South Kesteven Council Bin Collection: Dates & Schedule 2026

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South Kesteven · current September 2026 household guide

South Kesteven Council Bin Collection: Dates & Schedule 2026

South Kesteven’s collection system is no longer a simple “black bin one week, recycling the next” routine. Most wheelie-bin households now work through a four-week sequence: black, silver, black, then purple-lidded paper and card—with a separate food-waste caddy collected every week.

This guide explains the exact 2026 pattern for Grantham, Stamford, Bourne, The Deepings and rural South Kesteven, including the 7am rule, postcode calendar, paper/card separation, weekly food recycling, £55 garden service, missed-bin deadline, sack properties, additional bins, bulky collections, assisted service, sharps and local recycling centres.

Check My Official Bin Day Report a Missed Bin Solve a Collection Problem

Quick Answer: Which South Kesteven Bin Is Due This Week?

Use SKDC’s postcode/address checker before relying on a generic four-week diagram. The standard wheelie-bin sequence is black → silver → black → purple-lidded, but your address determines the actual weekday and dates. Food waste is weekly on the usual bin or sack day.

Set-out time By 7am
Black waste Every 2 weeks
Silver recycling Every 4 weeks
Purple paper/card Every 4 weeks
Food caddy Every week
The mistake most likely to cause a missed recycling week: treating silver and purple-lidded bins as though each one is fortnightly. They are alternated between the black-bin collections, so each recycling container normally comes round once every four weeks.

South Kesteven Is a Large District—Use Your Exact Address

South Kesteven covers around 365 square miles, with urban, village and rural rounds. A Grantham date should not be copied for Stamford, Bourne, Market Deeping or a nearby village simply because the same council operates both areas.

Grantham Stamford Bourne Market Deeping Deeping St James Colsterworth Corby Glen Billingborough Long Bennington Barrowby Great Gonerby Baston

The council redesigned collection rounds from 15 September 2025, so a reminder created before that change can still be wrong in 2026.

How to Find Your Exact South Kesteven Bin Collection Date

SKDC publishes a postcode checker plus downloadable 2026/27 calendars. The postcode result should come first because it tells you which date and schedule apply to your individual address.

1

Open SKDC’s checker

Use the official Find Your Bin Collection Day page.

2

Enter the postcode

Search the postcode for the household receiving the collection.

3

Select the exact address

Do not substitute another house on the street just to obtain a date.

4

Save all streams

Record black, silver, purple-lidded, food and subscribed green dates separately.

Open SKDC Postcode Bin Checker

South Kesteven’s Four-Week Collection Cycle Explained

This is the most important pattern to understand before looking at your calendar.

1

Black Bin

Non-recyclable household waste.

2

Silver Bin

Clean, dry mixed recycling excluding paper and card.

3

Black Bin

Residual household waste again.

4

Purple-Lidded Bin

Clean and dry paper and cardboard only.

Food waste sits on top of this cycle: the orange-lidded outdoor food caddy goes out every week on the household’s normal bin or sack day.

South Kesteven Bin Colours & Their Jobs

Black Bin

Residual household waste that cannot use the recycling, food, garden or specialist disposal routes.

240L standard Every 2 weeks

Silver Bin

Clean, dry mixed recycling such as glass containers, metal packaging and accepted plastic bottles, pots and tubs—but no paper/card.

240L standard Every 4 weeks

Purple-Lidded Bin

A black-bodied 240-litre bin with a purple lid exclusively for clean, dry paper and cardboard.

Paper & card Every 4 weeks

Food-Waste Caddy

Five-litre indoor caddy plus black 23-litre outdoor caddy with an orange lid for weekly food-waste recycling.

Weekly Free household service

Green Garden Bin

Optional paid service for garden vegetation. It follows a separate light-blue or dark-blue collection calendar.

Subscription 23 collections/year

Black Bin: What Is It for in 2026?

The black 240-litre wheelie bin remains the residual-waste container and is collected every two weeks.

Use black for residual waste

Put household items here only after checking that they cannot use the silver, purple-lidded, food, garden, battery, electrical or recycling-centre routes.

Since April 2026, avoidable and unavoidable household food waste now has its own weekly collection instead of routinely using the residual stream.

