Castle Point Refuse Collection: Bin Days & Council Guide
Castle Point has one of the more unusual household collection systems in Essex. Most residents do not use a general-waste wheelie bin: non-recyclable rubbish is collected in black sacks, dry recycling in pink sacks, glass in a separate box and food waste in a weekly caddy.
This guide explains the live collection calendar, 7am rule, fortnightly black and pink rounds, weekly food waste, glass recycling, garden-waste subscriptions, missed collections, assisted services, textiles, bulky furniture, clinical waste, local recycling centres and the autumn 2026 paper-and-card change.
Castle Point Refuse Collection: Quick Answer
Check your exact address before putting sacks out. Castle Point collection dates vary by road. Use the council’s My Street / recycling calendar service rather than guessing from the previous fortnight or copying another street.
How to Check Your Castle Point Refuse Collection Day
Search results can explain the service frequency, but only the address-level council calendar can tell you the actual day for your property.
Open My Street
Use Castle Point Borough Council’s collection-day lookup.
Search your address
Select the exact property rather than a neighbour or nearby postcode.
Identify the stream
Check whether the date is for black refuse, recycling/glass, food or subscribed garden waste.
Recheck holidays
Bank holidays and Christmas can change the normal weekday.
Castle Point Household Collection Schedule in 2026
| Waste stream | Container | Normal frequency | Main purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-recyclable refuse | Black sacks | Fortnightly | Household waste that cannot use another recycling route. |
| Dry mixed recycling | Pink sacks | Fortnightly | Current accepted plastics, cans, foil, paper, card and cartons. |
| Glass | 55L glass box / older yellow box | Fortnightly with pink sacks | Glass bottles and jars. |
| Food waste | Kitchen caddy + outdoor caddy | Weekly | Food scraps and leftovers. |
| Garden waste | 240L brown bin / approved sacks / bundles | Weekly | Chargeable garden vegetation service. |
| Textiles | White textile sack or suitable own bag | Wednesdays by booking | Clean reusable clothing, footwear and household textiles. |
Castle Point’s Household Waste System Explained
Black Refuse Sacks
Fortnightly non-recyclable household waste. Castle Point accepts ordinary black sacks purchased from shops.
Pink Recycling Sacks
Dry mixed recycling collected fortnightly on the opposite side of the normal black-sack cycle.
Glass Recycling Box
Separate bottle-and-jar collection alongside the pink recycling sack round.
Weekly Food Caddy
Separate weekly food collection for scraps, leftovers and other accepted food waste.
Garden Waste
Weekly paid service using a Castle Point brown wheeled bin, council compostable sacks or permitted bundles.
Autumn 2026: Paper and Card Are Due to Get Their Own Sack
Castle Point approved a new separate paper-and-card collection method to meet England’s Simpler Recycling requirements.
Existing arrangement
Castle Point’s live pink-sack guidance currently lists paper and cardboard together with plastics and metal packaging.
Approved 2026 change
The council has approved separate disposable sacks for paper and card, alongside the familiar pink recycling sacks.
Planned timing
Council communications describe the rollout as an autumn 2026 change.
What residents should do now
Do not move paper and card out of the pink sack until Castle Point confirms the new sacks and instructions for your household.
Castle Point Food Waste: Weekly Collection
Weekly food waste is already part of Castle Point’s core household service. This is one of the most important differences between the council’s actual service and several generic bin-day websites.
Put these in the food caddy
- Uneaten food and plate scrapings
- Bread and pastries
- Rice, pasta and beans
- Raw and cooked meat
- Meat and fish bones
- Dairy products
- Tea bags
- Coffee grounds
- Fruit and vegetables
- Fruit and vegetable peelings
- Egg shells
- Rotten food
Keep these out
- Dog waste
- Pet litter
- Animal bedding
- Liquids poured directly into the caddy
- Unapproved compostable packaging
- Garden waste
Food Caddy Tips Castle Point Residents Can Actually Use
Need another caddy?
