Ceredigion Refuse Collection: Bin Days, Missed Bins & Waste
Ceredigion does not use the simple “general waste one week, recycling the next” model found in many UK areas. Household recycling and food waste are collected weekly, while glass and residual black bags normally operate on a three-week cycle.
This guide explains the postcode collection checker, the three-black-bag restriction, clear recycling bags, food caddies, glass boxes, AHP collections, missed-service rules, garden-waste bookings, assisted collections, bulky waste and all four Household Waste Sites.
Ceredigion Refuse Collection: Quick Answer
Search your exact postcode before putting waste out. Ceredigion County Council provides an address-level collection search because the weekday varies by property and route.
One County, Many Rural and Town Collection Routes
The postcode checker is important across Ceredigion because the service covers towns, villages, coastal communities and narrow rural routes. Collection disruptions can also affect one route without affecting another.
Local tip: if neighbouring streets have been collected but your road has not, check the live Waste Collection Service Updates page. Ceredigion publishes affected routes, places, waste types and recovery instructions.
How to Check Your Exact Ceredigion Refuse Collection Day
Do not try to calculate an individual property date from the collection frequency alone. Use Ceredigion County Council’s postcode search to identify the actual dates for your address.
Open collection dates
Start on the council’s Recycling & Bin Collection Dates page.
Enter your postcode
Use the postcode for the property whose waste collection you need.
Select your address
Choose the exact house or property instead of assuming a nearby road is on the same route.
Save all service dates
Remember that recycling/food and residual/glass have different frequencies.
Ceredigion Household Waste Collection Frequencies
This frequency board is one of the most important differences between Ceredigion and generic UK bin-day advice.
Six Ceredigion Household Waste Streams Explained
Clear Recycling Bags
Paper, cardboard, cartons, tins, cans, foil and a wide range of accepted plastics go into the clear recycling bag.
Food Waste
Cooked and uncooked household food is collected weekly using the kitchen caddy and lockable outdoor kerbside caddy.
Glass Box
Empty glass bottles and jars are kept separate from the clear mixed-recycling bag.
Residual Black Bags
Only genuinely non-recyclable household waste should remain after food, clear recycling, glass and garden material have been separated.
AHP Collection
Registered households can use a separate free service for qualifying disposable nappies and incontinence products.
Garden Waste
A separately booked, chargeable service using official Ceredigion green garden-waste bags.
Ceredigion’s Three-Black-Bag Rule
Since 23 June 2025, most Ceredigion households are restricted to 180 litres of residual waste per normal three-week collection cycle.
What can remain in a black bag?
- Vacuum cleaner contents
- Cooled ash
- Crisp packets
- Pet food pouches
- Chocolate-bar wrappers
- Cotton buds
- Wipes
- Medical tablet strips
- Sanitary waste
What must stay out?
- Food waste
- Clear-bag recyclable material
- Glass bottles and jars
- Garden waste
Separating these four categories usually makes the three-bag allowance significantly easier to manage.
What If Three Black Bags Are Genuinely Not Enough?
Ceredigion has an assessment route rather than expecting every exceptional household to stay within the standard limit.
First recycle fully
The council expects households to use the weekly food and clear recycling services and separate glass before requesting more residual capacity.
Disability / impairment
Additional residual capacity can be considered where a disability or impairment affects the household’s ability to manage the normal recycling system.
Genuine excess residual waste
Where significant non-recyclable waste remains despite full use of recycling services, a household can apply for an assessment.
Clear Recycling Bags: What Ceredigion Accepts
Dry recycling is collected every week and there is no normal limit on the amount correctly presented.
| Material | Clear bag? | Useful preparation |
|---|---|---|
| Paper | Yes | Newspapers, magazines, directories, writing paper and junk mail are accepted. |
| Cardboard | Yes | Flatten boxes and packets where practical. |
| Food & drink cartons | Yes | Empty and rinse. |
| Tins & cans | Yes | Food tins, drinks cans and pet-food tins can be recycled. |
| Aerosols | Yes | Present suitable empty household aerosols. |
| Aluminium foil / trays | Yes | Keep them clean of food residue. |
| Plastic bottles | Yes | Wash out and flatten where practical. |
| Plastic tubs, trays & pots | Yes | Wash food residue away. |
| Polystyrene | Yes | Ceredigion specifically lists polystyrene with accepted clear-bag plastics. |
| Plastic bags & film | Yes | Ceredigion specifically accepts these in its clear-bag system. |
Weekly Food Waste: The Key to Managing a Three-Week Black-Bag Cycle
What goes in?
