Check Your Cherwell Council Bin Collection Dates
Use this Cherwell resident guide to check your green rubbish bin, blue recycling bin, brown garden waste bin and silver food waste caddy dates for Banbury, Bicester, Kidlington and nearby villages. It explains the alternate-week system, 7am set-out rule, garden waste subscription, missed-bin limits, bulky waste prices, recycling centre booking and what to do if you live in a flat.
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Most visitors only need one official Cherwell action. Start with the task that matches your problem.
How do I check my Cherwell Council bin collection date?
Use Cherwell District Council’s official bin collection search and calendar page. Enter your address, then check whether your next collection is the green rubbish bin week or the blue recycling plus brown garden waste week. Your silver outdoor food waste caddy is collected weekly. Put your bin or caddy in the right place by 7am on the scheduled day and bring it back onto your property as soon as possible after collection.
Official Cherwell Council Sources Used for This Bin Collection Guide
This page is built from Cherwell District Council’s official bin collection search, “Your bins,” garden waste, missed-bin, food waste, bulky waste and recycling services pages, plus Oxfordshire County Council recycling centre information.
Official calendar
Cherwell provides an address-based bin collection search, with separate 2026 North Cherwell and South Cherwell printable collection calendars.
Alternate-week system
Cherwell says rubbish bins are collected one week, and recycling plus garden waste bins are collected the following week. Food waste caddies are weekly.
Garden waste 2026/27
The payable garden waste subscription runs 1 March 2026 to 28 February 2027 and is listed at £59 per subscription.
Flats need care
Some flats may not show bin information in the address search, and flat collections may differ from neighbouring houses.
Independent guide: CouncilBinCollection.org is not Cherwell District Council or Oxfordshire County Council. Use this guide to understand the route, then complete official actions on the official council pages. See our Sources & Methodology page for how official links are checked.
Cherwell Bin Collection Dates 2026: Use the Official Address Search First
Your Cherwell bin collection date depends on your property, so the official address search is safer than using an old calendar screenshot or a neighbour’s routine.
Cherwell covers areas such as Banbury, Bicester, Kidlington, Bodicote, Adderbury, Hook Norton, Deddington, Bloxham, Launton, Yarnton, Kirtlington and many smaller villages. Routes can differ between North Cherwell and South Cherwell, and flats can follow a different arrangement from nearby houses.
Open the official Cherwell bin collection search
Use Cherwell’s bin collection search and calendar page to check your address.
Check green week or blue/brown week
Cherwell operates an alternate-week system. Green rubbish bins are collected one week; blue recycling and subscribed brown garden waste bins are collected the following week.
Put containers out by 7am
Cherwell collections are made Tuesday to Friday between 7am and 5pm. Put bins and the silver outdoor food caddy in the right place by 7am.
Check holiday notes
Cherwell says there may be collection changes at Christmas and New Year, while Good Friday collections take place as usual.
Flat resident tip: if you live in a flat and no bin collection information appears for your address, contact Cherwell Customer Services by email at customer.service@cherwell-dc.gov.uk or phone 01295 227003.
Cherwell Green Bin, Blue Bin, Brown Bin and Silver Food Caddy Explained
Cherwell’s system is easier once you separate rubbish, recycling, garden waste and food waste properly.
| Container | Use it for | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Green rubbish bin | Non-recyclable domestic household waste such as broken toys, cling film, crisp packets, duvets, pillows, nappies, plastic bags, polystyrene, sweet packets, wrappers and other non-recyclable rubbish. | Do not put hazardous materials, rubble, stones, car parts, hot ashes, large items or liquids in the green bin. Cherwell will not take extra green-bin rubbish left beside the bin. |
| Blue recycling bin | Recycling. From 1 January 2026, Cherwell says residents can recycle glass bottles and jars using the blue recycling bin or approved recycling sacks. Use Waste Wizard for item-specific checks. | Textiles, food waste, dirty items, hazardous waste and items not listed by Cherwell should not be put in the blue bin. |
| Brown garden waste bin | Paid garden waste subscription. Accepted items include grass cuttings, pet straw from non-meat-eating domestic animals, untreated sawdust, cut flowers, branches, leaves, hedge trimmings and weeds. | Do not put soil, stones, bricks, cardboard, paper, textiles, flower pots, plastic bags, cat or dog waste, fats, oils or wood in the brown bin. |
| Silver outdoor food caddy | Weekly food waste, including tea bags, coffee grounds, leftovers, bread, cakes, pastries, rice, pasta, beans, fruit, vegetables, mouldy food without packaging, meat, fish, bones, dairy, cheese, eggs and pet food. | Do not put food packaging, plastic bin liners, glass bottles, jars, lots of liquids, cling film or carrier bags in the food caddy. |
Simple memory rule: green is rubbish, blue is recycling, brown is paid garden waste, silver is weekly food waste. If you are unsure about an item, use Cherwell’s Waste Wizard before putting it in the wrong bin.
