Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, section 46(1), Herefordshire Council has elected to operate a wheeled bin service for the collection of domestic waste which is required to be placed in the specific bins (where provided by Herefordshire Council) for collection at the times, and other requirements, as outlined on this page.

Day of collection and frequency

Recycling and general rubbish is collected from domestic households on an alternate weekly basis (one week recycling and the other week general rubbish).

Wherever possible we aim to make collections from each household on the same day of the week.

Collection days will remain unchanged on all bank holidays except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day. Changes over this period will be publicised on this website.

Time of collection

Collections take place from 6.30am. Please make sure that your bins are out for collection by this time.

Collection point

Collection takes place from the boundary of the property closest to the public highway, unless otherwise agreed with Herefordshire Council.

Recycling

We will provide one officially marked green wheeled bin with 240 litre capacity for specified recyclable materials (see what to recycle page for lists of suitable/unsuitable items for recycling) to be collected fortnightly.

General rubbish

We will provide one officially marked black wheeled bin with 180 litre capacity for general rubbish to be collected fortnightly. General rubbish is the waste that cannot be recycled, composted or donated for reuse.

General bin policy

• Only one recycling bin and one general rubbish bin will be provided per domestic property
• For health and safety reasons, only bins provided by Herefordshire Council will be emptied
• Wheeled bins will only be emptied if the lid is fully closed
• For general rubbish, no extra bags, boxes or loose rubbish (side waste) will be collected

Please ensure:

• Bins are placed at the boundary of the property closest to the public highway, unless otherwise agreed
• Bins are at the collection point by 6.30am on the allocated day of collection, as the time of collection may vary
• Bins are clearly visible with no obstructions or restrictions to access
• Any gates are unlocked, and no animals are loose in the area the crew access into
• Wheeled bin handles are positioned closest to the road
• Bins/sacks do not cause an obstruction or hazard to pedestrians or road users
• Bins are returned to your property as soon as possible after collection has taken place
• Bins must only be used for the presentation of waste and recycling for collection and must not be used to store personal items. Herefordshire Council and its contractor, FCC Environment, cannot accept responsibility for any items placed in a black or green wheelie bin that are not intended for collection

Our collection crews will:

• Collect bins/sacks providing they are put out for collection in accordance with this policy
• Check for any contamination. Bins/sacks will not be collected if they contain incorrect items
• Record any reason for non-collection on their in-cab device and, where it is possible to do so, tag or sticker bin/sacks to inform the resident of the reason for non-collection
• Return bins to the collection point, providing this is suitable and safe
• Close gates behind them

If a property meets one or more of the following criteria it will be deemed unsuitable for a collection service using the wheeled bins:

• There is no space for the property to store a wheeled bin within its boundary and the property has no access to potential storage space, for example flat above a shop
• Where front gardens are the only option for storage of bins an exemption will be given if:
  • There is less than a 1-metre gap between the bin and a front wall/fence
  • The provision of a bin would cause an obstruction to the immediate entrance to the property
• Physical features make it difficult or hazardous to move a bin to the boundary of the property or from the boundary to the collection vehicle, for example:
  • Deep steps or more than 3 shallow steps (no greater than 100mm depth per step)
  • The gradient in a line between the collection point and the vehicle is greater than 1 in 10
  • The collection vehicle cannot safely access within 25 metres of the property boundary

If a property is unsuitable according to the criteria above but the householder wants to use a wheeled bin to put their rubbish and/or recycling out for collection, then a request can be made. Where practicable and safe for collections to take place using bins, they will be provided upon agreement of the collection location between the council, the council's collection contractors and the resident.

If a property only has sufficient storage space for 1 wheeled bin, then the priority is for provision of a recycling bin.

If circumstances have changed and the household no longer meets the criteria, the council will write to the resident and give them notice of the change.