Castle Point allows residents to obtain a second external food caddy if the normal container is not enough.
Caddies can be collected from the council offices at Kiln Road or requested through the council.
Liners
Council food-caddy liners cost £3 for a roll of 50 at listed leisure centres and libraries.
Newspaper can also be used to wrap food before it goes into the caddy.
Lock the outside caddy
The external caddy has a locking lid intended to reduce scavenging and spillages.
Keep it in shade where possible during hot weather.
Pink Recycling Sacks: What Castle Point Currently Accepts
| Material | Current kerbside route | Preparation |
|---|---|---|
| Plastic bottles | Pink sack | Rinse where food/drink residue is present. |
| Plastic tubes | Pink sack | Empty first. |
| Plastic trays | Pink sack | Remove food residue. |
| Plastic pots and tubs | Pink sack | Rinse when needed. |
| Hard plastic | Pink sack | Council examples include children’s toys and coat hangers. |
| Food/drink cans | Pink sack | Empty and rinse. |
| Aerosol cans | Pink sack | Use only when empty. |
| Foil and foil containers | Pink sack | Remove food contamination. |
| Paper | Pink sack until new 2026 instructions apply | Keep dry where practical. |
| Cardboard | Pink sack until new 2026 instructions apply | Flatten bulky boxes. |
| Tetra Pak / cartons | Pink sack | Empty before recycling. |
Castle Point Glass Recycling Box
Glass stays separate from the pink recycling sack.
Accepted glass
- Glass bottles of all colours
- Glass jars of all colours
- Spirit bottles
- Beer and wine bottles
- Perfume bottles
- Food jars
- Broken glass bottles and jars
Not accepted in the glass box
- Plate glass
- Windows
- Windscreens
- Drinking glasses
- Pyrex
- Mirrors
- Light bulbs
- Spectacles
Black Refuse Sack: Non-Recyclable Waste
Black sacks are collected every other week. Unlike the pink recycling sack, Castle Point allows residents to use ordinary black sacks purchased from shops.
Council examples for black sacks
- Nappies
- Crisp packets
- Disposable masks and gloves
- Plastic bags
- Food pouches
- Pyrex
- Pet waste
- Pet litter
Sharp household items
Drinking glass or broken crockery that belongs in residual refuse should be wrapped in newspaper or safely contained before putting it in a black sack.
This helps protect collection staff from cuts.
Castle Point Textile Collection Changed in 2026
From February 2026, the Castle Point / Essex Textiles collection moved to a pre-booked Wednesday service. White textile sacks replaced the older blue textile sacks, although old blue sacks can still be used.
Accepted
- Men’s, women’s and children’s clothing
- Underwear
- Paired shoes and boots
- Blankets
- Towels
- Bed linen
Do not leave bags overnight
Textile material needs to remain clean and dry for reuse.
Put the booked bags on the doorstep by 7am on Wednesday rather than leaving them out in rain overnight.
Castle Point Garden Waste Service 2026/27
Castle Point’s subscription year runs from 1 April to 31 March. The council publishes a full 2026/27 annual subscription of £43 and states that subscriptions are reduced to half price from October. Confirm the live amount shown at checkout before paying.
Accepted garden material
- Grass cuttings
- Leaves
- Dead flowers
- Weeds
- Old garden or house plants
- Windfall fruit
- Logs and branches within the size rules
- Twigs and hedge trimmings
Keep these out
- Plastic bags
- Soil
- Stones
- Treated wood
- Pet waste
- Kitchen waste
- Turf
Castle Point Waste Presentation Rules
Castle Point uses Section 46 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to specify how household waste must be presented.
By 7am
Correct refuse and recycling must be ready by 7am on collection day.
Property boundary
Road-front properties normally present sacks, boxes, bins and caddies at the property boundary.
Walkway properties
Refuse and pink sacks go to the agreed collection point, while boxes, bins and caddies are presented at the property boundary.
Castle Point Missed Collection Checker
Castle Point Missed Collection Rules
Reportable missed collection
- It was the correct collection day.
