Cheltenham Council Bin Days & Collection Schedule 2026
Cheltenham’s household waste service is easy to understand once you separate the four streams: a green refuse wheelie bin every other week, kerbside recycling every other week, a food caddy every week and an optional paid brown garden-waste bin every fortnight.
Your exact date still depends on the property. Use the official postcode checker first, then use this guide for Week 1/Week 2 rules, 7am and occasional 6am presentation, recycling sorting, food caddies, £60 garden waste, missed bins, bank holidays, smaller replacement bins, bulky waste, recycling centres and local 2026 service changes.
Quick Answer: Which Cheltenham Collection Is Due This Week?
Do not rely on a town-wide calendar alone. Enter your postcode in Cheltenham Borough Council’s collection-day checker. It shows upcoming general waste, recycling, weekly food waste and subscribed garden-waste collections for your property.
Three Cheltenham Collection Mistakes to Avoid
Some current third-party bin-day pages simplify Cheltenham’s service enough to become misleading.
“The refuse bin is weekly”
The ordinary green household refuse wheelie bin is collected every other week, not weekly.
“All recycling is mixed”
Cheltenham uses a kerbside-sort system. Plastics/tins/cartons, paper, glass and cardboard have specific box or bag arrangements.
“Soft plastics go in every recycling box”
The kerbside soft-plastic scheme is still being expanded in phases. Use it only after your street receives the council’s dedicated collection bags and instructions.
How to Find Your Exact Cheltenham Bin Collection Date
The council provides an address-level checker for general waste, recycling, weekly food waste and subscribed garden collections.
Open the postcode checker
Use the official Cheltenham Borough Council collection-day page.
Enter your postcode
Search using the postcode for the household receiving the service.
Select the property
Choose the exact address rather than copying a neighbour or nearby street.
Check all four services
Note refuse, recycling, weekly food and garden dates where a garden subscription is active.
Cheltenham Week 1 / Week 2 Collection Pattern
The normal household cycle alternates refuse and recycling, while the food caddy goes out every week.
Cheltenham’s Four Main Household Collection Streams
Green Refuse Wheelie Bin
Non-recyclable household rubbish left after separating food waste and everything accepted through Cheltenham’s extensive kerbside recycling system.
Green Boxes + Blue Card Bag
A kerbside-sort system for plastics, metal, cartons, paper, glass, cardboard and several special household recycling streams.
Food Waste Caddy
Raw and cooked household food scraps are collected every week, regardless of whether it is the refuse or recycling week.
Brown Garden-Waste Bin
Optional 240-litre paid garden-waste service normally emptied fortnightly, except for the Christmas/New Year suspension.
How to Sort Cheltenham Kerbside Recycling Correctly
Cheltenham is not a simple mixed-recycling wheelie-bin service. Recycling needs to be divided into the correct green box or blue bag.
| Container | What goes in | Useful preparation |
|---|---|---|
| Green box 1 | Plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays; cans and tins; aluminium foil/trays; empty aerosols; food and drink cartons. | Empty and rinse. Flatten cartons and keep lids on. |
| Green box 2 | Paper, newspapers, magazines, brochures, envelopes and clean shredded paper. | Keep paper clean and dry. Put shredded paper inside a paper bag. |
| Green box 3 | Glass bottles and jars. | Empty and rinse; replace lids/caps. |
| Blue recycling bag | Corrugated cardboard, light card, cardboard packaging, cardboard envelopes and brown paper. | Flatten and fit all cardboard inside the bag. |
New for 2026: Food and Drink Cartons Now Go in the Green Recycling Box
Accepted from 1 April 2026
Juice cartons, long-life milk cartons, soup and sauce cartons and other Tetra Pak-style food and drink packaging can now use the plastics-and-cans green recycling box.
Prepare them correctly
Rinse the carton, flatten it to save space and leave the lid on. Do not put food-and-drink cartons into the blue cardboard bag.
Plastic Bags & Wrapping: 2026 Kerbside Rollout Is Not Yet Universal
Cheltenham is expanding a FlexCollect-style soft-plastic collection after a successful trial. The rollout continues during 2026.
If your street has joined
The council supplies dedicated collection bags. Fill them only with accepted plastic bags and wrapping, tie the bag securely in a double knot and place it inside your existing recycling box.
If you have not received bags
Do not copy a participating street. Continue using supermarket soft-plastic recycling where available until the council confirms that your address has joined the kerbside rollout.