Cherwell Blue Recycling Bin: Glass Bottles, Jars, Batteries and Small Electricals
Cherwell’s recycling service changed in 2026 because glass bottles and jars can now be recycled using the blue recycling bin or approved recycling sacks.
Use the blue bin for accepted recycling only. Cherwell also provides specific routes for batteries, small electricals and textiles so these do not contaminate the normal blue bin.
Glass bottles and jars
From 1 January 2026, Cherwell says glass bottles and jars can go in the blue recycling bin or approved recycling sacks. Take care when handling glass.
Batteries
Put batteries in a small clear bag and place the bag on top of, not inside, any colour bin.
Small electricals
Small electrical or battery-powered items that fit into a standard carrier bag can be placed in a carrier bag on top of either the blue recycling bin or green rubbish bin.
Textiles
Cherwell does not accept textiles such as clothes and towels in the blue recycling bin. Use local textile banks or appropriate reuse schemes.
Safety warning: do not place batteries or small electrical items loose inside bins. Batteries, vapes and electricals can be hazardous when mixed into ordinary waste.
Cherwell Silver Food Waste Caddy: Weekly Collection and What Goes In
Cherwell’s silver outdoor food waste caddy is collected every week, even though the main green and blue bins follow an alternate-week pattern.
Use your indoor kitchen caddy for food waste, then empty it into the silver outdoor caddy. The outdoor caddy should be placed at the edge of your property by 7am on your scheduled collection day. Do not put your indoor caddy out for collection. Lock the outdoor caddy lid to stop waste escaping and to reduce problems with animals.
Food waste accepted
Tea bags, coffee grounds, leftovers, bread, cakes, pastries, rice, pasta, beans, vegetables, fruit, mouldy food without packaging, meat, fish, bones, dairy, cheese, eggs and pet food.
Keep out
Food packaging, plastic bin liner bags, glass bottles, glass jars, lots of liquids, cling film and carrier bags.
Weekly collection
Food waste is collected every week on your scheduled collection day. The food caddy is separate from your green rubbish and blue recycling bin cycle.
Missed food waste
Cherwell says it cannot return to empty a missed food waste caddy before the next collection, but reports can help monitor the frequency of missed collections.
Cleaner caddy tip: line the indoor caddy with a compostable bag or newspaper, and use newspaper in the bottom of the outdoor caddy after it has been emptied to soak up liquids.
Cherwell Garden Waste Collection 2026/27: £59 Brown Bin Subscription
Cherwell’s brown bin garden waste service is chargeable. The 2026/27 subscription period is 1 March 2026 to 28 February 2027 and the listed charge is £59 per subscription.
A garden waste subscription does not automatically include a brown bin. If you do not already have one, request it during the ordering process. Cherwell says the welcome pack can take up to 28 days to arrive, but the subscription should appear on the crew’s in-cab system by the next working day after purchase.
Brown bin collection
Your brown bin is emptied once a fortnight and can be put out with the blue recycling bin and outdoor silver food waste caddy.
Valid label needed
Only brown bins showing a valid subscription label or active subscription in the crew’s system will be emptied.
No side waste
No side garden waste will be taken. Keep the lid closed and do not overload the bin.
Garden sacks option
If you cannot have a garden waste bin due to access issues, Cherwell lists garden waste sacks at £56 for 40 sacks as a one-off purchase.
What can go in the Cherwell brown bin?
Accepted items include grass cuttings, pet straw from non-meat-eating domestic animals, untreated sawdust, cut flowers, branches, leaves, hedge trimmings and weeds.
What cannot go in the Cherwell brown bin?
Do not put soil, stones, bricks, cardboard, paper, textiles, flower pots, plastic bags, cat or dog waste, fats and oils, or wood in the brown bin. If the brown bin is contaminated, Cherwell says it will not be emptied until contamination is removed for the next collection date.
Missed Bin Collection Cherwell: What to Check Before Reporting
Before reporting a missed Cherwell bin, check the calendar, the right container, the 7am presentation rule and whether the item type is something Cherwell can return for.
For brown garden waste bins, Cherwell says it will only return to collect a missed brown bin if you have subscribed, because brown garden waste is now a chargeable service. For food waste, Cherwell says it is unable to return before the next collection, although the report option still helps monitor missed food waste collections.
Confirm the bin was due
Use the official Cherwell collection calendar and check whether it was green rubbish week, blue recycling/brown garden waste week, or weekly food caddy collection.
