black-bin week.
Open the council finder
Use East Devon District Council’s “When is my bin collected?” page.
Search your property
Enter the postcode or part of the address and select the exact household.
Read each stream
Weekly recycling and food dates are different in rhythm from the three-weekly black bin and optional green waste.
Recheck before holidays
Do not automatically add one day because historical bank-holiday arrangements do not guarantee the next year’s schedule.
East Devon District Council Collection Schedule for 2026
| Waste stream | Normal frequency | Main container | Key rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dry recycling | Every week | Recycling box + recycling sack | Separate materials into the correct box or sack. |
| Food waste | Every week | Food caddy | Keep food separate from the three-weekly black bin. |
| Non-recyclable refuse | Every 3 weeks | Black wheeled bin or approved gull sack | Only waste contained inside the approved container is normally taken. |
| Green garden waste | Fortnightly | Council-branded green wheeled bin | £65 annual subscription; Christmas suspension applies. |
| Clinical waste | Weekly when arranged | Approved clinical bags / boxes | Free household service; must be separately arranged. |
How East Devon’s Three-Week Black-Bin Cycle Works
The black bin does not replace weekly collections. Recycling and food continue every week while residual refuse appears once during the normal three-week cycle.
East Devon Household Containers Explained
Recycling Box + Sack
Weekly collection, but the materials are separated between the box and sack. Glass and cardboard do not belong in the recycling sack.
Food Caddy
Weekly food collection for cooked and uncooked food, peelings, bones, plate scrapings, tea bags, coffee grounds and pet food.
Black Bin / Gull Sack
Residual household waste that cannot use the recycling box, recycling sack, food caddy or another specialist route.
Green Waste Bin
Optional paid household garden-waste service using East Devon-branded, microchipped green bins.
Recycling Box: East Devon Items That Belong Here
East Devon’s system is more separated than many mixed-recycling councils. The box and sack do different jobs.
Recycling box
- Cardboard, including corrugated boxes and cereal-style card.
- Paper, newspapers, magazines, envelopes and junk mail.
- Glass bottles and jars, rinsed and with lids removed.
- Used household batteries in a clear plastic bag.
- Reusable clothes and shoes, bagged to keep them separate and dry.
- Small electrical items such as kettles, toasters, irons and tied household cables, bagged separately from textiles.
Small details that prevent mistakes
Use the box lid where provided to help keep paper and cardboard dry.
Remove obvious food residue from pizza boxes before recycling them.
Bag shredded paper so the crew does not create litter while emptying the box.
Do not mix clothing and small electrical items in the same bag.
Recycling Sack: Plastics, Cans, Foil, Cartons and Aerosols
| Item | East Devon route | Preparation |
|---|---|---|
| Plastic bottles | Recycling sack | Squash where practical and leave lids on. |
| Plastic pots, tubs and trays | Recycling sack | Empty first. |
| Empty toothpaste tubes | Recycling sack | Current East Devon guidance lists these with accepted plastics. |
| Tins and cans | Recycling sack | Rinse and avoid sharp edges. |
| Metal jar and bottle lids | Recycling sack | Include with metal recycling. |
| Aluminium foil and trays | Recycling sack | Clean and dry. |
| Empty aerosols | Recycling sack | Empty household aerosols only. |
| Cartons / Tetra Paks | Recycling sack | Empty before collection. |
Food Caddy: What East Devon Collects Every Week
Put these in
- Fruit and vegetable peelings
- Cooked food
- Uncooked food
- Meat and fish, including bones
- Plate scrapings
- Tea bags
- Tea leaves and coffee grounds
- Cat and dog food
Keep these out
- Compostable food packaging
- Animal bedding
- Animal waste
- Liquids
- General packaging
- Garden waste
Black Wheeled Bin or Gull Sack: Residual Waste Only
The black container should take the normal household material that cannot go into the recycling box, recycling sack, food caddy or another available specialist route.
Black-bin examples
- Non-recyclable household waste
- Nappies
- Incontinence products
- Other ordinary residual rubbish that East Devon does not collect through its weekly recycling streams
Keep these out
- Garden waste
- Rubble
- Hazardous waste
- Paint
- Material requiring a recycling-centre or specialist route
Extra Rubbish, Extra Recycling and Large Cardboard
East Devon treats extra black refuse very differently from extra recyclable material.
No routine black side waste
Since November 2016, East Devon has not normally collected loose rubbish or bags left beside the black wheeled bin.
The lid should also close fully; waste piled on top of or around the bin is not normally taken.
Extra recycling is allowed
East Devon says extra recycling can be presented in suitable plastic/carrier bags—but not black refuse sacks—or another container no larger than the normal recycling box.
Large cardboard
Flatten the cardboard and remove polystyrene. It can then be placed underneath or alongside the recycling box.
If you have a very large amount, put smaller amounts out over several weekly collections.
East Devon Green Waste Service: £65 a Year in 2026
The paid green-waste collection is run by East Devon District Council with SUEZ UK. The council says the material is composted in East Devon and used by local farms.
