Check Bin Days, 2026 Calendar Changes and Missed Collection Rules
Use this practical Crawley guide to check your bin collection date, choose the right 2026 calendar, understand REDtop recycling, BLACKtop rubbish, GREENbin garden waste and the autumn food waste rollout.
It helps with the exact problems residents search for: wrong week, missed bins, flat and communal bins, bank holidays, bulky waste, small electricals, clinical waste, Metcalf Way Recycling Centre and what to do when your bin is full.
Quick answer: Crawley residents should use the official collection days page or myCrawley to confirm their exact 2026 bin dates. The public page lists neighbourhood days, week 1 and week 2 calendar PDFs, rural calendars and GREENbin lime/olive calendars.
From autumn 2026, individual household properties are due to receive weekly food waste collections. At the same time, BLACKtop general rubbish moves from weekly to fortnightly. REDtop recycling remains fortnightly, and GREENbin garden waste continues as a paid subscription.
What Crawley Bin Problem Are You Solving Today?
Most residents do not need a long essay first. Choose the task closest to your problem, then use the official link only when you need the final council form, calendar or payment page.
Find my bin day
Use the neighbourhood day, week 1/week 2 PDFs and myCrawley address status.
Understand 2026 changes
Food waste starts for individual households and BLACKtop rubbish changes.
Choose the right bin
Check whether an item goes to REDtop, BLACKtop, food waste, GREENbin, bulky waste or Metcalf Way.
Report a missed bin
Use the 72-hour rule and diagnose wrong-day, late, contaminated or route-delay problems first.
Official Source Audit: What This Crawley Guide Uses
This is an independent resident guide. It explains the process in plain English, but Crawley Borough Council and West Sussex County Council remain the final sources for live calendars, reports, bookings, fees and service changes.
Calendar source checked
Crawley’s official collection days page lists rubbish, recycling, GREENbin, rural and neighbourhood PDF calendars for 2026.
2026 change checked
Weekly food waste starts for individual household properties in autumn 2026. Flats with communal bins move later in 2027.
Backup routes checked
Bulky waste, GREENbin, assisted collections, bin changes, clinical waste, batteries, textiles, bank holidays and Metcalf Way are included.
How to Find Your Crawley Bin Collection Calendar for 2026
The safest route is: check myCrawley for your address, then use Crawley’s official calendar PDFs if you need a printable reminder. Do not rely on a neighbour’s calendar because streets near boundaries and rural collections can differ.
Open the official collection days page
Use Crawley’s official page for neighbourhood groups, 2026 week 1/week 2 PDFs, rural collection calendars and GREENbin lime/olive calendars.
Confirm your address in myCrawley
Use myCrawley for your exact household dates and the real-time status of your current collection.
Check the week number
Your weekday can be correct but your week can be wrong. This is the common REDtop recycling mistake.
Put bins out before 6.30am
Crawley collections are made from 6.30am onwards, so a night-before reminder is safer than a morning reminder.
Recheck after autumn 2026 rollout
When food waste starts, your reminder routine changes. Save food waste, BLACKtop and REDtop separately.
Crawley Calendar PDF Chooser: Day, Week and GREENbin Route
Use this mini-tool to understand which official PDF group to look for. It does not replace the council page, but it stops the biggest mistake: downloading the right day but wrong week or wrong GREENbin colour route.
Autumn 2026 Crawley Bin Collection Change: Food Waste and BLACKtop Rubbish
This is the page’s most important update. Crawley’s 2026 schedule is not just a static calendar because food waste rollout changes how households should use general rubbish bins.