Collection arrangements for properties unsuitable for wheeled bins

Recycling

Properties unsuitable for a recycling bin will be provided with:

Clear recycling sacks:

• All recycling items as listed on the what to recycle page for suitable/unsuitable items for recycling can be placed in the sacks, except glass.
• All recyclable waste is to be contained in the recycling sacks provided.
• Recycling sacks must be put out for collection at the boundary of the property closest to the public highway, for collection unless otherwise agreed

Glass box:

• A reusable 44litre box will be provided for residents to recycle glass
• Only glass bottles, jars and perfume bottles can be placed in the glass box
• Glass must be clean and dry
• The glass box can only be filled to just below the lip of the box
• Glass boxes must be left next to your recycling sacks at the boundary of the property closest to the public highway, for collection unless otherwise agreed
• Glass boxes must be return to your property as soon as possible after collection has been made

Residents will only be provided with a recycling bin or recycling sacks service, not both

Annual recycling sack delivery

• 104 clear recycling sacks will be delivered to properties every year
• The estimated delivery timescale will be publicised on the council’s web site
• Rolls of sacks will be delivered within the boundary of the property, as close to the door as possible
• Where no safe location is available for sacks to be left a leaflet will be delivered and residents will need to make a request for delivery, providing details of a safe location where sacks can be delivered to

General rubbish

• Residents should put their general rubbish out for collection in black sacks
• Residents are asked to put black sacks at the boundary of the property closest to the public highway or agreed collection point
• We will collect the quantity of black sacks as set out in table 1
• Extra capacity will need to be applied for and agreed by the council as set out in section 6
• Sacks should not exceed 410 x 760 x 915mm in size and should not exceed 15kg when filled

Table 1 Alternative collection arrangements for general rubbish

The council reserves the right to only collect the number of sacks per property per collection as set out in table 1.

General reasons for non-collection

• Bins and/or sacks have been put out on the wrong day/week. Collection schedules can be checked using the bin collection day look up available on this website
• Bins and/or sacks have not been put out for collection at the boundary of property closest to the public highway or the agreed collection point
• Bins and/or sacks have not been put out by 6.30am on the allocated day of collection
• Bin lids are not fully closed
• Bins are overfilled or overweight
• Sacks exceed 15kg in weight
• Access is not possible due to road works, parked cars or other obstructions
• Locked gates
• Loose dog or other animals
• Bins cannot be safely moved to the collection vehicle due to a build up of additional waste on top of or around the bin

Specific reasons for non-collection of recycling

• Bins and/or sacks have been contaminated with non-recyclable waste (please see what to recycle page for a list of acceptable items)

Specific reasons for non-collection of general rubbish

• Bins and/or sacks have been contaminated with unacceptable waste such as garden waste, bulky waste, liquids, sharps, hot ashes, hazardous waste or commercial waste. See items not suitable for rubbish collection page for full list
• Extra rubbish left out alongside or on top of the bin cannot be collected
• Where a property is unsuitable for a wheeled bin, more sacks have been put out than specified in table 1

Where the collection crew identify a reason for non-collection, they will make a report in real time on their in-cab device and record the reason for non-collection. Where possible the collection crew will also add an information sticker/tag explaining the reason for non-collection.

Reporting missed collections

Where your rubbish or recycling has not been collected, report a missed bin collection as soon as possible and within 2 working days of the scheduled collection day.

You will not be able to report a missed collection if:

• The crew have not yet visited your property
• The crew have reported a problem with your collection on their in-cab device

Where no reason has been recorded for a missed collection and it is reported to us, we aim to return by the end of the next working day.

Poor or hot weather

In instances of, for example, severe flooding or icy/snowy conditions, the decision to start collections on any given day is made between the council and the collection contractor by 9am. This decision will be publicised on this website.

The decision to travel on certain roads or enter housing estates is made by the driver of the vehicle, who will consider road and pavement conditions, any noticeable obstructions and whether an exit from the road is possible once it has been entered.

In periods of exceptionally hot weather, collection crews may commence work earlier than the standard collection start time of 6.30am in order to reduce the health and safety risks associated with working in high temperatures, and to help maintain service delivery. Any decision to introduce earlier start times will be made jointly between the council and the collection contractor and will be publicised on this website.

What you need to do

Place bins and/or sacks out by 6.30am on the day of collection. In exceptional circumstances collections may have to be suspended or cancelled. If it's not collected by the end of the following day please refer to this website for updates on alternative collection arrangements.

When requested, additional recycling capacity can be provided by swapping the standard 240 litre green bin for a larger 360 litre green bin. A delivery fee must be paid prior to the bin being swapped for a larger one.

Larger 360 litre green bins will only be provided where a household regularly produce more good quality recycling than can fit into the standard bin on each recycling collection. Checks may take place to confirm that there is no history of recycling contamination at the household and that the recycling produced is of a suitable quality before additional capacity is provided.