Accepted garden material
- Grass cuttings
- Flowers
- Loose leaves
- Shrub and hedge trimmings
- Small tree branches up to 10cm thick
- Small amounts of windfall garden fruit such as apples and pears, provided the bin does not become too heavy
Not accepted
- Branches over 10cm thick
- Turf
- Soil, earth, stones or gravel
- Pet bedding
- Kitchen food waste
- Plant pots or plastic plant labels
- Invasive weeds such as Japanese Knotweed or Himalayan Balsam
- Material showing signs of Ash Dieback Disease
Green-Waste Rules Many Short Bin-Day Guides Miss
Maximum three normal bins
East Devon allows up to three green-waste wheeled bins per property under the normal subscription arrangement.
Each additional subscribed bin is charged at the same annual rate.
Waste must be loose
Do not put ordinary or compostable sacks into the green bin. The council says bag material interferes with the local composting process.
Council bin only
Residents cannot substitute their own wheelie bin. East Devon’s branded green containers are microchipped to individual properties.
You can share
Neighbours can share one subscription, but one person must pay for and look after the bin and it must be presented at the registered subscription address.
Delivery can take 10 working days
A newly subscribed green bin can take up to 10 working days to arrive.
Check the first collection online after delivery.
Replacement rules differ
A lost or stolen green bin is replaced without charge under the current FAQ.
If you damage it yourself, the currently listed replacement charge is £32; crew-damaged bins are replaced free.
East Devon’s 6am Collection Rule
Out by 6am
Containers should be at the collection point by 6am, even if your crew usually arrives much later.
Property boundary
East Devon describes the normal kerbside point as the boundary of the property where it meets the public highway.
Correct contents
The missed-bin form asks residents to check that the right waste was placed in the correct container before reporting.
East Devon Missed-Bin Problem Checker
Use this before submitting a missed-collection report.
How to Report a Missed East Devon Collection
Before you report
- Wait until after 5pm on the scheduled collection day.
- Confirm the correct date.
- Confirm the containers were out by 6am.
- Confirm they were in the correct place.
- Confirm the correct material was inside each container.
What happens after a valid report?
East Devon says it will try to return within 48 hours to collect genuinely missed containers.
Keep the affected container available for the return collection unless the council gives different instructions.
Assisted Collections for Disability or Mobility Difficulties
A resident who cannot move waste, recycling or subscribed green waste containers may be able to request assistance.
Temporary or permanent
East Devon allows assisted collections to be requested on either a temporary or permanent basis.
Household test
The current service says assistance cannot normally be offered where an able-bodied person over 15 lives at the property.
Council confirms the start
After an application, East Devon confirms when the assisted collection arrangement begins.
Flats, Apartments and Shared Recycling Areas
Residents of flats should not assume the standard kerbside box, sack and black-bin setup applies to their building.
Material-separated communal recycling
Some East Devon bin stores contain separate boxes for individual recyclable materials plus shared food caddies.
Mixing the wrong material into a labelled box can cause that container to be left behind.
Individual flat containers
Other blocks provide each flat with its own recycling box, sack and food caddy.
East Devon recommends marking containers with the flat number.
Shared residual bins
Larger communal refuse bins may be provided, with capacity based on the number of residents.
Recycling—including food—should not be placed in the shared residual container.
Keep bulky furniture out of bin stores
Wardrobes, mattresses, fridges and similar items can obstruct residents and collection crews. Use the bulky-waste, reuse or recycling-centre route instead.
Free Weekly Household Clinical-Waste Collection
East Devon operates a separate household clinical-waste service where the material may cause infection or be hazardous to health.
Clinical examples
- Needles and syringes
- Swabs and dressings
- Empty insulin cartridges
- Dialysis products
Nappies and similar products
Nappies, incontinence products and colostomy bags are not automatically clinical-waste collections.
East Devon says absorbent hygiene products and colostomy bags can be double-bagged and placed in the black wheeled bin or gull sack where appropriate.
Hazardous Items: Do Not Default to the Black Bin
Household batteries
Small household batteries are unusual because East Devon can collect them through the weekly recycling service when they are placed in a clear plastic bag.
Recycling-centre / specialist route
Other hazardous materials can need a Devon County Council recycling centre or another specialist route.
- Bonded household asbestos products
- Engine oil and vehicle batteries
- LPG cylinders
- Old paint
- Weed killers, solvents and bleaches
- Petrol and diesel
Large Furniture, Appliances and Bulky Household Waste
East Devon provides a chargeable large-item service for residential properties. The live booking form should be used for the current price because bulky-waste charges can change.
Out by 6am
Booked items must be accessible outside at the front of the property by 6am on collection day.
Residential only
The council does not collect commercial large items or bulky waste from commercial properties through this domestic service.
Fridge / freezer limit
East Devon says it can take no more than four domestic fridges or freezers through a large-item booking.
Bank Holidays, Christmas and Severe Weather
Use the live calendar
Do not assume every East Devon bank holiday automatically shifts all household collections one day later.