- The waste was presented by 7am.
- The right container / sack was used.
- The recycling was not contaminated.
Reporting deadline
Missed collections must be reported within 2 working days of the correct collection date.
Do not wait until the next week to complain because the normal return window may already have expired.
Assisted Refuse and Recycling Collections
Castle Point offers an assisted service for elderly or disabled residents who have difficulty putting their household refuse and recycling out for collection.
How to ask
Contact the council’s recycling service with the resident’s name and address and request an assisted collection form.
Telephone: 01268 882200
Garden waste
The paid garden-waste service can also provide assistance where the household is already eligible for assisted refuse and recycling and the collection is practical.
Flats and Communal Waste in Castle Point
General waste
Flats are commonly provided with communal bins for black refuse bags, normally identified with a black or blue lid.
Recycling
Communal recycling bins can have pink lids and are intended for the appropriate pink-sack recycling stream.
Glass
Flats can have a communal glass container rather than individual household glass boxes.
Castle Point Bulky Waste Collection
Castle Point aims to collect bulky-waste bookings within 14 days of receiving the booking.
Common non-POPs items
- Beds and mattresses
- Bicycles
- Carpets and rugs
- Cupboards and wardrobes without glass/mirrors
- Electrical items
- Garden furniture without glass
- White goods
- Tables
- Internal doors without glass/mirrors
Upholstered POPs items
- Sofas
- Armchairs
- Bean bags
- Sofa beds
- Futons
- Upholstered office chairs
- Foot stools
- Sofa/floor cushions
Clinical Waste, Sharps and Offensive Waste
Clinical waste that may contain infectious human material should not be placed in normal black sacks.
Clinical waste examples
- Syringes and needles
- Other sharp medical instruments
- Human tissue
- Blood and bodily fluids
- Infected swabs or dressings
- Home-dialysis waste
- Some pharmaceutical waste
Registration
Castle Point requires a resident form plus a GP-completed requirement form before a domestic clinical-waste collection is arranged.
The council only provides the household collection where the medication/treatment is self-administered. Waste produced by a visiting health professional should normally be removed by that professional.
Batteries and Electrical Items
Small electricals
Items such as phones, chargers, hairdryers, electric toothbrushes, kettles, toasters and small power tools can use Castle Point / Essex electrical recycling routes rather than household refuse.
Some libraries accept small electricals but have limited capacity, so check before travelling.
Batteries
Castle Point lists local recycling routes for ordinary domestic, mobile-phone, laptop and power-tool batteries.
Vehicle batteries should be taken to an appropriate recycling centre such as Canvey rather than household sacks.
Canvey Recycling Centre
Essex County Council—not Castle Point Borough Council—operates the household recycling centre on Canvey Road.
From 16 October through the end of February, the published opening time is normally 9am–4pm daily.
Household waste only
Essex recycling centres do not accept business or commercial waste.
Vehicle restriction
Canvey does not accept vans, pickups, large/commercial-style vehicles or qualifying large trailers under its normal booking arrangements.
No DIY waste
Canvey does not accept rubble, plasterboard, tiles, soil, bathroom/kitchen units or other DIY construction waste.
DIY Waste or a Van? Pitsea May Be More Useful Than Canvey
This is a useful local distinction for Castle Point residents: Canvey is the borough’s local recycling centre, but some jobs need a different Essex site.
Canvey
- No DIY rubble or construction waste.
- No van / pickup / large-trailer bookings.
- Best for ordinary eligible household recycling.
Pitsea
- Accepts limited household DIY waste.
- Can accept qualifying van/pickup/large-trailer bookings.
- Booking is still required in normal circumstances.