Recycling capacity will not be decreased below the standard 240 litre green bin.

Extra general rubbish capacity will only be provided where:

• 6 or more people permanently live at the same address
• 1 or more children under 3 years old using disposable nappies permanently live at an address
• A resident has a medical reason which results in more than a quarter of a bag per day of non-hazardous medical waste to be produced

Where foster carers provide a home for children on a temporary basis and one or more of the above criteria can be met or additional needs demonstrated, Herefordshire Council will consider awarding additional capacity on a discretionary basis.

Extra capacity will not be provided for waste from animals, recyclable waste, food waste or additional waste because of temporary visitors.

Extra capacity will be provided by swapping the standard 180 litre general bin for a single 240 litre bin. A delivery fee must be paid prior to the bin being swapped for a larger one.

The council will only supply a larger bin once satisfied that the household has made every reasonable effort to divert waste through recycling.

All requests for additional bins will be subject to checks, which may include:

• A waste audit to ensure the household is using the recycling bins as much as possible (when an additional residual bin has been requested)
• A site visit to ensure the information provided is correct

In exceptional circumstances the council's decision on the provision of extra capacity is final.

Residents are required to inform the council of any changes in circumstances that mean they no longer meet the requirements for extra capacity. Regular reviews will be conducted to ensure that those who are granted extra capacity still meet the criteria. Where no response is received to our review documentation we will swap bins without any further prior notice.

The council reserves the right to refuse to access roads with recycling and general waste collection vehicles.

Roads will be individually assessed for suitability based on the following considerations:

• Any health and safety risks identified as part of a risk assessment, for example:
  • Road surface – Roads must be of sound construction to a suitable hard surface, free of potholes and obstructions which could cause damage to the vehicle and/or further damage to the road surface.
  • Road width and accessible height – The road height clearance and width should not be less than the width/height of the allocated collection vehicle, with no obstructions from trees, shrubs, overhanging branches, cables or wires which could cause damage to the vehicles and/or damage to property or obstruct the use of the wing mirrors.
  • Turning area – Where a through road does not exist, a suitable turning area must be available to allow the vehicle to turn efficiently without causing damage to itself or property. The need for reversing by vehicles should be avoided wherever possible.

The above are not conclusive of whether the service can be offered and the decision of the council will be final, having due regard to the risk assessment and time and cost incurred to complete the collection.

For any private roads where a risk assessment has been passed, a disclaimer to access will be required which indemnifies against all claims for compensation other than that caused through the negligence of the council or its contractor.

Where it is not possible to access a road or a signed permission/disclaimer to travel is not provided, the normal collection point will be at a suitable position adjacent to the nearest adopted highway or another agreed collection point.

Where road works are being carried out, every effort will be made to make collections as scheduled. Please place bins out for collection as normal unless otherwise advised. Where access is denied, collection crews will try again over the next couple of days.

The council will provide assisted collections for where no resident of a household is physically able to put out their recycling or general rubbish bins and/or sacks at the boundary of the property closest to the public highway or the agreed collection point. An application for an assisted collection must be made directly to the council.

When applying for an assisted collection the resident must specify a location within their property boundary from which collections will be made every week.

An assisted collection will be provided from the residents chosen location within their property boundary if:

• Access to the collection location has no more than 3 shallow steps (no greater than 100mm depth per step)
• Access to the collection location is level, free from obstructions and trip hazards and made up of a hard standing surface suitable to wheel a bin over

Residents must ensure that:

• Gates are unlocked from 6.30am on collection day where the crew require access to make collection
• There are no loose dogs between the access point and the collection location

The chosen collection location will be approved by the council contractor. Where required the council or its contractor may undertake a site visit to assess the suitability of the household and resident's specified collection location for the assisted collection can begin.

Should the residents and the contractor not be able to reach an agreement over a suitable collection location the contractor shall notify Herefordshire Council. Should collection from the resident's suggested location not be possible due health and safety reasons, the contractor shall provide a copy of their full risk assessment. Herefordshire Council will complete a full assessment of the situation and will inform both the contractor and residents of the collection location.

Alternative arrangements where risk assessment fails

Change in collection service

Where required a move from a rubbish and recycling bin service to a rubbish and recycling sack service may be required in order to allow collections to take place.

Permanent position of bins at collection point

Where collection from a property is not possible due to the failure of a risk assessment, residents may be able to permanently locate their bins at the collection point allowing them, any visitors or carers to take small amounts of waste to the bin each time they leave the property.

