Waste collections

In Hackney, waste collections for street level properties (houses or converted flats) happen every two weeks. These collections help reduce non-recyclable waste sent to incineration and raise recycling rates throughout the borough.

We provide street-level households with a 180L wheeled bin or 90L dustbin(s), which you should use for most types of non-recyclable rubbish. We only collect non-recyclable rubbish contained in this bin. This encourages people to waste less and recycle more, whilst helping to reduce litter and vermin.

Move your bins to the edge of your property after 9pm the day before and before 6am on your collection day.

Recycling and food waste collections remain every week to encourage people to recycle.

To order more green sacks, food caddy liners and liners for your recycling services, visit Order bins and bags for waste and recycling.

View your waste and recycling collections leaflet (PDF 795kb).

Most estates and blocks have access to communal waste, recycling and food waste bins.

Put all your waste and recycling inside the communal bins. Don’t dump anything next to the bins or anywhere else on your estate or street. Dumped waste is dangerous, against the law, attracts vermin and ruins the area for everyone.

We can provide reusable orange recycling bags to help you recycle:

1. Place the bag inside your kitchen to collect your recyclable materials.
2. When full, take your bag to your recycling bins to empty.
3. Return your reusable bag to your kitchen to begin collecting again.

View recycling and rubbish services if you live on an estate leaflet (PDF 4.3mb).

To report a problem with the communal bins email recycling@hackney.gov.uk or call 0208 356 6688.

If you live on a high street, you might have to put your black waste sacks and green recycling sacks recycling out during set time bands, twice a day.

Items that go in your rubbish bin:

• nappies
• tissues
• paper towels
• tampons and other sanitary items
• wet wipes
• cotton wool
• make up pads
• toothpaste tubes (we accept pump action tubes)
• medicine packaging such as foil or plastic blister
• packs
• chemical bottles
• cling film
• freezer bags
• hard plastic containers – for example lunchboxes
• bubble wrap
• crisp packets
• sweet wrappers
• film from ready-meals
• laminated pouches – for example cat food
• polystyrene
• plant pots
• metallic wrapping paper
• paper or card that’s stained or dirty with food, grease, paint etc
• glittery greeting cards or glittery wrapping paper
• wallpaper
• incandescent light bulbs
• till receipts
• disposable plastic plates, cups and cutlery
• black bags – if you put your recycling in black bags it won’t be recycled

The quality of plastic in carrier bags is poor compared to pots and tubs.
The best thing to do with carrier bags is to reuse them as much as possible. Try to use reusable bags instead.
You can take plastic bags to supermarkets which allow for more plastic film packaging recycling. To find out more about recycling plastic bags, visit London recycles – plastic bags and film.

You should recycle these items if possible:

• food
• paper and card
• plastic bottles, pots and trays
• cans, tins and foil
• glass bottles and jars
• batteries
• clothes and textiles
• electronics
• garden waste

Construction, DIY and building materials should not be disposed of with household waste. Such items include:

• rubble
• masonry and tiles
• construction waste
• fencing

Our commercial waste service can collect these items and other DIY waste. To contact the service, email commercialwaste@hackney.gov.uk or call 020 8356 6683. 

If you have any construction or DIY waste that is recyclable, such as metal pipes, you can take these to a Reuse and Recycling Centre (RRC).

For more information and to find your closest site visit Reuse and Recycling Centres.

You can reuse, repair, recycle or donate unwanted items in good condition instead of throwing them away as general waste. Some options include:

• low-energy light bulbs – you can dispose of these at public bring sites
• plastic toys – donate these to a toy gift appeal
• general kitchenware and homeware, such as cutlery, pots and pans, drinking glasses, ceramics and mirrors – donate these to reuse services

For more information on how to reduce your waste, repair and reuse items, visit reduce, reuse and repair.

• dog waste
• incontinence pads
• nappies
• sanitary towels

You may dispose of these in your black bin.

Larger households can also apply for an extra bin. We carry out an assessment before providing this. This is to ensure that you are recycling everything possible, including dry-mixed and food recycling.

To encourage households to recycle more, we only collect non-recyclable waste placed in the wheeled bins with the lid shut. We do not collect rubbish bags left next to bins.

Apply for an extra bin

We can remove an extra bin if it’s no longer needed, damaged or abandoned. We’ll recycle or reuse it.

Remove a bin

Typically, you can recycle over half the waste thrown away as rubbish.

You can recycle many items thrown away as rubbish. Fortnightly waste collections help encourage more recycling

By recycling as much as possible each week and using all the recycling services provided, you’ll notice a big reduction in the waste going into your black bin. It can then be easily collected every two weeks.

We won’t collect excess rubbish that doesn’t fit inside your bin with the lid closed.

If you find you are struggling to fit all your waste in your bin it probably means you are not recycling as much as you could.

If you want more advice on how you can recycle more, visit Your recycling and Reduce, reuse and repair. You can also call us on 0208 356 6688.

Some households, including large households, can apply for an extra bin.

If your household does produce a lot of nappies or incontinence pads you can apply for an additional bin.

You should store your bin on your property, for example within your front garden.

If there isn’t space at the front of your property, we expect you to consider all options to keep your bin elsewhere on your property, such as in a rear garden.

As a last resort, and only in unique circumstances where there is no space to store a bin on your property, you may have to store your bins on the pavement.

We have undertaken a property survey to inform us of the space available and the storage options for each property in the borough.

In our survey, we found only a very small number that would need to store their bins on the pavement.

We have carried out surveys across the whole borough to determine which properties have space for a wheeled bin.
Most properties have space for a wheeled bin, but we provided a standard dustbin to the properties that don’t.