Specialist materials stay out

  • Electrical equipment
  • Rubble
  • Soil
  • Hazardous household waste
  • Garden vegetation
  • Loose batteries

Silver Bin: Mixed Recycling Without Paper & Card

Twin-stream recycling means paper/card is deliberately removed from the silver-bin load.

Material 2026 route Preparation
Glass bottles & jars Silver bin Empty and clean.
Metal food/drink cans Silver bin Empty and rinse.
Clean aluminium foil Silver bin Remove food residue.
Empty aerosols Silver bin Use household non-hazardous aerosols only.
Accepted cartons Silver bin Empty first.
Plastic bottles Silver bin Squash when practical to save space.
Plastic pots and tubs Silver bin Clean and dry.
Paper & cardboard Purple-lidded bin Do not mix with silver-bin recycling.
Soft films / crisp packets Not silver bin Use an appropriate alternative recycling route if available.
Space-saving local tip: because the silver bin is now emptied only every four weeks, squash suitable plastic bottles and cans rather than throwing them in at full volume.

Purple-Lidded Bin: Clean, Dry Paper & Card Only

SKDC introduced the separate paper-and-card stream to reduce contamination and send better-quality material directly for paper recycling.

Accepted examples

  • Clean paper
  • Cardboard boxes
  • Cardboard tubes
  • Clean food-packaging boxes
  • Cardboard egg boxes
  • Envelopes including window envelopes
  • Junk mail
  • Newspapers
  • Magazines
  • Greeting cards without glitter/foil
  • Non-foil wrapping paper

Keep these out

  • Wet cardboard
  • Card contaminated with food
  • Used takeaway boxes with food residue
  • Tissues
  • Shredded paper
  • Paper with paint or glue contamination
  • Foil or glitter-covered wrapping
Shredded paper is a South Kesteven-specific trap: SKDC says it should go in the black residual bin. Short shredded fibres are unsuitable for the paper mill and can create problems in recycling machinery.
Flatten cardboard. The purple-lidded bin is collected every four weeks, so collapsing cereal boxes, delivery boxes and other clean cardboard preserves useful capacity.

Weekly Food-Waste Collections Started 13 April 2026

This is the biggest new household collection in South Kesteven during 2026.

Launch 13 April 2026
Indoor caddy 5 litres
Outdoor caddy 23 litres
Frequency Weekly

Same normal day

Put the outdoor food caddy out on the same weekday as your normal black, silver or purple-lidded collection.

Different lorry

The food-waste collection uses a dedicated specialist vehicle. Do not assume the caddy has been missed just because the main bin was already emptied.

No subscription

Household food-waste recycling is provided without a separate charge or annual subscription.

What happens to the food? Separately collected food waste is sent to anaerobic digestion in Lincolnshire, producing biogas for renewable electricity and a nutrient-rich fertiliser product for agriculture.

What Can Go in the South Kesteven Food-Waste Caddy?

Yes — food waste

  • Raw and cooked meat
  • Meat bones
  • Fish and shellfish
  • Fish bones and shells
  • Fruit
  • Vegetables and peelings
  • Salad
  • Dairy products
  • Eggs and eggshells
  • Bread, cakes and pastries
  • Rice, pasta and beans
  • Meal leftovers
  • Tea bags
  • Coffee grounds
  • Tinned and dry pet food without packaging
  • Small amounts of gravy or sauce remaining on food

No — keep these out

  • Food packaging where it can be removed
  • Milk and drinks
  • Cooking water
  • Large amounts of liquid oil
  • Garden vegetation
  • Ordinary household rubbish
Oil and fat detail: small quantities of used cooking oil are acceptable when absorbed into another food such as bread. Cooled solid cooking fat can also go in. Do not pour liquid oil directly into the caddy.
52 starter liners: households received an initial roll of 52 liners. SKDC says you do not have to buy special compostable bags afterward. Old bread bags, suitable shopping bags, newspaper or kitchen roll can be used. Avoid black liners because crews need to be able to visually check the contents.
The small indoor food caddy is dishwasher-safe up to about 60°C. Both caddies can also be cleaned with hot soapy water, white vinegar or suitable disinfectant.

South Kesteven Green Garden-Waste Service 2026/27

Garden waste is an optional paid service and runs separately from household food recycling.