Previous holiday periods have used delayed arrangements, but the address-level calendar should be checked for the actual current date.
Green waste has a Christmas break
The £65 subscription operates for approximately 11 months and includes a six-week Christmas suspension.
East Devon says the specific suspension dates are communicated with its Christmas/New Year calendar.
East Devon Holiday Lets: Council Tax vs Business Rates Matters
This is especially relevant in a tourism-heavy district such as East Devon. A holiday property does not automatically receive the ordinary household service simply because neighbouring homes do.
Property pays Council Tax
East Devon says the Council Tax contribution already helps fund ordinary recycling and waste collections, so the normal household service can be provided without a separate collection charge.
Property pays Business Rates
Business Rates do not include the same household waste-service contribution.
The owner therefore needs an appropriate paid collection arrangement from East Devon or a private licensed waste carrier.
East Devon Digital Bin-Day Shortcuts
East Devon offers more than a static webpage. Residents can use the live property calendar and mobile tools to reduce the chance of forgetting a weekly or three-weekly collection.
East Devon App
The council’s collection finder recommends the East Devon app for collection dates and other location-based council information.
Alexa skill
East Devon also operates an “Ask East Devon District Council” Alexa skill.
Supported requests include reporting missed recycling, a broken recycling box, requesting a recycling sack or asking for a new food caddy where address information has been configured.
A–Z item checker
If a household object is not clearly covered by the basic box/sack lists, use East Devon’s A–Z recycling and disposal guide before putting it into the black bin.
Quick East Devon Item Route Checker
Use this for common items before defaulting to the black bin.
East Devon Official Recycling & Waste Action Centre
Check Collection Date
Search by postcode or part of the address.
Report Missed Collection
Wait until after 5pm, then use the correct refuse/recycling route.
Which Container?
Check box, sack, food, green and black-bin material.
Green Waste
Subscribe to the £65 fortnightly garden-waste service.
Clinical Waste
Arrange the free weekly household clinical-waste service.
Large Items
Check accepted items, live charge and available collection date.
Telephone: 01395 571515
Phone lines: Monday–Friday, 8:30am–5pm
Email: csc@eastdevon.gov.uk
Blackdown House
Border Road
Heathpark Industrial Estate
Honiton
Devon
EX14 1EJ
East Devon District Council Bin Collection FAQs
1. How do I find my exact East Devon bin collection day?
Use East Devon District Council’s official “When is my bin collected?” address finder. Enter your postcode or part of the property address and select the exact household. This is safer than manually calculating future three-weekly black-bin dates.
2. What time should East Devon bins be put out?
Current East Devon guidance says recycling, food, refuse and other scheduled household containers should be at the correct collection point by 6am. Some older third-party information quotes 7am, but the council’s current 2026 pages use 6am.
3. How often is the black bin collected in East Devon?
Non-recyclable household refuse in the black wheeled bin or approved gull sack is normally collected every three weeks. Weekly recycling and weekly food-waste collections continue between those black-bin collections.
4. Is East Devon recycling collected every week?
Yes. East Devon’s recycling box and recycling sack are normally collected weekly. Food waste is also collected weekly in the food caddy. Different recyclable materials need to be placed in the correct box or sack.
5. Can I leave extra black rubbish bags beside my East Devon bin?
Normally no. East Devon has not routinely collected loose refuse or black-bin side waste since November 2016. Waste should fit inside the approved black wheeled bin or gull sack and the bin lid should close properly. A one-off chargeable excess-waste collection can be discussed with Customer Services.
6. Can I leave extra recycling beside the recycling box?
Yes, subject to East Devon’s presentation rules. Additional recycling can be placed in suitable carrier/plastic bags other than black refuse sacks, or another container no larger than the recycling box. Large cardboard should be flattened, have polystyrene removed, and can be placed beneath or beside the box.
7. How much is East Devon green waste collection in 2026?
The current annual green-waste subscription costs £65 per wheeled bin. Collections are normally fortnightly for 11 months of the year, with a six-week Christmas break. Up to three subscribed green bins per property are normally available.
8. What should I do if East Devon misses my bin?
Wait until after 5pm because the crew may still be working. Check that the correct containers were out on the correct day, by 6am, at the correct place and with the correct contents. If the collection was genuinely missed, submit the official missed collection report. East Devon says it will try to return within 48 hours.
9. Can I get an assisted bin collection in East Devon?
Residents who cannot move waste, recycling or green-waste containers because of disability or mobility difficulties can request temporary or permanent assistance. The council normally cannot provide the assisted service where an able-bodied person over 15 lives at the property.
10. What goes in the East Devon food caddy?
East Devon accepts fruit and vegetable peelings, cooked and uncooked food, meat and fish including bones, plate scrapings, tea bags, tea leaves, coffee grounds and cat or dog food. The caddy can be lined with newspaper or a suitable single-use plastic bag such as a bread bag. Compostable packaging, animal bedding, animal waste and liquids should be kept out.