Where Castle Point Residents Can Get Sacks, Caddies and Boxes
| Item | Current route | Local practical detail |
|---|---|---|
| Pink recycling sacks | Leisure centres and Benfleet, Hadleigh, Tarpots and Canvey Island libraries | Free; Castle Point also distributes an annual household roll. |
| Food caddy | Castle Point Council Offices, Kiln Road | New residents and households needing a second caddy can request one. |
| Caddy liners | Participating libraries and leisure centres | £3 for 50 liners. |
| Garden sacks | Participating libraries / leisure centres | £8 for 20 council-approved compostable sacks. |
| Glass box | Council offices, Kiln Road | Supply can be limited; call before travelling. |
| Textile sacks | Essex Textiles booking service | White branded sacks have replaced blue ones, but suitable own bags can also be used. |
Castle Point’s Waste System in Local Numbers
The council’s Waste & Recycling Strategy provides useful local context for why recycling contamination and service redesign are important.
Around 36,000 kerbside homes
The strategy says approximately 36,000 houses receive normal kerbside collections.
Around 3,000 communal properties
Approximately 3,000 properties receive communal collection arrangements through flats or multiple-occupancy buildings.
Castle Point Official Refuse & Recycling Shortcuts
Check Collection Day
Address-level refuse and recycling calendar.
Report Missed Collection
Use after checking the 7am, correct-day and contamination rules.
Pink Sack Guide
Current dry-recycling list and presentation guidance.
Glass Box Guide
Accepted glass and replacement-box information.
Garden Waste
Subscription, sacks, bin rules and accepted material.
Bulky Waste
Charges, POPs rules, collection days and bookings.
Kiln Road
Thundersley
Benfleet
Essex
SS7 1TF
Telephone: 01268 882200
Castle Point Refuse Collection FAQs
1. How do I find my Castle Point refuse collection day?
Use Castle Point Borough Council’s address-level My Street / recycling calendar service. Collection days vary by road, so checking the exact property is safer than assuming your day from a nearby street.
2. What time must Castle Point refuse and recycling be put out?
Household refuse and recycling should be presented by 7am on the correct collection day and no earlier than the evening before. Road-front properties normally place sacks, boxes, bins and caddies at the property boundary.
3. How often are Castle Point black sacks collected?
Black non-recyclable refuse sacks are collected every other week. They normally alternate with the fortnightly pink recycling sack and glass-box collection.
4. Does Castle Point collect food waste every week?
Yes. Castle Point operates a separate weekly household food-waste collection using an indoor kitchen caddy and a larger outdoor caddy. Food scraps, leftovers, meat, bones, dairy, bread, rice, pasta, fruit and vegetables are among the accepted materials.
5. Can paper and cardboard still go in a Castle Point pink sack?
Castle Point’s current live pink-sack guidance still lists paper and cardboard. The council has approved a separate paper/card sack service for autumn 2026, so residents should continue following the live council instructions for their property until the new sacks and rollout instructions are issued.
6. How quickly must I report a missed Castle Point collection?
A missed collection must normally be reported within two working days of the correct collection date. Before reporting, check that the correct waste was presented by 7am and that recycling was not rejected because of contamination.
7. How much is Castle Point garden waste in 2026/27?
The published full-year 2026/27 subscription is £43 for the weekly brown garden-waste bin service. Castle Point states that subscriptions are reduced to half price from October. Council garden-waste sacks cost £8 for a roll of 20.
8. Can I get more Castle Point pink recycling sacks?
Yes. Pink sacks are free. Castle Point distributes rolls annually and residents can also collect sacks from participating leisure centres and libraries including Benfleet, Hadleigh, Tarpots and Canvey Island libraries.
9. How much does Castle Point bulky waste collection cost?
The current minimum charge is £49.18 for up to three items, with additional items charged at £7.60 each and a normal maximum of ten items. Upholstered seating that may contain persistent organic pollutants must be collected separately from ordinary bulky items, which can result in a separate minimum charge.
10. Where is the Castle Point household recycling centre?
Canvey Recycling Centre is on Canvey Road, Canvey Island, SS8 0QX. Essex County Council operates the site. Car visitors normally need a booking. Canvey does not accept DIY rubble or normal van/pickup bookings; Pitsea is the nearby Essex site to check when you have eligible DIY waste or need a van-compatible booking.