First bin £55/year
Additional bin £45/year
Collections 23/year
New bin + delivery £45
New-customer total: a completely new 2026/27 customer requiring a bin pays £100 in total: £55 annual collection fee + £30 green bin + £15 delivery.

What can go in?

  • Grass cuttings
  • Hedge trimmings
  • Flowers and plants
  • Leaves
  • Bark
  • Twigs
  • Small branches

Important service rhythm

Green bins are normally collected fortnightly for most of the year.

During December, January and February, the service reduces to approximately one collection per month.

Light blue or dark blue? SKDC’s garden calendar uses separate light-blue and dark-blue schedules. Use the postcode checker to identify your property’s garden round rather than guessing from the town name.
No subscription = no collection. From 1 April 2026 the council will not empty a green garden bin where the address has not paid for the 2026/27 service.
Moving within South Kesteven? Unlike the black, silver and purple-lidded council bins, subscribers can take their green garden bin to the new address. The garden-waste account must be transferred so the new property is recognised by the collection system.
Join or Manage Garden Waste

The Current SKDC Set-Out Time Is 7am

Current live South Kesteven collection pages tell residents to have bins, sacks and recycling available by 7am.

By 7am

Do not wait for the hour that the lorry normally reaches your street.

Property boundary

Present the correct container at the edge of your property where the collection crew can clearly see and safely reach it.

Correct container

With three main wheelie-bin colours plus food and optional green waste, presenting the right container matters as much as the date.

Hot-weather exception: SKDC has previously brought rounds forward to around 5am during extreme heat to protect waste crews. When the council announces an earlier start, put containers out the night before rather than relying on the ordinary 7am rule.

Extra Bags Beside the Bin? South Kesteven Normally Says No

One of the biggest differences between SKDC and councils that allow occasional extra recycling is that normal side waste is not accepted.

Black-bin side waste

Extra sacks or loose household rubbish beside a black wheelie bin will not normally be collected.

Silver-bin side waste

Extra mixed recycling beside the silver bin is also not accepted as part of the normal service.

Paper/card side waste

Cardboard left beside the purple-lidded bin will not be taken. All paper/card must fit inside and remain clean and dry.

Excess household waste or recycling that will not fit should use a Household Waste Recycling Centre or another appropriate legal disposal route.

South Kesteven Bin Problem Checker

Choose what happened before submitting a missed-bin report.

Select the situation that best matches your problem.

When to Report a Missed South Kesteven Bin

Earliest report After 3pm
Latest normal report Within 2 working days
Correct set-out By 7am
Location Property boundary

Strong missed-bin case

  • The postcode calendar showed the container was due.
  • The correct bin or sack was presented.
  • It was at the collection point by 7am.
  • All waste was inside the correct receptacle.
  • No contamination tag was left.
  • The bin was not overloaded.
  • You are reporting within two working days.

Reasons crews may not return

  • Wrong bin presented
  • Contamination
  • Extra side waste
  • Wrong collection point
  • Presented after 7am
  • Overloaded or unsafe container
Do not report at lunchtime. SKDC specifically asks residents to wait until after 3pm because crews may still be working on the scheduled round.
Report a Missed SKDC Collection

What Happens If the Wrong Waste Is in Your Recycling Bin?

A bin intentionally rejected because it contains the wrong material is not the same as a bin the crew accidentally missed.

Crew checks

Collection staff can inspect the contents of recycling and garden containers before emptying them.

Rejected container

If unsuitable material is visible, the container can be tagged and left unemptied.

Resident fixes it

Remove the contamination and present the bin again on its next relevant scheduled collection.

Why this matters with the four-week recycling cycle: a rejected silver or purple-lidded bin can mean waiting roughly four weeks for that same recycling stream. Check questionable items before collection day.

Can a Large South Kesteven Household Get Another Black Bin?

Yes, but an additional black bin is controlled rather than supplied automatically.

Five or more people

The normal large-family criterion starts with five or more permanent residents living as one family at the address.

Waste audit

The household must be willing to participate in a review of current black-bin use so the council can confirm available recycling capacity is being used.

HMOs are different

The large-family criterion does not simply treat a house in multiple occupation as one large family.

Do not buy an additional black wheelie bin privately and assume SKDC will empty it. The council can remove unauthorised additional receptacles.