Batteries, Vapes, Small Electricals and Textiles: Easy-to-Miss Cheltenham Routes
Household batteries & vapes
Put household batteries or vapes into a tied plastic bag and place that bag inside a recycling box.
This keeps batteries separate from ordinary loose recyclable material and reduces fire risks.
Small electricals
Suitable small electrical items can be placed in a plastic bag inside the recycling box.
Examples include phones, chargers, cables, cameras, small games consoles, kettles, toasters, irons and some small power tools.
Textiles and shoes
Put acceptable textiles and shoes in a carrier bag inside the recycling box.
Clothing, sheets, blankets, towels, curtains, shoes and slippers are accepted; rugs, duvets, pillows and carpets are not.
Coffee Pods: Cheltenham Has a Weekly Kerbside Podback Collection
Coffee-pod bags can be presented every week with either the normal refuse or recycling collection.
Use the correct Podback bag
Register with Podback and use the specific kerbside bags. Aluminium pods and plastic pods must be kept in separate bags because they go to different reprocessing facilities.
Where to present them
Put the filled Podback bag on top of your refuse bin or recycling boxes on the normal collection day.
If it is missed one week, put it out again the following week.
Cheltenham Food-Waste Collection: Every Week
Food is the stream that breaks the alternating Week 1/Week 2 pattern—it is collected on both weeks.
What goes in
- Cooked and raw food
- Meat and bones
- Fish
- Fruit and vegetables
- Peelings
- Dairy products
- Eggs and eggshells
- Bread, cakes and pastries
- Rice, pasta and beans
- Tea bags and coffee grounds
- Mouldy or out-of-date food without packaging
How to use the two-caddy system
Keep the small 7-litre caddy in the kitchen if convenient, then transfer its contents into the larger 23-litre outdoor caddy.
The kitchen caddy is optional if you prefer using only the outdoor container.
Rotate the handle forward to lock a caddy and help deter pets and pests.
Green Refuse Wheelie Bin: What Belongs in General Waste?
The green wheelie bin is for the relatively small amount of household rubbish left after recycling and food waste have been separated.
Use for genuine residual waste
Put in non-recyclable household rubbish that cannot use the food caddy, recycling boxes, blue card bag, special kerbside streams, garden service, bulky collection or recycling-centre route.
Keep these out
- Stones, gravel and rubble
- Builders’ waste
- Garden waste and soil
- Sharps and clinical waste
- Oils and chemicals
- Paint tins and construction materials
- Electrical goods
- Business waste
- Nitrous oxide canisters
Why New and Replacement Cheltenham Refuse Bins Are Smaller
From September 2025 Cheltenham began supplying 140-litre refuse bins to new developments and when replacement general-waste bins are requested.
140 litres
This is the standard size now being issued for new development and replacement household refuse-bin situations.
Why the change?
County waste analysis found about a quarter of household rubbish was food and another 23% consisted of plastics, paper and card capable of recycling.
Existing larger bin?
The change does not mean every existing household bin was automatically exchanged in September 2025. It applies to new developments and replacement supply.
Cheltenham Brown Garden-Waste Bin: 2026 Price & Rules
The garden service is an optional 12-month subscription. New subscribers receive a council brown bin, with delivery normally quoted at around four to six weeks after payment.
Accepted garden waste
- Grass cuttings
- Hedge and shrub clippings
- Leaves
- Twigs and bark
- Branches under 10cm diameter
- Small plants and weeds
- Cut flowers
- Fallen fruit
- Herbivore pet bedding
Not accepted
- Soil
- Rubble or bricks
- Kitchen or food waste
- Animal waste
- Tree stumps
- Branches over 10cm diameter
- Plastic bags
- Plant pots or trays
- Ash
What Time Should Cheltenham Bins Be Put Out?
Normally by 7am
General refuse, recycling boxes/bags, food caddies and garden bins should normally be at the collection point before 7am.
Kerbside
Normal bins and boxes should be at the kerbside. Crews cannot normally collect from private property unless a communal or assisted arrangement has been agreed.
Watch for 6am alerts
In very hot weather or certain altered collection weeks the council can instruct residents to present containers by 6am.
Missed Cheltenham Bin: The 48-Hour Reporting Rule
A missed collection has a relatively short reporting window, so leaving it for several days can remove the opportunity for a return visit.
Before reporting
- Check the service-update section first.
- Confirm it was actually your collection date.
- Confirm the container was out before the required time.
- Check it was on the kerbside.
- Confirm recycling was correctly sorted.
- Look for contamination, overflow or access issues.