Public land: Where no obstruction would be caused and it is safe to do so, Herefordshire Council will give permission for bins to be permanently located on public land, for example on the verge at the end of a lane. This location must also pass a risk assessment.

Private land: It is the responsibility of the resident to gain permission of a private landowner to leave their bins at a collection point on private land.

Where there is a need to drive the refuse collection vehicle onto private land, a risk assessment must be passed and the landowner must sign a disclaimer provided by the council's collection contractors to give permission for them to access over the private land.

Collection points for assisted collection shall always be within the boundary of the household customer's property unless an alternative collection point is approved.

Herefordshire Council's decision on the provision of the assisted collection is final.

Care packages

In instances where private or social services care packages are in place, these may include help to place waste at the collection point.

Isolated properties

Where it is not possible, due to the isolated location or inaccessible nature of the property, for any of the arrangements above to be put in place, Herefordshire Council may be unable to provide a collection in these exceptional circumstances.

No extra bags, boxes or loose rubbish (side waste) left next to or on top of the bin will be collected. Only the allocation of sacks as set out in section 3 will be collected. A sticker will be left explaining it has not been taken and the collection crews will make a real-time report of where side waste has been left.

Any side waste put/left on the highway may be treated as fly tipped and dealt with through education and, if appropriate, with enforcement.

Extra waste can be taken to a household recycling centre where facilities are available for a range of materials to be re-used, recycled or disposed of.

Bins will only be emptied if the lid is fully closed. A part open lid can obstruct the vehicle's lifting equipment and is a health and safety risk. Keeping the lid closed will also reduce the risk of flies and vermin getting into your bin.

Bins should not be overfilled or too heavy for the collection crews and vehicles to move and lift safely. If waste is too compacted, it may not come out of the bin when it is tipped. If this occurs it will be left in the bin and it will be the resident's responsibility to remove this before the next collection. The resident will be expected to remove items that are too heavy to empty.

Non-recyclable items placed in recycling bins and/or sacks or unacceptable materials/items placed in general rubbish bins and/or sacks are called contamination. Collection crews spot check bins for contamination as standard practice.

What we will do:

• Provide information to ensure residents are aware of how to correctly use the bins and/or sack.
• We will not empty bins and/or sacks which are contaminated or contain unacceptable items.
• Make a real time report advising why the container has not been collected and place a sticker/tag on the container to inform the resident of the reason.
• Provide three opportunities for the situation to improve before removing the container. Where a general rubbish bin is removed the resident will have to supply their own black sacks to dispose of their waste and comply with the alternative collection arrangements outlined in section 3, table 1.

What you should do:

• Make sure that only acceptable materials are placed in bins and/or sacks. See what to recycle page for acceptable recycling items and items not suitable for rubbish collection page for items not accepted in general rubbish bins/sacks. Vehicles will not return to empty bins/collect sacks where collection crews have reported contamination.
• The householder will need to remove all contamination or unacceptable items before the next planned collection in two weeks' time.
• The collection vehicle will not return on the same day that contamination was reported. The council reserves the right to charge for emptying of contaminated bins if requested to do so.

• The bins remain the property of Herefordshire Council
• The householder is responsible for keeping the bin safe, in a clean condition and reporting any damaged, lost or stolen bins
• Residents should not:
  • Write on or deface bins in anyway
  • Light fires in or near their bin or put hot ashes in the bin
• Do not place disposable BBQs on the lid or in the bins, the bins will melt
• Bins must only be used for the presentation of waste and recycling for collection and must not be used to store personal items. Herefordshire Council and its contractor, FCC Environment, cannot accept responsibility for any items placed in a black or green wheelie bin that are not intended for collection
• Herefordshire Council do not provide a bin cleaning service
• It is Herefordshire Council policy to reuse bins. Replacement bins are not guaranteed to be new but will be fit for purpose as a waste container and will have been jet washed

We aim to supply any replacement bins within 10 working days after the day of request.

If a property has additional Herefordshire Council bins that have not been authorised, they will be removed.

We will replace any bins which become faulty through fair wear and tear. Where bins are damaged because of weather conditions such as flooding or fallen trees, Herefordshire Council may replace bins free of charge.

