Three-weekly waste collections
Contents
Bin capacity
We will also be improving the recycling service to make it easier for you to recycle more of your general waste.
From 1 April 2027, flexible plastics such as carrier bags, crisp packets, food wrappings, bubble wrap, cling film, fruit and vegetable plastic and net bags, sweets, biscuits and chocolate wrappers can all go into your blue lidded bin for recycling.
Plastic bags and wrapping do not weigh very much, but they take up a lot of space in your bin.
We know that some of the waste that goes into black bins could still be recycled. We will be encouraging residents to look at ways to slim their bin – reduce, reuse, recycle.
If you don't already, you would need to use your food waste caddy for all of your cooked and uncooked food waste.
If you don't have either a kitchen or outdoor caddy, then please contact us about new, replacement or additional bins and we will deliver one to you. Caddies are free of charge.
If you can't fit all your rubbish in your bin
Make sure you are recycling as much of your waste as you can. Use your blue lidded bin for paper, card, glass, cans, plastics and plastic bags and wrappings.
Find out what goes in each bin.
Use your food waste caddy for all food waste including raw and cooked food. Home compost your garden waste or subscribe to the garden waste collection service.
Extra or larger black bins
We would encourage you to see if you can slim the contents of your bin further, by reviewing what items you recycle and if more could be added to the recycling bin.
The size of your black bin should be adequate if you are using the new improved recycling service and the caddy for your food waste to their full potential.
If you really are recycling that much extra all of the time, you can request an additional bin.
Find out more about new, replacement or additional bins.
Occasional extra recycling, for example at Christmas, can be put in clear recycling sacks and left next to your blue lid recycling bin for collection.
Additional food caddies
Initially we would encourage you to reduce the amount of food you are throwing away and we have plenty of tips elsewhere on the website.
If you cannot avoid recycling that much food, you can request an additional caddy on the new, replacement or additional bins page.
Extra-large bins
The extra-large bin policy will remain the same as it is at present.
You can have an extra-large bin if you have:
- 6 or more in the household
- 2 or more children in nappies full time
- a medical need not covered by clinical collection (such as incontinence pants)
Smaller bins in South Northamptonshire
Some properties in former South Northamptonshire have 180-litre black wheeled bins, rather than the standard 240-litre bins.
If agreed and once the new system starts, we would encourage you to try to manage on a 180-litre wheeled bin. If this is not possible, then it could be swapped for the 240-litre wheeled bin.
Last updated 27 April 2026