New, Missing or Damaged South Kesteven Bins

Standard household set

A normal wheelie-bin household is based around:

  • 240L black residual bin
  • 240L silver mixed-recycling bin
  • 240L black-bodied purple-lidded paper/card bin

New-build properties

Charges apply for new bins at a newly built property. Developers are encouraged to arrange provision before residents move in; otherwise the resident can become responsible for ordering them.

Collection damage

If the bin is damaged by the council during the collection process, replacement should be provided without charging the householder.

Other replacement damage

Damage caused by neglect, intentional damage or hot ashes can result in a replacement charge.

The council’s policy says paid replacement wheeled bins are typically delivered as soon as practical, normally within around 15 working days.
Moving house: black, silver and purple-lidded bins remain with the property. Do not take them to another address.

Pink & Clear Sack Collections

Not every South Kesteven property can safely store three large wheelie bins. Sack collections are used where space or vehicle access makes bins impractical.

Pink sacks

Pink SKDC sacks are used for non-recyclable domestic household rubbish.

Clear sacks

Clear sacks are used for dry mixed recycling, including paper/card under the current sack-property arrangement.

Who may use sacks?

  • Flats with little/no external storage
  • Properties without frontage
  • Properties without rear access
  • Very long-drive properties
  • Places inaccessible to the collection vehicle

Annual delivery

Annual sack supplies are normally delivered in October and are intended to provide capacity comparable with the wheelie-bin service.

Four-sack limit

SKDC normally collects a maximum of four sacks per household on each collection date. Extra sacks count as side waste.

Sack properties do not use the purple-lidded paper bin in the same way as conventional wheelie-bin households. Clear-sack recycling arrangements continue because the dedicated paper mill does not accept the plastic sack itself as part of the purple-bin stream.

Assisted Bin Collections for Frailty, Disability or Ill Health

SKDC offers both permanent and temporary assisted collections where nobody in the household is able to put the waste out.

Assessment visit

After an application, a waste adviser can visit the property to assess the resident’s circumstances, access and the practical level of help required.

Helpful evidence

Documents such as a Blue Badge, disability-benefit letter or a supporting letter from a carer or healthcare professional can help with the assessment.

Access still matters: residents approved for assisted collections must ensure the crew can access the agreed bin/bag location from 7am.
Existing assisted collection arrangements also apply to the outdoor weekly food-waste caddy.
Request Assisted Collection

Flats & Communal Bin Stores

Individual assessment

A flat development may not have room for three individual 240-litre bins per household, so the council can assess communal provision.

Large containers

Where agreed, developments can use communal bins, including larger containers such as 1100-litre bins.

Access must remain clear

Furniture, bags or loose waste blocking a communal bin store can prevent the crew accessing and emptying the containers.

Where a communal recycling bin is contaminated, residents or the building manager must remove the incorrect material before the next scheduled collection.

Household Batteries: Check the Current Service Before Putting Them Out

Current service alert: SKDC’s live battery page presently states that it is experiencing a collection/disposal issue and is temporarily unable to collect household batteries from residents.

Do not put batteries inside any bin

Batteries can be crushed or punctured in collection vehicles or sorting equipment and create serious fires.

Use an alternative while suspended

Take suitable household batteries to a supermarket, shop with a battery-recycling point or a Household Waste Recycling Centre until SKDC confirms that kerbside battery collections have restarted.

Under the normal battery scheme, small household batteries are bagged separately and attached to the wheelie-bin handle—not placed inside the bin. Because that service is currently disrupted, check SKDC’s battery page before using the normal handle-bag method.
Check Current Battery Service Status

Clinical Waste, Hygiene Waste & Sharps

Non-infectious hygiene waste

Nappies, drained stoma bags, sanitary products, non-infectious dressings and incontinence products can normally be securely bagged and placed in the residual black bin or pink sack.

Prescription sharps

Needles must be stored in a proper sealed sharps container. SKDC offers home collection of prescription sharps boxes.

Sharps containers are obtained through the GP or pharmacy rather than supplied by the council.