- Fruit and vegetables
- Meat and bones
- Fish and bones
- Dairy products
- Tea bags and coffee grounds
- Egg shells
- Out-of-date food removed from packaging
- Bread and pastries
- Plate leftovers
- Small amounts of vegetable oil where accepted
How to use the caddies
- Line the small 7-litre kitchen caddy.
- Add household food waste.
- Tie the liner when ready.
- Put it inside the lockable 23-litre outdoor kerbside caddy.
- Present the outdoor caddy on the weekly collection day.
Glass Recycling Box: Every Three Weeks
Accepted glass
- Wine and beer bottles
- Food jars
- Condiment jars
- Perfume bottles
- Glass medicine bottles
- Any colour of bottle or jar
Keep these out
- Pyrex
- Drinking glasses
- Spectacles
- Window glass
- Glass ornaments
- Glass chopping boards
- Light bulbs
Free AHP Collection for Nappies & Incontinence Products
Ceredigion’s two-weekly Absorbent Hygiene Products service is a major practical support for households that would otherwise have to store these materials until the three-week residual collection.
Accepted AHP waste
- Disposable nappies
- Training pants and pull-ups
- Swim pants
- Nappy-changing wipes
- Nappy sacks
- Cotton wool
- Incontinence pads and pants
- Empty catheters
- Stoma / colostomy bags and tubing
- Disposable chair and bed pads
Not accepted
- Sanitary towels and tampons
- Infectious clinical waste
- Needles and syringes
- Sharps
- Animal waste
- Animal bedding
- Plaster casts
- Soiled blankets and clothing
When Should Ceredigion Waste Be Put Out?
Before 8am
Household waste should be presented on the morning of collection before 8am.
Kerbside / agreed point
Use the normal collection point for your property, particularly on narrow or rural routes where vehicle access can differ.
Correctly contained
Tie bags, close caddies and keep the waste inside the correct container for that stream.
Ceredigion Missed Collection: Do This Before Reporting
Ceredigion’s current advice differs from the common “report after 5pm” approach used by many councils.
Wait until the next day
The council asks residents not to treat waste as missed until the day after the scheduled collection.
Check live updates
Look for your town, village or collection route on the Waste Collection Service Updates page.
Read the exact advice
Some disrupted routes receive a catch-up date; other notices tell residents to re-present the waste on the next normal date.
Follow the route notice
Do not assume every missed service will automatically receive a next-day return.
Ceredigion Waste Route Checker
Choose an item or situation to see the likely Ceredigion household route.
Where to Get More Clear Recycling Bags & Food Liners
Ceredigion provides household recycling bags and food-caddy liners, so residents do not have to treat running out as a reason to stop recycling.
Yellow sticker trick
Use the council’s yellow request sticker on top of a full clear recycling bag. The collection crew can leave a new roll at the collection point.
Community Recycling Hubs
Clear recycling bags and food-caddy liners are available through a large network of hubs in towns and villages across the county.
Replacement containers
Contact the council if a larger kerbside food caddy or glass recycling box itself needs replacing.
Ceredigion Garden Waste Collection 2026
Unlike many councils that sell an annual garden-bin subscription, Ceredigion uses official green garden-waste bags. Buying the council bag includes the collection charge, but you must still book the collection.
Accepted garden material
- Leaves
- Grass
- Plants
- Tree cuttings
- Flowers
- Hedge clippings
- Real Christmas trees
Not accepted
- Plant pots
- Patio furniture
- Building materials
- Rocks and stones
- Whole trees
- Soil
- Giant Hogweed
- Japanese Knotweed
- Ragwort
Ceredigion Bulky Household Waste Collection
Reuse or a free Household Waste Site trip is better where possible. The council itself describes bulky collection as a last resort because collected items are likely to be disposed of rather than reused.
Tier One examples
- Sofas
- Chairs
- Fridges
- Freezers
- Cookers
- Carpets
- Curtains
- Televisions
- Beds
- Wardrobes
Tier Two / quote required
Household fixtures, fittings and outdoor structures are priced separately.
- Bathroom suites
- Kitchen units
- Doors
- Windows
- Storage heaters
- Sheds
- Greenhouses
- Outdoor bunkers
Ceredigion Assisted Waste Collections
Residents who genuinely cannot move their waste to the normal collection point can apply for an assisted service.
Typical eligibility
- Temporarily or permanently incapacitated
- Disabled
- No other resident able to assist
- No family member, neighbour or carer available to help
- Proof of incapacity/disability available if requested
What the crew does
The waste team can collect containers from an agreed point on the property, empty them and return them.