Check the 7am rule
Cherwell collections can take place any time between 7am and 5pm. If the bin or caddy was not in the right place by 7am, it may not count as a missed collection.
Check contamination and weight
If a bin contains the wrong items, is too heavy, has an open lid or has extra waste beside it, it may be refused rather than missed.
Check brown bin subscription status
For brown garden waste, make sure the bin has a valid subscription label or is listed as active in the crew’s in-cab system.
Use the official missed-bin page
If your bin was presented correctly and should have been emptied, use Cherwell’s official missed-bin page and keep your reference.
Food waste exception: Cherwell says it cannot return to empty a missed food waste caddy before your next collection. You can place the caddy and extra food waste outside on your next collection day.
Cherwell Bulky Waste Collection 2026/27: Prices, Days and Cancellation Rules
Cherwell can collect large and bulky household waste that cannot fit in your bin, but you must book and pay in advance.
| Bulky waste booking | Charge from 01/04/2026 to 31/03/2027 | Important rule |
|---|---|---|
| One small item | £14.50 | Only book items Cherwell says it can collect. |
| One single medium or large item | £21.50 | Items must be outside by 7am; crews cannot enter your property. |
| Any three items | £35.50 | The booking form accepts three items per booking slot. |
| Maximum collection | Up to 12 items | You can complete four bookings for the same collection day if needed. |
Collection days
Cherwell says bulky collections take place Wednesday and Thursday in the south of the district, and Tuesday and Friday in the north.
Put items outside by 7am
Items must be outside your property by 7am. The crew cannot enter your property to collect them.
Cancellation deadline
You only get a refund if you cancel before 4pm on the day before your confirmed collection day.
No glass-heavy items
Cherwell says it cannot accept items that are predominantly made of glass. Check the “can and can’t collect” page before booking.
Reuse first: if an item is in good condition, Cherwell suggests considering donation to a local charity before booking bulky waste collection.
Cherwell Recycling Centres: Book Before Visiting Oxfordshire Household Waste Sites
Household waste recycling centres are provided by Oxfordshire County Council, not Cherwell District Council.
From Wednesday 14 January 2026, Oxfordshire County Council says residents need to book a time slot before each visit to a household waste recycling centre. You can book up to two weeks in advance or up to 30 minutes before your visit, subject to availability. Household asbestos requires at least 48 hours’ advance booking.
Alkerton HWRC
Alkerton household waste recycling centre is listed at Stratford Road, Alkerton, near Banbury, OX15 6HZ.
Ardley Fields HWRC
Ardley Fields household waste recycling centre is listed at Brackley Road, Ardley, OX27 7PH.
Booking slot length
Oxfordshire lists 15-minute slots for cyclists and car drivers, and 30-minute slots for vans or cars towing a trailer.
Check before travelling
Opening times, accepted waste, asbestos rules, vans, trailers and DIY waste conditions can change. Check the county site first.
Recycling centre visit checklist
Use this before loading the car in Banbury, Bicester, Kidlington or nearby villages.
Book your slot
Use Oxfordshire County Council’s household waste recycling centre booking system before visiting.
Sort waste first
Separate garden waste, cardboard, wood, metal, electricals, textiles, glass and general waste before you arrive.
Check asbestos timing
Household asbestos requires booking at least 48 hours in advance.
Use the right site
Alkerton and Ardley are common Cherwell-area options, but check your nearest and most suitable site online.
Cherwell Rubbish and Recycling for Flats: Why Your Address May Not Show a Normal Bin Calendar
If you live in a flat, your collection day may not match neighbouring houses and your address may not show standard bin information in the online search.
Cherwell asks residents in flats to contact Customer Services if they are not sure about their bin day. For food waste and garden waste arrangements in flats, Cherwell asks residents to discuss the practicalities with the managing agent or landlord first, because shared storage and collection arrangements may affect other residents.
Flat calendar missing?
Email customer.service@cherwell-dc.gov.uk or call 01295 227003 if your flat does not show normal bin day information.
Managing agent route
For flats, Cherwell may need the managing agent, landlord or housing association to contact the council because residents may not know the required site details.
Food waste caddies
Cherwell is happy to provide indoor and outdoor food waste caddies or bins for flats, but the managing agent or landlord should discuss arrangements.
Do not order wrong bins
A standard household bin order may not be right for a block with communal bins or limited storage space.
Cherwell Order or Replace a Bin: New Property, Extra Bins and Free Repairs
Cherwell provides a green bin for rubbish, blue bin for recycling, brown bin for garden waste subscription and silver caddy for food waste for individual houses.
New property with no bins
Use Cherwell’s “order your first bins” route if you have just moved into a property and have no bins or some bins are missing.