Where damage to bins is not through wear and tear, Herefordshire Council reserves the right to make a charge for these to be replaced, regardless of if this damage has been caused by previous occupants of the property.

Where residents meet the appropriate criteria and request for bins to be delivered or changed, costs will be applied as set out on this website. All charges must be paid prior to bin delivery, removal or exchange.

Please note that in accordance with s.46 of the Environmental Protection Act, Herefordshire Council require the occupier of the premises to place household waste for collection from the residential premise in line with the requirements set out in these service standards. Refusal to pay for a replacement bin may result in no collection taking place.

Moving in

New residents moving into a house are entitled to the service as outlined in this document. The service currently allocated to the property can be found by using the bin collection day look up. If there are no bins at the property when you move in, please report this using the request a new bin or order a replacement bin web form.

If you are moving into a new build property, you will need to request that bins are delivered to you. You will find more information in the new build property section.

Moving out

If you move house, you should leave recycling and general rubbish bins and/or sacks provided by the council at the property ready for use by the new occupant. Bins should be clean and contain no rubbish.

If you are moving within Herefordshire and have wheeled bins which are larger than standard, you may take these to your new property but you must notify the council and must also move the bins from your new home to your old home ready for the new occupants.

Herefordshire Council will not swap bins due to them being dirty and will not empty bins found full by a new resident, other than on the scheduled collection day.

Herefordshire Council provides guidance notes for storage and collection of domestic refuse and recycling which can be found on the pre-application planning advice page. This document outlines the costs to developers associated with the provision of waste receptacles for new developments.

New roads are often not adopted until 12 to 23 months after completion. While construction is ongoing, we will make every effort to collect from properties where possible. However, each new development will be assessed individually, and the following requirements must be met:

• Where a road is to be adopted and has been completed, collections will commence following completion of a suitable risk assessment
• For larger developments, the site will be risk assessed in stages as construction progresses and we will liaise with the developer/site agents to agree suitable collection points where access can be gained
• For properties that are occupied but where collection from the boundary is not possible residents will be required to put their bins and/or sacks at an agreed point
• For any new development where the access road is to remain private, a full risk assessment will need to be passed and a disclaimer to access will be required which indemnifies against all claims for compensation other than that caused through the negligence of the council or its contractor

Upon notification of occupation of a new development, the council will deliver bins or sacks of the required number and type within 10 working days.

This section covers the service provided to:

• Flats and developments which share communal bin storage areas and are unsuitable to receive an individual service from the boundary of each domestic property or where a communal collection point is allocated for numerous individual properties to bring their waste to
• Houses of multiple occupancy (HMOs)
• Residential hostels which provide accommodation only to persons with no other permanent address or who are unable to live at their permanent address
• Traveller sites which are official sites provided by the council or unofficial sites made known to the council

The term 'landlord' is used to refer to any property owner, manager, letting agent or housing association that hold responsibility for giving permission for people to live in a premises. Herefordshire Council will work with landlords to provide or improve waste services at these premises.

Assessment for provision of waste services

Landlords or residents are able to request an assessment using the bulk bin enquiry form.

Table 2 - Calculating general rubbish and recycling capacity

Flats and developments which share communal bin storage areas

Capacity will be provided in either 1100 litre or 660 litre capacity wheeled bins. Wherever possible black bins will be used for general rubbish and green bins will be used for recycling.

For flats that share bins, capacity is allocated as per the standard service, for example for 12 flats capacity will be calculated as follows. General rubbish 12 x 180 litres = 2160 litres and recycling 12 x 240 litres = 2880 litres. We will provide the number of bins which provides the capacity as closely as possible to the capacity calculated.

Increased rubbish capacity

For flats or properties that share bins additional capacity will only be provided where the criteria as outlined in section 6 are met by 25% or more of the properties that use the bins. Where this criteria is met capacity will be recalculated and increased by 60 litres per qualifying household.

We will provide the number of bins which provides the capacity as closely as possible to the capacity calculated.

Increased recycling capacity

Where additional recycling capacity is requested, an assessment of the quality and quantity of recycling produced will be carried out. The assessment period will be determined at the time of the request.

If the assessment shows that the recycling quantity exceeds the current capacity and quality is good, up to an additional 80 litres of recycling per household can be provided.

In all instances, additional capacity will be provided either by provision of a larger individual bin or through the equivalent capacity provided in the communal bins.

HMO and residential hostels

HMOs are generally only subject to domestic rates as a single property irrespective of the number of tenants.