| Service | Before autumn 2026 | From autumn 2026 for individual households | Resident action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food waste | No separate borough-wide weekly food waste collection for standard individual households. | Weekly food waste collections begin for properties with individual waste bins. | Use the grey outdoor food waste bin with orange lid and indoor kitchen caddy when delivered. |
| BLACKtop rubbish | General rubbish collected weekly. | General rubbish moves to fortnightly collection using existing bins. | Remove food waste and recycling from the black bin to avoid overflow. |
| REDtop recycling | Fortnightly dry mixed recycling. | Stays fortnightly and runs on the alternate week to BLACKtop general waste. | Keep recycling clean, dry and loose. |
| GREENbin garden waste | Optional paid fortnightly garden waste subscription. | Continues as a subscription service. | Do not put garden waste in the BLACKtop bin. |
| Flats / communal bins | Current arrangements stay first. | Food waste rollout for flats is expected in 2027. | Check building-specific notices, landlord/managing-agent updates and myCrawley. |
Crawley 2026 Calendar by Neighbourhood: Start With the Right Day
Use this as a practical starting map only. The official PDF calendar and myCrawley remain the final source, especially where roads sit close to neighbourhood boundaries.
| Collection day group | Areas listed by Crawley Council | What to check next |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Forge Wood, Langley Green, Northgate, Pound Hill North, Three Bridges and Tinsley Green. | Download Monday week 1 or week 2 waste calendar. |
| Tuesday | Gossops Green, Ifield, Ifield Green, West Green and the Tinsley Lane area. | Confirm Tuesday week 1 or week 2. |
| Wednesday | Furnace Green, Southgate, Tilgate and the Town Centre. | Check the Wednesday calendar and GREENbin split if subscribed. |
| Thursday | Bewbush and Broadfield. | Check Thursday week 1 or week 2. |
| Friday | Pound Hill South, Maidenbower and Worth. | Use Friday calendar and GREENbin lime/olive where relevant. |
| Rural collections | Rural addresses have a separate 2026 calendar. | Use the rural PDF instead of the nearest urban neighbourhood. |
3-Minute Crawley Bin Setup for 2026
Do this once when you move in, change tenancy, start a GREENbin subscription, or receive the food waste starter pack.
Save your address-specific calendar
Open myCrawley or the official collection days page. Record the day, week number and GREENbin lime/olive route if you subscribe.
Separate bins by lid colour
Think BLACKtop for rubbish, REDtop for recycling, GREENbin for subscribed garden waste and grey/orange for food waste once delivered.
Set a 6.30am reminder
Use a night-before reminder. A 6.30am collection start means waiting until morning can be too late.
Check edge-of-property placement
Place bins just inside the edge of your property, visible from the road, without blocking footpaths.
Know the missed-bin deadline
Report missed bins within 72 hours of the scheduled collection day. Late reports are not accepted.
Crawley Bin Reminder Planner: Save What Goes Out Next
This browser-only helper stores a reminder on your device. It does not send your address anywhere and does not replace the official Crawley calendar.
- Official Crawley calendar or myCrawley checked.
- Correct day and correct week confirmed.
- Bin out before 6.30am.
- REDtop recycling is clean, dry and loose.
- No side waste beside the BLACKtop rubbish bin.
- GREENbin used only if your paid subscription is active.
- Food waste removed from BLACKtop rubbish once the orange-lid bin arrives.
Crawley Item Route Helper: Which Bin or Service Should You Use?
Use this before bin day to prevent contamination, missed collections and wasted space. For unusual items, still check Crawley’s official pages or West Sussex recycling guidance before putting anything out.
REDtop Recycling Bin: Fortnightly Clean, Dry and Loose Recycling
Crawley’s household recycling bin is green with a red lid. The key phrase is clean, dry and loose. Bagged recycling, food residue and the wrong plastic can spoil the collection.
Accepted in REDtop
Cartons, catalogues, magazines, cereal and egg boxes, empty aerosols, foil, food and drink cans, glass bottles and jars, newspapers, paper, envelopes, plastic bottles, tubs, trays and containers.
Keep out
Batteries, crisp packets, crockery, drinking glasses, electrical items, metallic food pouches, paper towels, plastic bags, plastic film, toys, furniture, polystyrene, pyrex and black plastic plant pots.
Extra recycling
Put extra recycling in a cardboard box or suitable container next to the bin. Do not use carrier bags or sacks because they can look like rubbish.
