Recycling and food waste is collected every week. General waste is collected every two weeks. You will either have black wheeled bins or red stripy bags for your general waste depending on where you live. The amount of general waste you can put out is strictly limited in both bag and bin areas so it is important to try and recycle as much as possible. If you have a green bin, it is for garden waste.
Check your collection dates online or download the “Cardiff Gov” app, and opt in for notifications to remind you when to put your bags and bins out.
Recycling and waste must be put out on the pavement to be collected, before 6:00am on the day of collection, or no earlier than 4:30pm the day before.
Please return your emptied bin (if you have one) and food caddy inside your property boundary by 9am the day after collection.
Download the app!
The Cardiff Gov app can arrange a number of different services, all from your digital device.
You can:
- Set yourselves a weekly reminder, to let you know what recycling and waste to put out
- Find out what you can recycle in Cardiff
- Find your nearest stockist of recycling/food waste bags, or order a home delivery
- Report fly-tipping and litter
Just search for “Cardiff Gov” in the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.
To find out whether your property uses bins or bags for general waste collections enter your postcode on the council’s website or download the “Cardiff Gov” app.
The results will show your next 4 collection dates and which containers / bags you need to use.
If your property uses red striped bags for general waste and you have just moved into a property and do not have any, you will need to supply proof of new residency (tenancy agreement/ property completion letter/ initial utility statement) before your supply of bags are issued. Please email your proof of new residency to wastemanagement@cardiff.gov.uk. You can also post a copy to Waste Management, Lamby Way Depot, Rumney, CF3 2HP. Please note we will be unable to return original documents, so please only send us copies.
If your property has a wheeled bin collection of general waste, the property owner should ensure that there is one present at the start of tenancy. Replacements for lost or stolen wheeled bins cost £25 and can be arranged by calling 029 2087 2087.
Green recycling bags are for your dry recyclables including plastics and tins, they are collected every week. Have a look at what you can recycle.
If you have large pieces of cardboard that do not fit into your green bag, place them out for collection alongside your bags and they will be collected.
Please empty and rinse out any food and drink containers before recycling them.
All houses in Cardiff use green bags for recycling. These need to go out every week on collection day. If you live in a flat, you may have a communal bin for recycling bags.
Green recycling bags are provided free of charge from Cardiff Council. You can find your nearest stockist on the Cardiff Gov app or order them online for a home delivery.
Food waste is collected every week in Cardiff.
Food waste bags/caddies are provided free of charge from Cardiff Council. You can find your nearest stockist on the “Cardiff Gov” app or order them online for a home delivery.
Food caddies are for all your unwanted cooked or raw food, including fruit and vegetable peelings, left-overs, egg shells, tea bags and coffee grounds. Find out how to use your food waste caddies.
Did you know?
- Just one caddy of food waste generates enough electricity to watch 90 minutes of Netflix on TV!
- Recycling 30 banana peels can create enough energy to power a hairdryer for 10 minutes, more than enough time to get you ready for university for the day.
- 29 recycled tea bags could generate enough electricity to fully charge a laptop
Recycle for Wales explain more about the benefits of recycling food waste in the short videos below. For more information or for more tips on recycling your food waste, visit their website on www.recycleforwales.org.uk/studentfood
Did you know that Wales is one of the world’s leading recycling nations? In Cardiff, no waste goes to landfill. Everything is reused, recycled or used as fuel to generate energy. If you have ever wondered what happens to your recycling and waste after it is collected from your student house, you can find out by watching this short video.
Bulky items
Household items, electrical items and furniture that are is a good resalable condition can be collected by the YMCA free of charge. To find out more, please call 029 2049 5114.
If you item is not in a good condition to donate, the council offer a collection service. If your item can be recycled, they will collect it for free!
It’s important that you dispose of bulky items and other waste and recyclable material legitimately, otherwise you could risk receiving a fine (not to mention the harm it can cause the environment!) For more information, have a look at this information leaflet from Fly Tipping Action Wales.
Recycling Centres.
Some items can be recycled but are not suitable for the green bag collection. Many items including electrical, scrap metal or textiles can be recycled by visiting a Recycling Centre. Find out more about your closest recycling centre and the items accepted.
Before reporting a missed collection of recycling or waste, you need to check a couple of things.
Was it the correct day for your recycling and waste collection?
Was it the correct week for your general waste (black bin/stripy bag) collection?
Was your recycling and waste out before 6am on collection day?
Does your recycling/food waste contain incorrect items?
You may see a pink sticker on your bins/bags. This is notifying you that you have incorrect items in your bags. You can find out more here.
If you have run through these questions, and you have followed all instructions correctly, you need to report a missed collection as soon as possible.
This way, if you receive a fixed penalty notice when it’s not your fault, there will be a record of the missed collection on the system which can be used to appeal the fixed penalty
If you get a fine from the council for a recycling and waste offence you can pay online on the council website.
Pay a recycling and waste fine
Offences you can be fined for include:
- Littering (including from a vehicle)
- Dog Fouling
- Street litter control notices and litter clearing notices
- Graffiti and fly-posting
- Presenting waste incorrectly or using bins / bag for the wrong types of waste / recycling.