Outlined below are the allowances that may be provided to HMOs and residential hostels which are self-catering and where residents share toilet, bathroom or kitchen facilities.

This policy is not applicable to care, residential or nursing homes.

Properties housing up to 6 people

Standard household waste collection service provided, with provision for additional capacity only given where the set criteria is met.

Properties housing 7 people or more

The landlord/licence holder must demonstrate that they are doing what they can to encourage residents to recycle as below:

• Tenancy agreement to include house procedures for dealing with waste and new tenants to be provided with literature on correct recycling items and use of bins
• Provision of both general rubbish and recycling containers within the kitchen and bedrooms of the property
• Posters/leaflets to be made available in communal areas

Where this can be demonstrated Herefordshire Council may make allowances for a different capacity as shown in Table 3 below.

Where bin capacity cannot exactly meet the multiplied quantity, the closest litre capacity will be provided.

It is expected this will provide reasonable capacity for HMOs and residential hostels. However, the landlord/licence holder is legally obliged to ensure that the tenants have adequate storage facilities for their waste and that adequate provision is made for disposal of any additional waste.

Traveller site

We will provide the standard service to all official and unofficial permanent traveller sites, as outlined in sections 1-5.

The Waste Management Team will provide guidance to residents on how to use the service, in line with the education detailed in section 19. Bespoke recycling stickers are available for recycling bins.

Only acceptable household waste (refer to what to recycle page for acceptable/unacceptable recycling for green bins and items not suitable for rubbish collection page for unacceptable waste in black bin) contained in Herefordshire Council provided bins will be collected from site by the council's waste collection contractor.

Care, residential and nursing homes

Where these properties are paying domestic rates, we will provide up to the maximum household service, where eligibility criteria is met and if requested to do so. That is 1 x 240 litre bin for general rubbish and 1 x 360 litre bin for recycling.

Any additional bins would incur a charge in accordance with Herefordshire Council's business waste collection charges.

Collection frequency

Recycling and general rubbish is collected from the communal collection point on the same alternate weekly basis (one week recycling and the other week general rubbish) as individual households. Wherever possible we aim to make collections from each household on the same day of the week.

Collections

Collections will only be made where:

• Crew have access to the bin store required and access codes have been provided in advance by landlords
• Crews can safely access all bins in the bin store due for collection on the scheduled day. Access should be free of obstruction from parked cars, fly tipped items and excess waste
• Bins contain suitable items. Bins will not be collected if they are contaminated
• Bins are in a suitable condition to be safely emptied

Collections crews will:

• Check for any contamination
• Record any reason for non-collection on their in-cab device and, where it is possible to do so, tag or sticker bin/sacks to inform the resident of the reason for non-collection
• Empty all bins scheduled where the above conditions are met. As standard, only the contents of the bins will be collected, no additional waste in or around the bin store will be collected
• Return bins to the bin store and arrange them so that they are accessible to residents and sited under any appropriate signage

Where excess waste is left at a communal collection point the following process will apply:

• On the first occasion that excess waste occurs it may be picked up by the collection crew if:
  • It is the same as the resource stream (rubbish or recycling) scheduled for collection that day
  • It contains no contamination
• Collection crew will report the excess waste on their in-cab device
• Where excess waste is left at the collection point on subsequent collection days it will not be picked up
• Crews will continue to report excess waste issue on their in-cab device
• Where excess waste is reported, Herefordshire Council will contact the landlord of the property or their appointed managing agent to inform them off the issue

Herefordshire Council's waste management team will work with residents and landlords to educate and inform about the service provided.

The following resources are available for all residents and landlords:

• Website content
• Collection guides and recycling information (available in another format or language upon request)
• Collection calendars
• Information posters for communal areas
• Stickers for bins

Where the need is identified, the waste management team will undertake any of the following actions in order to educate residents and improve the use of the service:

• Send letters to all resident/properties
• Door knock to speak to residents and explain the service to them
• Ensure bins and bin store are labelled correctly with stickers and posters
• Carry out group talks or presentation to multiple residents

After the council has completed the agreed actions to educate residents, council officers and collection crews will monitor subsequent collections from the property/properties. The monitoring will be used to evaluate the success or failure of the education provided. The landlord will be contacted to inform them of the progress.

It will be the council's decision to continue with any programme of education at any development.