Residents generating a large quantity of qualifying medical waste may apply for an additional marked black bin. Written evidence from a medical professional is required and liquid clinical waste is not accepted in that container.
Unused medicines should be returned to a pharmacy rather than put in the wheelie bin or handed to the sharps-collection service.
Request Sharps Collection

South Kesteven Bulky Waste Collection 2026

First item £22
Each additional item £12
Fridge / freezer £22 each
Set out By 7am

Examples the service accepts

  • Armchairs
  • Beds
  • Mattresses
  • Bookcases
  • Chairs and tables
  • Computers
  • Cookers
  • Dishwashers
  • Fridges and freezers
  • Lawn mowers
  • Microwaves
  • Sofas
  • Televisions
  • Tumble dryers
  • Wardrobes
  • Washing machines

Examples SKDC does not collect

  • Builder’s rubble
  • Bricks and concrete
  • Loose excess household rubbish
  • Fitted kitchens or bathrooms
  • Gas bottles
  • Paving slabs
  • Radiators
  • Sheds
  • Soil
  • Treadmills
Count pieces separately: a three-piece suite counts as three items, a bed and mattress as two, and a corner sofa can count as two.
Current fridge/freezer disruption: the council warns that some fridge/freezer collections can be postponed or cancelled because of disposal-contractor delays. Check availability during booking.
Booked items must be placed outside at the property edge nearest the highway by 7am. Crews cannot enter the home to remove them, and only items listed on the paid booking will be collected.
Need to cancel? SKDC requires cancellation by 12 noon on the working day before collection for the normal refund process.
Book Bulky Waste Collection

Bank Holidays, Christmas & Extreme Weather

Public holidays

SKDC can move normal collection dates when bank holidays disrupt the operating week. Use the address calendar and current council announcement instead of simply adding one day yourself.

Christmas / New Year

Festive schedules can move some rounds earlier and others later. Check the council’s specific Christmas 2026 timetable when it is published.

Weather

Extreme heat, snow, road safety or other operational conditions can change collection timing or prevent a round.

Useful precedent: in June 2026 extreme weather prevented some South Kesteven collections. SKDC arranged a later return for affected garden and paper/card bins, while some missed weekly food waste waited until the following food collection. Follow the specific disruption notice rather than applying the normal missed-bin rule blindly.

Grantham Household Waste Recycling Centre

Lincolnshire County Council operates Grantham Recycling Centre for suitable household material that cannot use the South Kesteven kerbside service.

NG31 7AH Mowbeck Way / Alexandra Road, Grantham
9am–4pm Normal open-day hours
Wed–Thu Closed
3:50pm Arrive before this time

Open days

Monday, Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday under the current published timetable.

Christmas closures

Closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

Vehicle permit

Vans, qualifying light-goods 4x4s and larger trailers require a free Lincolnshire recycling-centre permit.

Gates can close around ten minutes before the published site closing time so vehicles can unload and leave safely. Aim to arrive before 3:50pm rather than pulling in at 3:59pm.
Check Grantham Recycling Centre

Bourne Household Waste Recycling Centre

Bourne Recycling Centre is a useful alternative for residents in the south/east of the district.

PE10 0DN South Fen Road, Bourne
9am–4pm Normal open-day hours
Wed–Thu Closed
5 days Open each normal week

Open days

Monday, Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Useful material route

Suitable materials include household recycling, small electricals, scrap metal, wood, waste oil and excess household waste, subject to current site rules.

Permit rules

The same Lincolnshire permit requirement applies to vans, qualifying light-goods vehicles and specified large trailers.

Check Bourne Recycling Centre

South Kesteven Local Bin-Day Tips That Prevent Real Mistakes

Write the four-week pattern down

A simple household note saying Black → Silver → Black → Purple is easier to remember than trying to think of silver and purple as separate fortnightly services.

Food goes out every week

Do not wait for a particular bin colour. Present the outdoor food caddy every normal collection week.

Number your purple bin

SKDC recommends marking the back of the purple-lidded bin with your house number/name so it is easier to recover after collection.

Green stickers matter

The garden subscription is checked electronically and residents are also issued with a sticker for the green bin.

Keep silver recycling loose

Clean, dry recyclables should be placed loose rather than hidden inside plastic sacks.

Screenshot unusual disruption

If SKDC announces early heatwave rounds, weather cancellations or a special holiday date, save the notice until the collection is completed.

