Last updated: 19 February 2024

Next review: 19 February 2025

Bin collections take place between 5am and 10pm on the scheduled bin collection day.

Missed bin collections can only be reported up to 3 days after the scheduled bin collection day. If more than 3 days have passed, please wait until your next scheduled bin collection day. Please try and report a missed bin collection within 24 hours of the scheduled bin collection.

You can report a missed bin collection as soon as the collection crew marks your road as complete on the day of collection.

Report a missed additional item collection

If the bag of batteries, textiles, coffee pods or small electrical items from on top of the green recycling two wheeled bin has been missed for collection on the scheduled collection day please let us know.

Bags of additional items can be collected by all collections crews that empty two wheeled bins.

You can report a missed additional item collection as soon as all crews servicing your road has marked the road as complete.

You can report a missed additional item collection up to 3 days after the two wheeled bins were scheduled for collection but please try and report this within 24 hours of the scheduled collection.

Report a missed sack collection

Residents need to present their refuse and recycling sacks between 6 am and 9 am on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Or between 9 pm and 11 pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays if your road receives the additional evening sack collection. 

Check which collection takes place on your road (PDF).

If your refuse or green council recycling sack has not been collected after 11am on either Monday, Wednesday, or Friday for the morning collection or by 1 am the following morning for the evening collection please email the wasteteam@walthamforest.gov.uk to let the Council’s Waste Team know you have experienced a missed sack collection.

In that email, you must include your full address, which collection service was missed (refuse sack/recycling sack collection service), which road the sacks were placed for collection and if possible please include a photo of those sacks presented for collection on the street.

Why do missed collections occur?

Whilst the Council aims to empty bins or collect sacks on the scheduled collection day; there are many factors outside the Council’s Contractor’s control such as highway obstructions, accidents or weather which may lead to a collection being delayed or missed. 

For this reason we cannot guarantee that collections will always take place on the scheduled collection day. Please report a missed collection online so that a missed collection can be rectified.

The bin collection crew can report reasons for non-collection on their system so when you try and report a missed bin collection you can see the reason for non-collection.

If we didn’t empty your bins, it might be because the bins were:

  • Not presented - the two-wheeled bins were not presented for collection: two-wheeled bins should be placed at the front boundary of your property.
  • Bins not out - bin collection commences at 5am on the scheduled collection day and needs to be out of collection.
  • Bin contaminated - the green recycling or brown food and garden waste bins were contaminated with items that should not be in those bins. Please remove any offending item(s).
  • No access: there was a vehicle or object(s) that obstructed the route of collection; there should be a clear and safe path to the bins.

Repeat missed bin collections

Our missed bin collection reporting system recognises repeated missed bin collection reports and this is information reviewed by the Council’s Waste Team. Please report all missed bin collections online.

Check your bin or sack collection day

Before reporting a missed collection check your collection day.