Where the council has demonstrated that all reasonable efforts have been made by its officers to educate residents and landlords and information has been provided the council reserves the right to suspend further education.

A resident may make a request for Herefordshire Council to stop collecting waste from their property.

No reduction in domestic rates will be provided because it is not a payment for services received or used by the individual resident or household and there is no provision within the legislation for people to withhold or receive a reduced part of their domestic rates just because they do not receive a particular service.

Herefordshire Council's waste collection contractor operates to strict health and safety standards and do not tolerate actions which breach these.

It is therefore essential that residents do not do any of the following:

• Attempt to place waste into the collection vehicle
• Attempt to load a bin onto the lifting equipment
• Verbally abuse or threaten any member of Herefordshire Council or its waste collection contractor
• Physically abuse any member of Herefordshire Council or its waste collection contractor

Herefordshire Council's waste collection contractor will not be held responsible for any harm caused where a resident has attempted to load waste/bins onto the collection vehicle.

Herefordshire Council may suspend collection services until the resident agrees to refrain from any of the actions above.

Any incidents of verbal or physical abuse and threatening behaviour will be reported to the police and Herefordshire Council will follow its unreasonable behaviour policy where necessary.

Herefordshire Council's contractor FCC Recycling Ltd operates vehicle-mounted cameras on collection vehicles across Herefordshire. Cameras are installed to provide reliable, independent footage in the event of an incident or accident, to ensure good bin presentation and to protect the health and safety of staff as they carry out their duties.

A full copy of FCC Recycling Ltd CCTV policy is available on request.

Herefordshire Council provide a range of additional services for the collection of household waste which do not form part of the standard collection service. These are outlined in more detail below.

Please visit our arrange collection of large unwanted items page for further information. The service is covered by its own terms and conditions document.

Garden waste constitutes any vegetation produced in the garden of a domestic property including:

• Grass cuttings
• Weeds
• Hedge trimmings
• Flowers

Garden waste cannot be disposed of in general rubbish or recycling containers. If garden waste is found in these containers it will be treated as contamination (see section 11).

There are a number of ways in which you can manage garden waste produced at your property.

Home composting

Composting at home is the best way to deal with garden waste. It is the most environmentally friendly and carbon neutral option for processing your garden waste.

Herefordshire Council subscription garden waste service

We provide a subscription-based garden waste collection service. Subscribing to this service is the only way to have garden waste collected from your property by Herefordshire Council.

The garden waste collection service is covered by its own terms and conditions.

Household recycling centres

Household recycling centres provide facilities for composting garden waste. You need to book a slot to visit a site.

Herefordshire Council green garden waste sacks

From 30 March 2026, we no longer collect garden waste in Herefordshire Council green garden waste sacks. The last collection of the single use Herefordshire Council garden waste sacks was on 27 March 2026, and no refunds are provided for unused sacks.

This service has now been replaced with a subscription-based garden waste collection service.

We can collect small electrical items, batteries and vapes from your home for recycling. To use the service:

• Remove any batteries from the electrical items
• Place small electrical items on top of any bin or by your sacks on collection day (information if you live in a flat)
• Place batteries into a small bag, tie it and leave it on top of any bin or by your sacks on collection day
• Place vapes (maximum of 5 per collection) on top of your bin or into a plastic bag on top of the bin if they are likely to blow off the bin

Do not:

• Put batteries or small electrical items in your bin. Your bin will not be collected. Batteries pose a significant fire risk is dispose of in a bin
• Tie bags of batteries to your bin. This prevents our collection crew from collecting them easily

View a list of items suitable for collection.

Waste and recycling from places of worship is treated as household waste and is entitled to the standard service as outlined in section 1 of this document.

If the place of worship hires out buildings to other groups not connected with the conduct of religious worship, this would be a commercial activity and any waste from such use would be classified as business waste. A business waste agreement would need to be in place for this activity.

Herefordshire Council operates a free fortnightly collection of clinical or infectious or hazardous waste.

Only a district nurse or care professional can approve the start of a regular collection of clinical waste, and you will need to ask them to arrange an assessment and to contact us to arrange a collection.

Clinical or infectious or hazardous waste includes:

• Soiled medical dressings from a person who has an infection
• Other items which contain bodily fluids, secretions or excretions from a resident suffering with an infectious disease

Yellow sharps boxes are not included within this service and should be returned to your GP.