Report within 48 hours
Cheltenham requires a missed collection to be reported within 48 hours of the scheduled collection day.
The council aims to return within two working days from the day the valid miss is reported.
Cheltenham Missed-Bin Problem Checker
Snow, Ice and Severe-Weather Collection Rules
When road or pavement conditions become unsafe, Cheltenham can delay collections rather than putting crews and vehicles at unnecessary risk.
Leave scheduled containers out
Unless the council specifically tells residents otherwise, keep affected bins/boxes available so crews can attempt catch-up work.
Refuse and recycling
During serious disruption, leave the affected refuse or recycling out for up to seven days in case additional catch-up collections can be completed.
Food waste
Food waste already has a weekly cycle, so the bad-weather policy does not prioritise a special catch-up in the same way.
Garden waste
A weather-missed garden collection normally waits until the next scheduled collection rather than receiving a catch-up.
Cheltenham Bank-Holiday Bin Changes in 2026
Bank-holiday weeks cannot safely be predicted just from the fortnightly cycle. Cheltenham publishes specific revised dates.
| 2026 period | Collection rule |
|---|---|
| Good Friday · 3 April | Friday collection operated normally. |
| Easter Monday · 6 April | No Monday collection; remaining collections moved one day later with Saturday catch-up. |
| Early May · 4 May | Monday-Friday rounds moved one day later, completed on Saturday 9 May. |
| Spring Bank Holiday · 25 May | Monday-Friday rounds moved one day later, completed on Saturday 30 May. |
| Summer Bank Holiday · 31 August | Monday-Friday rounds moved one day later, completed on Saturday 5 September. Normal collections resumed Monday 7 September. |
Cheltenham Christmas & New Year Bin Dates 2026/27
Christmas is unusual because several collections move earlier rather than following the ordinary “one day later” bank-holiday pattern.
| Normal collection | Revised collection |
|---|---|
| Monday 21 December 2026 | Saturday 19 December |
| Tuesday 22 December | Monday 21 December |
| Wednesday 23 December | Tuesday 22 December |
| Thursday 24 December | Wednesday 23 December |
| Friday 25 December | Thursday 24 December |
| Monday 28 December | Normal collection |
| Tuesday 29 December | Normal collection |
| Wednesday 30 December | Normal collection |
| Thursday 31 December | Normal collection |
| Friday 1 January 2027 | Saturday 2 January 2027 |
Lost, Stolen, Damaged or Missing Cheltenham Bins & Containers
Recycling boxes / bags / food caddies
Additional recycling boxes, blue cardboard bags and food caddies can be ordered online. A delivery charge applies.
First missing wheelie bin
For the first missing-bin incident, the replacement bin itself is not charged, but the current delivery charge is £4.99, reduced to £2.99 for qualifying benefit recipients.
Repeated loss
Where a wheelie bin has gone missing more than once within two years, a replacement-bin charge can apply as well as applicable delivery arrangements.
Assisted Bin Collections
Residents who cannot put their containers at the kerb because of health, disability or infirmity may be able to receive collection assistance.
Who may qualify
- Ill health
- Permanent disability
- Infirmity
- No other person at the property able to put the bins out
How collection works
The crew can collect the containers from the agreed position outside the home and return them after emptying.
Containers must remain accessible outside—the crew cannot enter the home to retrieve them.
Flats, Communal Buildings & Town-Centre Properties
Not every Cheltenham address follows the normal “green wheelie bin plus household boxes at the kerb” setup.
Communal bin stores
Many blocks of flats use communal waste and recycling containers. Collection crews may have direct access to the bin store, so residents do not necessarily move containers to the pavement.
Extra communal recycling
Communal properties can also use separate bagged routes for textiles/shoes, small electricals and household batteries where the council’s communal arrangement applies.
Clinical Waste, Needles & Sharps
Residents receiving medical treatment
Contact the NHS department providing the treatment for the correct clinical-waste disposal arrangement and relevant contact details.
Sharps boxes
Use an approved sharps box, available on prescription through a GP surgery or purchased from a pharmacy.
Once full, seal it and return it through an appropriate participating surgery or pharmacy take-back route.
Cheltenham Bulky Waste Collection: Current 2026 Charge
The council offers a paid residential collection for large household items that cannot go into an ordinary wheelie bin.
How the unit pricing works
A unit is roughly equivalent to something such as a standard cooker or a double bed with mattress.
Partial units are rounded up. For example, one-and-a-half units becomes two units and would therefore cost £54 at the current £27 unit rate.