BLACKtop Rubbish Bin: General Waste and the 2026 Fortnightly Shift
The BLACKtop bin is for normal household rubbish that cannot be recycled. It becomes more important to sort properly when general rubbish moves from weekly to fortnightly for individual households in autumn 2026.
| Use BLACKtop for | Do not use it for | Capacity rule |
|---|---|---|
| Non-recyclable household rubbish, broken glass or crockery wrapped safely, used nappies and pet litter tied securely in a bag. | Recycling, food waste after rollout, garden waste, bulky items, batteries, electricals, chemicals, rubble, plasterboard or asbestos. | All rubbish must fit inside your bin. Crawley does not collect side waste. |
Food Waste Bin: What Crawley Households Receive in Autumn 2026
The new food waste service is designed to take heavy, smelly food out of the general rubbish bin. Use it even if you compost at home, because home composting is not suitable for meat, bones, cooked food or dairy.
Outdoor food bin
Individual households receive a 23 litre grey outdoor food waste bin with an orange lid.
Indoor kitchen caddy
Households receive a 5 litre grey indoor food waste caddy for kitchen scraps.
Starter liners
Crawley says the starter pack includes a starter roll of caddy liners and an information leaflet.
New calendar
The rollout includes a calendar showing the collection dates for the new services.
| Food waste accepted | Keep out | Smell-control tip |
|---|---|---|
| Raw and cooked meat, bones, fish, dairy, vegetables, fruit, bread, cakes, pasta, rice, beans, plate scrapings, tea bags, coffee grounds, eggshells, solid fats, pet food and mouldy food. | Packaging, oils, liquids, animal waste, bedding, flowers and non-food items. | Keep lids closed and locked, wrap smelly food in newspaper or compostable liners, store bins out of direct sun and transfer food regularly from caddy to outdoor bin. |
GREENbin Garden Waste: Subscription, Cost and Fortnightly Collections
Crawley’s GREENbin is an optional chargeable 240 litre wheeled bin service for garden waste. It is separate from REDtop recycling and separate from the new food waste service.
| GREENbin point | Official detail | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Annual charge | The listed annual charge is £78.10. | Check the live page before subscribing or renewing. |
| Payment | Crawley accepts Direct Debit only for GREENbin. | Set up Direct Debit and wait for the welcome pack. |
| Bin delivery | After first payment, Crawley sends a welcome pack and 240 litre GREENbin within two weeks. | Do not assume collection starts before your service is active. |
| Collection cycle | GREENbin is collected fortnightly and may not be on the same day as rubbish. | Check myCrawley or lime/olive GREENbin calendars. |
| No side garden waste | Loose garden waste must be inside the GREENbin with the lid closed. | Do not leave garden waste beside or above the bin rim. |
Flats, Communal Bins and Shared Bin Stores in Crawley
Flat residents need separate advice because communal waste arrangements do not always change at the same time as individual household bins.
Food waste later
Properties with communal waste facilities remain on current weekly rubbish collections at first. Food waste collections for flats are expected in 2027.
Textiles still possible
Crawley says textile collection is also available to flats with communal bins, if bags are clearly labelled and placed correctly.
Managing agent issue
If a private flat has bin problems, the managing agent or landlord may be responsible for bins. Check building notices before reporting.
Missed Bin Diagnosis: Report, Wait or Fix the Issue?
Crawley missed-bin reports are time-sensitive. First check that it was your collection day, the bin was out by 6.30am, and neighbours’ bins were collected.
Changing, Replacing or Upsizing a Crawley Bin
Use the official bin change route if your bin is broken, missing, the wrong size, or if your household needs more capacity after using recycling and food waste properly.
Damaged or missing bin
You can request a bin change online. If a bin has been neglected, misused or deliberately broken, Crawley lists a £25 replacement charge.
Extra REDtop recycling
You can request an additional REDtop recycling bin if you struggle to fit clean recycling into one bin.
Larger rubbish bin
Households with five or more permanent residents can apply for a larger 240 litre rubbish bin if they need extra capacity.
Assisted Collections for Residents Who Cannot Move Bins
Crawley provides assisted collections where a resident is physically unable to take bins to the edge of the property and nobody else in the household can do it.
Who may qualify
Residents may qualify because of age and infirmity, disability or special circumstances accepted by the council.
