Your blue recycling bin
Blue recycling bin collection
- Your blue bin is emptied once a fortnight.
- This bin is the property of Cherwell District Council and should only be used for household recycling. Please do not use this bin to store items of value or any items which you do not want to dispose of. In the event that a bin containing personal or valuable items is emptied, Cherwell District Council cannot be held responsible for the loss of these.
- Please place recycling loose in your blue bin, do not use or put carrier bags or black bags. This contaminates the bin and it may not be collected
- We’ll take extra recycling left next to the bin in a box or clear plastic bag (not black bags)
- Please rinse your cans, plastics, cartons as this keeps your bin clean and prevents contamination.
- You can leave lids and labels on and you don’t need to remove the window from envelopes
Your blue recycling bin collection day
Collections are made by our in-house collection team Tuesday to Friday, any time between 7:00am and 5:00pm. When presenting bins for collection please be mindful not to cause an obstruction to others, particularly for wheelchair users or buggies.
Please make sure your bin is at the right place by 7:00am and remember to bring your bin back to your own property as soon as you can after collection. Take care not to leave bags or open receptacles out days before a waste collection as this is likely to attract vermin like foxes and rats. Any complaints received of bins permanently left out in a public area will be investigated and may be removed.
We operate an alternate week collection system, where the rubbish bins are collected one week and the recycling and garden waste bins collected the following week. Food waste caddies are collected every week.
Bin collection search and calendar
Help putting out your bin
Contact us if you are unable to put your bins out due to infirmity or disability and we can help with your collection.
Using your blue recycling bin
You must put the right things in each bin. If you put the wrong things in any bin or put the wrong bin out for collection we will not empty it. We’ll take extra recycling with your blue bin. This should be contained in a box or bag (not black bags).
Smaller bins are available if you don’t have much space. Larger or extra bins are available depending on the size of your household.
Order an additional blue bin
Your first set of bins are provided free of charge. You can order additional blue recycling bins at a cost of £41 each (subject to a maximum of 2 of each bins).
Replacing your blue bin
All bins are the property of the council. We repair broken bins free of charge (or replace if they can’t be fixed).
Find out about replacing a bin
What to put in your blue recycling bin
- Aerosols
- Biscuit/sweet tin
- Bottle tops (plastic and metal)
- Brochures and Catalogues
- Cans, tins
- Cardboard
- Cartons
- Envelopes (with windows)
- Foil and foil trays (clean)
- Glass bottles and jars of any colour. Read more information about our new kerbside glass collection service effective 1 January 2026.
- Greeting cards (non-glittery)
- Inner tubes from toilet and kitchen paper
- Junk mail
- Leaflets
- Magazines
- Metal cans and tins
- Newspapers
- Paper including shredded paper
- Plastic bottles, plastic tubs, plastic trays, plastic pots
- Soft plastic food pots and trays
- Toothpaste tubes (empty)
What not to put in your blue recycling bin
- Bedding
- Black/Carrier bags
- Blister packs
- Broken glass - wrap securely and place in general waste bin
- Bubble wrap
- Ceramics including cups, plates, flower pots
- Chinaware
- Cling film
- Clothes, shoes or textiles
- Crisp packets
- Drinking glasses, tumblers or wine glasses
- Glass cookware - such as pyrex or heatproof oven dishes
- Hard plastics e.g. storage boxes, flower pots
- Kitchen and tissue paper
- Lightbulbs and strip lights
- Nappies
- Needles
- Pet food pouches
- Polystyrene
- Pyrex
- Sweet/chocolate wrappers
- Textiles
- Window panes or mirrors
Residents living in flats
We provide a range of waste and recycling services for residents living in flats.
View advice for residents in flats
What happens to your waste?
Your blue bin waste is taken to a materials recovery facility where it is carefully separated and sorted using a combination of advanced machinery and manual checks. Once loads arrive, they go onto conveyor systems where plastics, paper, card, metals and glass are separated into high-quality material streams. These sorted materials are then baled and sent to reprocessors to be made into new products, supporting a circular economy. To see the processes in action, click here to watch the short video.