Current exclusions include
- Asbestos
- Builders’ waste
- Business waste
- Car parts
- Commercial appliances
- DIY waste
- Garden waste
- Gas bottles
- Currently, fridges and freezers
Cheltenham Household Recycling Centre: Important 2026 Change
Do not drive to the old Swindon Road public household recycling centre expecting to unload waste. Its prolonged public closure began after its final operating day on 10 January 2025 and remains the relevant position for residents in 2026.
Wingmoor Farm
The principal nearby county household recycling centre is around half a mile west of Bishop’s Cleeve on the road toward Stoke Orchard.
Booking required
Do not load the vehicle and drive there without checking. Gloucestershire’s HRC system requires residents to book a visit.
Check materials first
Wingmoor accepts a broader range of household materials than Cheltenham’s former smaller Swindon Road public site, but restrictions still apply by material and vehicle.
Paying Someone to Remove Waste? Check Their Waste-Carrier Status
Household waste remains your responsibility until it is passed to a legitimate disposal route.
Ask who they are
Keep the collector’s name, business details and contact information.
Check authorisation
A builder, gardener, house-clearance business or other private collector carrying your waste should be properly authorised.
Keep evidence
Retain receipts, messages and useful vehicle details in case illegally dumped waste is later traced.
Official Cheltenham Waste & Recycling Shortcuts
Check Collection Day
Property-level dates for refuse, recycling, food and subscribed garden waste.
Report a Missed Collection
Check live service updates and submit an eligible report inside the 48-hour window.
What Goes Where?
Refuse, recycling, food, garden, plastics, special items and disposal guidance.
Request Containers
Replacement help, recycling boxes, blue cardboard bags and food caddies.
Assisted Collections
Request collection support for qualifying health, disability or infirmity circumstances.
Full Waste Hub
Cheltenham Borough Council’s main household waste and recycling service directory.
Municipal Offices
Promenade
Cheltenham
GL50 9SA
Customer Services: 01242 262626
Cleansing team: cleansing@cheltenham.gov.uk
Cheltenham Borough Council Bin Collection FAQs
1. How do I check my Cheltenham bin collection day?
Use Cheltenham Borough Council’s official postcode collection-day checker. Select your exact property to see upcoming general waste, recycling, weekly food waste and subscribed garden-waste dates.
2. How often is the green refuse bin collected in Cheltenham?
Normal household green refuse bins are emptied every other week. The refuse week alternates with the kerbside recycling week, while the food caddy is collected every week.
3. What time should Cheltenham bins be put out?
The normal presentation deadline is before 7am. However, the council can temporarily start some rounds at 6am during hot weather or certain altered collection periods, so check current service notices when conditions are unusual.
4. Is Cheltenham food waste collected every week?
Yes. Household food waste is collected weekly. Residents can have a 7-litre kitchen caddy and a 23-litre outdoor caddy, and the outdoor container is presented on both the refuse and recycling weeks.
5. Can Tetra Pak cartons be recycled from home in Cheltenham?
Yes. From 1 April 2026 food and drink cartons such as juice, long-life milk, soup and sauce cartons can be recycled in the green box used for plastics, tins, cans and cartons. Rinse and flatten them and keep the lid on.
6. How much is Cheltenham garden waste collection in 2026?
The current 12-month garden-waste subscription costs £60 per 240-litre brown bin plus a £4.99 delivery charge per bin for a new subscription. Collections are normally fortnightly, with a four-week Christmas/New Year suspension.
7. How long do I have to report a missed Cheltenham bin?
Missed collections must be reported within 48 hours of the scheduled collection day. Check that the correct container was presented on time and at the kerbside and that there was no known service, contamination or access problem before submitting the report.
8. Can I leave extra rubbish beside my green refuse bin?
No. Cheltenham does not normally collect extra household rubbish beside the standard refuse wheelie bin. Use the available food and recycling services and take appropriate excess waste to an authorised household recycling facility.
9. Is Cheltenham’s Swindon Road household recycling centre open?
No. The public household recycling centre at Swindon Road entered a prolonged closure after its final public operating day on 10 January 2025. The principal nearby county facility is Wingmoor Farm near Bishop’s Cleeve, where residents should book a visit through Gloucestershire’s recycling-centre system.
10. How much does Cheltenham bulky waste collection cost in 2026?
The current charge is £27 per unit, with partial units rounded up. A five-seat three-piece suite has a discounted price of £40.50. Cheltenham is temporarily unable to accept fridges and freezers through this service because of a national processing issue, so always check the live booking page first.