Crews cannot enter garages, sheds or other buildings to retrieve containers.
Can You Use a Wheelie Bin for Ceredigion Black-Bag Waste?
The council does not normally provide a free residual container. Householders are responsible for a suitable secure container, such as strong black bags or their own wheelie bin.
| Optional council-purchased bin | 2026/27 collected price | 2026/27 delivered price | Important point |
|---|---|---|---|
| 240 litre wheelie bin | £89 | £120 | Buying a bin does not increase the household’s normal residual-waste allowance. |
| 1100 litre container | £607 | £700 | Larger container option; appropriate collection/service arrangements still apply. |
Ceredigion Bank-Holiday Waste Collections in 2026
Ceredigion does not follow one universal “everything moves one day later” rule. Some Monday collections have actually been moved to the preceding Saturday.
Easter Monday — 6 April 2026
The scheduled Monday collection was moved forward to Saturday 4 April.
Early May Bank Holiday — 4 May 2026
The scheduled Monday collection moved to Saturday 2 May.
Spring Bank Holiday — 25 May 2026
The Monday collection moved to Saturday 23 May.
August Bank Holiday — 31 August 2026
The intended Monday collection was scheduled for Saturday 29 August, although some routes then required further operational recovery changes.
Ceredigion’s Four Household Waste Sites
Ceredigion currently operates four Household Waste Sites for residents. Three have the same core timetable; Llanarth follows a different three-day opening pattern.
Aberystwyth — Glanyrafon
Glanyrafon Industrial Estate
Llanbadarn Fawr
Aberystwyth
SY23 3JQ
Mon–Fri: 09:00–17:00
Sat, Sun & Bank Holidays: 10:00–15:00
Cardigan — Cilmaenllwyd
Cilmaenllwyd
Penparc
Cardigan
SA43 1RB
Mon–Fri: 09:00–17:00
Sat, Sun & Bank Holidays: 10:00–15:00
Lampeter
Industrial Estate
Tregaron Road
Lampeter
SA48 8LT
Mon–Fri: 09:00–17:00
Sat, Sun & Bank Holidays: 10:00–15:00
Llanarth — Rhydeinon
Rhydeinon
Llanarth
SA47 0QP
Wednesday: 10:00–17:00
Saturday: 10:00–17:00
Sunday: 10:00–17:00
Aberystwyth, Cardigan and Lampeter are closed on Christmas Day, New Year’s Day and Good Friday. Llanarth is also closed on those dates and is normally closed Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.
The “No Unsorted Black Bags” Rule at Ceredigion Waste Sites
Ceredigion has not banned non-recyclable household waste from its Household Waste Sites. It has banned arriving with unsorted waste and simply throwing the whole bag into a residual skip.
Sort at home
Separate anything that can use kerbside or Household Waste Site recycling containers before travelling.
Bring residency proof
A driving licence, council tax document or recent utility bill can be used to demonstrate Ceredigion residency.
Sort black-bag contents
If you arrive with residual bags, staff can direct you to a sorting area to remove recyclable items.
Dispose of true residual waste
Once recyclables have been removed, the remaining non-recyclable material can use the residual container.
Does Your Vehicle Need a Ceredigion Household Waste Site Permit?
| Vehicle | Permit position | Important detail |
|---|---|---|
| Private car | No day permit normally required | Household waste only. |
| Small van | No permit for listed small models | Examples include Partner, Kangoo, Caddy and Transit Connect. |
| Pick-up / 4×4 | No permit normally required | Must be carrying household waste. |
| Trailer 8ft × 4ft or smaller | No permit normally required | Domestic waste only. |
| Medium van | Day permit required | Includes examples such as Transit Custom, Vivaro, Trafic, Dispatch and Transporter. |
| Trailer larger than 8ft × 4ft | Permit required | Approval is at council/site-operator discretion. |
| Commercially owned / sign-written vehicle | Permit required | The waste must still genuinely be household waste. |
| Large / Luton / tipper / flatbed | Not allowed | Use another appropriate disposal arrangement. |
What Happens to Ceredigion Waste After Collection?
Clear recycling
Clear-bag material goes to a Materials Recovery Facility, where it is separated into individual materials before being sent for recycling.
Food waste
Food goes to anaerobic digestion at Stormy Down near Bridgend and produces renewable energy plus fertiliser.
Residual waste
Most collected non-recyclable black-bag waste now goes to an Energy from Waste facility rather than directly to landfill.
