Report a missed bin

All mixed recycling must be kept loose in your black-lidded mixed recycling bin, not bagged up. Bagged recycling cannot be collected and will be left as contamination. 

Please empty the contents of the bag into the bin ready for your next scheduled collection.

Items placed in the incorrect bin mean your bin cannot be emptied. Please remove the items and put your bin out for collection on the next collection date.

If you are not sure what goes in each of your bins, please check our What goes in my bins page, or use the East Herts Council app to check.

Please do not bag up your recyclable waste. All recyclables should be loose in your black and blue-lidded bins.

If your bin frequently contains incorrect items, we will work with you to resolve the problem. For recycling bins, we adopt the following procedures when incorrect items are found:

• 1st Incident - A sticker will be placed on your bin and we will send you a letter.  Assuming the item(s) in question have been removed, we will empty the bin on the next recycling collection.
• 2nd Incident - A sticker will be placed on your bin and we will send you a second incident letter. Assuming the item(s) in question have been removed, we will empty the bin on the next recycling collection.
• 3rd Incident - A third incident letter will be sent. We will advise you to contact us to talk about the matter. It may be that we need to remove your recycling bin.

Excess non-recyclable waste

Extra non-recyclable waste placed at the side of your bin cannot be collected. Please take this to your local Recycling Centre.

If you regularly find you have excess non-recyclable waste, please check you are making the most of all of your recycling bins, checking what can go in each bin, and take a read of our recycling tips to maximise the space in your bins.  

You can apply for extra capacity if you meet our stated criteria. 

Excess recycling

If you have extra mixed recycling or extra cardboard and paper (for example after a party or at Christmas) you can place this out for recycling next to the appropriate recycling bin, either in a reusable box which collection crews will return, or in a recyclable cardboard box.

Please note: you must ensure that you only have one type of recycling placed out as side-recycling, for example cardboard and paper only, or mixed recycling only. Do not combine cardboard with mixed recycling as this will be classed as contamination and so will not be collected.

If you are placing additional cardboard out as side-recycling, please ensure any boxes are empty of additional packaging (like plastic bags or polystyrene) and flattened as much possible.

Bins that are too heavy to move by crews cannot be emptied. You will need to remove any very heavy waste and take it to your local Recycling Centre.

The contents of  bins can sometimes become stuck or frozen. Crews will do their best to empty your bin but if the waste remains stuck, you will have to dislodge the waste for it to be emptied on your next collection day.

During cold weather, you can take a few simple measures to reduce the risk of your bin becoming frozen:

• Ensure you are using your food waste caddy, as food waste in your non-recyclables bin can create issues in cold weather.
• Do not compress waste into your bin (especially important if you have a garden waste bin)
• Loosen the contents by sliding a spade or similar between the contents and the inside of the bin.
• Store your bin in a warmer spot, for example, in a shed or garage, or beside your house. Please remember to place it on the boundary by 6.30am on collection day.
• Try to fill your bin as near to the day of collection as possible.

Sometimes the crew may not have been able to access your bin. If the crew have advised you that access was a problem please contact us for further help.

Sometimes delays or disruptions to waste collections can occur due to weather conditions, road closures or vehicle breakdowns. If we know prior to a long term road closure, we will often write to residents. 

If there are extreme weather conditions, we will often post updates across our website updating customers, share via our social media channels and/or via the East Herts Council app.