Who usually does not qualify
The service is not for households where another resident can move bins, long access drives, shift patterns, long periods away, or communal bin properties.
Collection point agreed
The council arranges a meeting to agree where bins can be collected from within the property boundary and returned after collection.
Batteries and Small Electricals: Do Not Put Them Inside Normal Bins
Batteries and small electricals are important because they can cause fires when they end up in the wrong waste stream. Crawley has kerbside routes for many individual household properties, but presentation matters.
Batteries
Place batteries in a small clear plastic bag or clean plastic pot/tub with a lid, then place them on top of your rubbish bin where the service applies.
Small electricals
Small electrical items can be put in tied carrier bags next to individual household bins where the route applies. Remove batteries first where possible.
Communal-bin caution
Some flats and communal-bin properties may have different access to this service. Use myCrawley or the Recycling Centre if unsure.
Clinical Waste and Sharps: Safe Route for Needles, Syringes and Medical Waste
Needles, syringes and hazardous clinical waste should never be placed out with normal household rubbish. Crawley’s clinical waste service is separate and is provided for NHS patients treating themselves at home.
Use clinical waste service
The service can cover needles, syringes, stoma bags, infected wound dressings and higher-volume incontinence pads where eligible.
Form required
The clinical waste application needs involvement from a community nurse, GP, consultant or other health professional.
Medisort contact
Crawley lists Medisort as the provider, with contact for missed clinical waste or enquiries.
Free Doorstep Reuse Before You Book Bulky Waste
If items are clean, safe and reusable, check reuse before paying for disposal. Crawley promotes Anglo Doorstep Collections for many reusable household items.
Reusable items
Clothing, shoes, books, small electricals and household goods may be suitable if in good reusable condition.
Doorstep collection
The service is booked online and collected from the doorstep. It is separate from Crawley’s paid bulky waste service.
Not for large bulky waste
Large items such as fridges, washing machines and mattresses need Metcalf Way or Crawley’s bulky waste collection instead.
Bulky Waste Collection: Sofas, Fridges, Furniture and Large Items
Crawley’s bulky waste service is for up to 10 household items that will not fit in your bin. It is not for commercial waste, house clearances, garden waste, hazardous waste or very large heavy items.
| Category | Example item | Listed fee | Booking note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Category 1 small | Microwave or ironing board. | £26.20 | Pay by credit or debit card at booking. |
| Category 2 medium | Washing machine or lawn mower. | £31.40 | Items are charged individually by size. |
| Category 3 large | Normal fridge freezer or sofa. | £36.70 | Some upholstered items may be collected separately on the same day. |
| Category 4 extra large | Corner sofa, double bed or American-style fridge freezer. | £41.90 | Changes must be made at least the day before collection is due. |
| Benefit discount | Eligible residents on listed benefits. | One free collection per rolling year up to £50 value. | Check eligibility before booking. |
Crawley Recycling Centre at Metcalf Way: Booking, Address and Map
Crawley Recycling Centre is managed by West Sussex County Council, not Crawley Borough Council. Use it for household waste routes that do not fit kerbside bins, but book a slot before visiting by vehicle.
Address and phone
Crawley Recycling Centre is at Metcalf Way, Crawley, RH11 7XN. West Sussex lists the centre phone as 01293 537975.
Book to Recycle
You must book a slot before visiting by vehicle. You need the vehicle registration number, address and email address.
Opening hours
Spring/summer hours are listed as 9am to 6pm daily from 1 April to 30 September. From 1 October to 31 March, the centre closes at 4pm.
Vehicle restrictions
Check restrictions before driving. Some vans, trucks, Luton-type vans, horseboxes, twin-axle trailers and vehicles over 3.5 tonnes are not allowed.
Crawley Bank Holiday Bin Collections
Crawley works on all bank holidays except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. Alternative collection dates for those days are published each year, so check the official page near Christmas and New Year.
Christmas period
Do not guess Christmas and New Year changes from old calendars. Use the live bank holiday and collection days page.
Substitute bank holidays
Crawley says crews work on collection dates that fall on substitute bank holidays.