Did the Three-Black-Bag Restriction Change Recycling Behaviour?
Ceredigion published early performance figures in April 2026 covering the second half of 2025.
Household Waste Sites
The council reported an average reduction of about 30% in residual waste received at Household Waste Sites during July–December 2025 compared with the same period a year earlier.
Fly-tipping monitoring
The council reported no change in the number of household residual bags recorded as fly-tipped when comparing the six months before and after the restriction.
The wider policy supports Wales’s statutory recycling target, currently stated by the council as 70%.
Practical Ceredigion Household Tricks
Use weekly services aggressively
Weekly food and clear recycling are the easiest way to prevent the three-week black-bag storage period becoming a problem.
Put glass out before it is full
A partly full glass box is easier and safer to lift than an overfilled box of heavy bottles.
Check the update page on difficult weeks
Staffing, narrow access, fleet issues and bank-holiday rescheduling can affect individual Ceredigion routes.
Register for AHP rather than filling black bags
Eligible nappy/incontinence households can remove a major source of residual volume through the free two-weekly service.
Sort before going to the tip
Opening unsorted bags at the Household Waste Site wastes time. Separate the materials at home instead.
Reuse before booking bulky waste
A usable sofa, wardrobe or appliance may have more value through reuse than through a paid disposal collection.
Official Ceredigion Waste-Service Shortcuts
Collection Dates
Find the scheduled collection information for your postcode.
Collection Updates
Check route-specific staffing, access, fleet and recovery information.
Clear Recycling
Check exactly what Ceredigion accepts in clear bags.
Food Waste
Weekly caddy guidance and accepted food.
AHP Service
Apply for the two-weekly nappies/incontinence collection.
Household Waste Sites
Addresses, opening times, site rules and permit information.
Neuadd Cyngor Ceredigion Penmorfa
Aberaeron
Ceredigion
SA46 0PA
Contact Centre: 01545 570881
Email: clic@ceredigion.gov.uk
Ceredigion Refuse Collection FAQs
1. How do I check my Ceredigion refuse collection day?
Use Ceredigion County Council’s Recycling & Bin Collection Dates page and its postcode search. Select your exact address because individual collection routes can differ across towns, villages and rural parts of the county.
2. What time must I put my waste out in Ceredigion?
Household waste should be presented on the morning of collection before 8am. Collections are usually carried out between roughly 8am and 4pm, although the council can work outside those hours.
3. How often does Ceredigion collect black bags?
Residual non-recyclable waste is normally collected every three weeks. Most households can present a maximum of three standard 60-litre residual bags per collection cycle, and each bag should weigh no more than 20kg.
4. How often are clear recycling bags and food waste collected?
Both clear mixed-recycling bags and household food waste are collected every week. These weekly services are particularly important because black residual waste is collected only every three weeks.
5. How often does Ceredigion collect glass?
Glass bottles and jars are normally collected every three weeks in a separate glass recycling box. Do not place ordinary glass bottles and jars inside the clear recycling bag.
6. What should I do if my Ceredigion waste collection is missed?
Do not treat the collection as missed until the day after the scheduled date. Check the council’s Waste Collection Service Updates page first because it lists affected routes and tells residents whether a catch-up is planned or whether the waste should be re-presented on the next scheduled date.
7. Can I put more than three black bags out in Ceredigion?
Most households cannot routinely exceed three 60-litre residual bags during the three-week cycle. Council-issued AHP bags from registered households do not count toward that normal limit. Households with genuine additional residual-waste needs can apply for an assessment for extra capacity.
8. How does Ceredigion garden waste collection work?
Garden waste is a fortnightly, year-round bookable service using official Ceredigion green garden-waste bags. In 2026/27 the council charge is £2.30 per bag, which includes collection after the household requests a collection. Bags should not weigh more than 20kg.
9. How much is bulky waste collection in Ceredigion?
The 2026/27 Tier One household bulky-waste charge is £67.50 for up to six qualifying portable domestic items. A further six items costs another £67.50. Fixtures, fittings and certain outdoor items fall into a separate Tier Two service priced on application.
10. Where are Ceredigion’s Household Waste Sites?
The four sites are Glanyrafon at Aberystwyth, Cilmaenllwyd near Cardigan, the Tregaron Road site at Lampeter and Rhydeinon at Llanarth. Aberystwyth, Cardigan and Lampeter normally open Monday–Friday 9am–5pm and weekends/bank holidays 10am–3pm. Llanarth normally opens Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday 10am–5pm. Check the council site before travelling.