How Much Has the 2026 Service Expanded?

Food-waste recycling added another weekly container to a waste system that had already been reorganised through the 2025 round changes and twin-stream recycling.

60,000+ Food-caddy packs delivered before launch
Weekly New household food collection
670,000 Approx. receptacles emptied in June 2026
70,000 More receptacle collections than the previous comparison period
Council meeting figures reported that around 670,000 waste receptacles—including bins and caddies—were emptied during June 2026. That helps explain why a “bin collection” article in 2026 needs to cover more than just a black and recycling bin.

Official South Kesteven Waste & Recycling Shortcuts

Find Bin Day

Postcode/address dates plus 2026/27 waste and garden calendars.

Missed Collection

Report after 3pm and within the two-working-day window.

Food Waste

Weekly collection, caddy rules, liners, food items and FAQs.

Garden Waste

Join, renew and check current 2026/27 subscription details.

Right Thing, Right Bin

Search unusual household items before contaminating a bin.

Bin & Sack Services

Missing bins, damaged bins, new builds, sacks and additional black-bin applications.

Bulky Waste

Prices, item list, exclusions, booking and refund rules.

Assisted Collection

Permanent or temporary help where nobody in the household can present the waste.

Battery Status

Check whether kerbside battery collections have restarted.

South Kesteven District Council Customer Services
The Picture House
St Catherine’s Road
Grantham
NG31 6TT

Telephone: 01476 406080
Email: customerservices@southkesteven.gov.uk

South Kesteven District Council Bin Collection FAQs

1. How do I find my South Kesteven bin collection date?

Use South Kesteven District Council’s official postcode bin-day checker, enter your postcode and choose the exact address. The result should guide your actual collection dates rather than a neighbour’s routine or an old calendar.

2. What is the South Kesteven black, silver and purple bin cycle?

For most wheelie-bin households the four-week cycle is Week 1 black residual waste, Week 2 silver mixed recycling, Week 3 black residual waste and Week 4 purple-lidded paper/card recycling. The cycle then repeats.

3. What time should South Kesteven bins be put out?

Current SKDC collection guidance says waste and recycling bins or sacks should be available by 7am on the scheduled collection day. Earlier temporary starts can be announced during exceptional conditions such as very hot weather.

4. How often is the South Kesteven silver recycling bin collected?

The silver mixed-recycling bin is normally collected every four weeks. It alternates with the purple-lidded paper/card collection, with a black residual collection between each recycling stream.

5. How often is the purple-lidded paper and card bin collected?

The purple-lidded paper/card bin is normally collected once every four weeks. Paper and cardboard must be clean, dry and inside the container; normal side waste is not collected.

6. When is food waste collected in South Kesteven?

Weekly household food-waste collections began in the week commencing 13 April 2026. Present the black 23-litre outdoor caddy with its orange lid on your normal bin or sack collection day.

7. How much is South Kesteven garden-waste collection in 2026/27?

The annual 2026/27 collection charge is £55 for the first green garden bin and £45 for each additional subscribed bin. A new green bin costs £30 plus £15 delivery. New customers requiring their first bin therefore pay £100 in total.

8. When can I report a missed South Kesteven bin?

Wait until after 3pm on the scheduled day because crews can still be collecting. A normal missed collection must be reported within two working days. A bin rejected for contamination, side waste, late presentation or another valid reason is not treated as an accidental missed collection.

9. Can I leave extra recycling or cardboard beside my SKDC bin?

Normally no. South Kesteven does not collect normal side waste beside black, silver or purple-lidded bins. Excess waste or recycling should be stored until there is capacity or taken to an appropriate Household Waste Recycling Centre.

10. Where can South Kesteven residents take extra household waste?

Lincolnshire County Council operates local Household Waste Recycling Centres including Grantham at Mowbeck Way/Alexandra Road, NG31 7AH, and Bourne at South Fen Road, PE10 0DN. Both currently open 9am–4pm on Monday, Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday and are closed Wednesday and Thursday. Check the live site information before travelling.

Independent resident guide: this article explains South Kesteven District Council waste and recycling services in practical language. It is not the council. Address-specific dates, temporary disruptions, battery-service status, charges, Christmas changes and recycling-centre opening arrangements should always be confirmed through the official services linked above.

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