Best reminder
Save the official calendar link and recheck it in December before putting out extra festive waste.
Report or Call Script: What to Say So You Do Not Go in Circles
When reporting a bin problem, give the council the information it needs in the first message. This reduces back-and-forth and avoids vague reports like “my bin was missed.”
Local Tips for Crawley Streets, Flats and Busy Collection Mornings
These are practical habits for Crawley households in areas such as Forge Wood, Broadfield, Bewbush, Ifield, Southgate, Tilgate, Three Bridges, Northgate, Pound Hill, Maidenbower, Worth and town centre flats.
Put bins out the night before
Collections start from 6.30am. Night-before reminders are safer than rushing in the morning.
Check the week, not just the day
REDtop recycling is fortnightly. The right weekday with the wrong week still means a failed collection.
Keep REDtop loose
Loose recycling matters. Do not bag the recycling, and keep it clean and dry.
Use food waste early
When the orange-lid food bin arrives, use it immediately. It makes fortnightly BLACKtop rubbish easier.
Do not block pavements
Place bins where crews can reach them but people with prams, wheelchairs or visual impairments can still pass.
Flats need building-specific checks
Communal bin properties may not change at the same time as houses. Check building notices, the managing agent and myCrawley.
Official Crawley Bin Collection Links
Use these links for live actions. This guide explains the process, but Crawley Borough Council and West Sussex County Council control final calendars, reports, bookings, fees and service rules.
Collection days and 2026 calendars
Official calendar page for rubbish, recycling and GREENbin PDF links.
myCrawley bins and waste
Address-specific collection status, missed bins and bin service actions.
Autumn 2026 collection changes
Food waste rollout and BLACKtop rubbish collection change.
REDtop recycling and textiles
What goes in the recycling bin and what textiles can go beside it.
GREENbin garden waste
Subscription cost, Direct Debit, delivery and fortnightly collection details.
Bulky waste collection
Large household items, booking rules, fees and preparation guidance.
Assisted collections
Help for residents physically unable to move bins to the edge of the property.
Clinical waste
Needles, syringes, sharps and medical waste collection guidance.
Crawley Recycling Centre
Metcalf Way address, opening hours, booking and vehicle restrictions.
Crawley Council Bin Collection FAQs
How do I check my Crawley Council bin collection day?
Use Crawley Borough Council’s official collection days page or sign in to myCrawley for address-specific collection dates and current collection status.
What time should Crawley bins be put out?
Bins should be outside before 6.30am on your collection day because collections are made from 6.30am onwards.
How often is Crawley REDtop recycling collected?
REDtop recycling is collected fortnightly. The bin is green with a red lid and should contain clean, dry and loose recycling only.
What changes in Crawley bin collections in autumn 2026?
Weekly food waste collections begin for individual household properties, and general BLACKtop rubbish collections move from weekly to fortnightly. REDtop recycling stays fortnightly, and GREENbin garden waste remains a subscription service.
When will Crawley flats get food waste collections?
Properties with communal waste collection facilities remain on their current weekly rubbish service at first. Crawley says food waste collections for flats will roll out in 2027.
How do I report a missed bin in Crawley?
Check the official collection day, confirm the bin was out at the edge of the property in time, and see whether neighbours’ bins were collected. Missed collections must be reported within 72 hours of the scheduled collection day.
How much is Crawley GREENbin garden waste?
Crawley lists the annual GREENbin charge as £78.10. The service is optional, paid by Direct Debit and collected fortnightly.
Can I put garden waste in my BLACKtop rubbish bin?
No. Crawley says garden waste should not be put in general rubbish. If garden waste is found in your general rubbish, the bin will not be collected.
Can I put clothes beside my recycling bin in Crawley?
Yes, dry clean unwanted textiles can be placed next to the REDtop recycling bin in tied carrier bags. Present only small amounts and label the bags clearly.
Do I need to book Crawley Recycling Centre?
Yes. West Sussex County Council says you must book a slot before visiting Crawley Recycling Centre by vehicle. The site is at Metcalf Way, Crawley, RH11 7XN.