Additional bins
Use the additional bins form if bins are already at the property but you require more bins. Extra blue and brown bins may involve an extra charge.
Smaller or larger bins
Cherwell says smaller bins are available if you do not have much space, while larger or extra bins depend on household size.
Damaged bins
Cherwell says all bins are council property and broken bins are repaired free of charge, or replaced if they cannot be fixed.
Cherwell Bin Collection Tips Residents Learn the Hard Way
These practical checks reduce missed collections, contamination, wrong-bin mistakes and wasted trips to the recycling centre.
Resident checklist before bin night
Use this quick list when you want your bin or caddy collected first time.
7am means early
Put bins out the night before if you might forget. Collections can happen any time between 7am and 5pm.
Green week is rubbish
Do not leave extra rubbish beside the green bin. Cherwell says extra green-bin rubbish is not collected.
Blue week includes glass
From 2026, glass bottles and jars can go in the blue recycling bin or approved sacks, but check Waste Wizard for unusual glass.
Brown needs a subscription
A brown bin without a valid subscription label or active in-cab record will not be emptied as paid garden waste.
Silver caddy is weekly
Put the outdoor food caddy out weekly, lock the lid, and do not put the indoor kitchen caddy outside.
Book HWRC visits
Book Oxfordshire recycling centre slots before travelling to Alkerton, Ardley or another county site.
Official Cherwell Council Bin Links and Related Guides
Use official Cherwell and Oxfordshire links for action. Use related internal guides only when checking another council or a wider UK bin collection topic.
Cherwell Council Bin Collection FAQ
These answers match the main resident questions around Cherwell bin dates, green rubbish bins, blue recycling, brown garden waste, food waste caddies, missed bins and recycling centres.
Use Cherwell District Council’s official bin collection search and calendar page. Enter your address to view your collection days and print the relevant 2026 calendar.
Put your bin or outdoor food waste caddy in the right place by 7am on collection day. Cherwell collections are made Tuesday to Friday between 7am and 5pm.
Cherwell collects green rubbish bins one week and blue recycling plus brown garden waste bins the following week. Silver food waste caddies are collected every week.
The green bin is for non-recyclable domestic household waste such as broken toys, cling film, crisp packets, duvets, pillows, nappies, plastic bags, polystyrene, sweet packets and wrappers. Do not put hazardous materials, heavy rubble, hot ashes, large items or liquids in it.
Yes. From 1 January 2026, Cherwell says residents can recycle glass bottles and jars using the blue recycling bin or approved recycling sacks.
Cherwell lists the 2026/27 garden waste subscription as £59 per subscription for the period 1 March 2026 to 28 February 2027. Garden waste sacks are listed separately at £56 for 40 sacks where a bin cannot be used due to access issues.
Grass cuttings, pet straw from non-meat-eating domestic animals, untreated sawdust, cut flowers, branches, leaves, hedge trimmings and weeds can go in the brown garden waste bin. Do not put soil, stones, bricks, cardboard, paper, textiles, flower pots, plastic bags, cat or dog waste, fats, oils or wood in it.
Tea bags, coffee grounds, leftovers, bread, cakes, pastries, rice, pasta, beans, fruit, vegetables, food without packaging, meat, fish, bones, dairy, cheese, eggs and pet food can go in the silver food waste caddy. Do not include packaging, plastic liners, glass, lots of liquids, cling film or carrier bags.
No. Cherwell says it is unable to return to empty a missed food waste caddy before the next collection. You can place the caddy outside with any extra food waste on your next collection day.
For 01/04/2026 to 31/03/2027, Cherwell lists bulky waste charges as £14.50 for one small item, £21.50 for one single medium or large item, and £35.50 for any three items. Up to 12 items can be collected from one household at a time through multiple bookings.
Yes. Oxfordshire County Council says residents need to book a time slot before each household waste recycling centre visit from 14 January 2026. You can book up to two weeks in advance or up to 30 minutes before, subject to availability.
Contact Cherwell Customer Services at customer.service@cherwell-dc.gov.uk or call 01295 227003. Some flats are collected on different days from nearby houses and may not show normal bin information in the address search.
Editorial note
This is an independent resident guide from CouncilBinCollection.org. It is not the official Cherwell District Council or Oxfordshire County Council website. Always verify collection dates, printable calendars, missed-bin rules, food waste guidance, garden waste subscription charges, bulky waste fees, recycling centre booking rules and holiday changes on official council pages before taking action.
Final summary: Use Cherwell’s official address search first. Green rubbish is collected one week, blue recycling and subscribed brown garden waste the following week, and silver food waste caddies are weekly. Put containers out by 7am. Brown bins need a valid subscription, food waste missed collections are not returned before the next collection, and Oxfordshire recycling centre visits need booking from 2026.