Bin collection issues

If your bin hasn’t been emptied and a tag has been left on your bin, in most cases this means their are incorrect items in your bin and as a result the bin cannot be emptied. Please remove the item(s) from the bin so that we can empty the bin on the next scheduled collection.

For more information on what can and can’t go in the bins please visit:

Rubbish bin
Recycling bin
Garden waste bin
Food waste bin

Broadland District Council does not accept any rubbish side waste under any circumstances and will either need to go in your bin for next collection or taken to the local recycling centre run by Norfolk County Council.

South Norfolk Council will always try to take your side waste when its put out on occasion. We would only accept a maximum of two additional bags on occasion. This must be able to fit in your bin as the crew will need to place this into your bin once they have emptied to re-empty your bin. At times due to lack of spare capacity on the lorry on the round they may be unable to take this. The crews must always prioritise the bins that are on their round. This is decided by the crews and their decision is final. Side waste will need to be placed in the bin for the next collection or taken to your local recycling centre run by Norfolk County Council.

If you regularly find your bin is overfull, you may be eligible for a larger or extra bin. To find out visit the Additional/ larger bin page

The crews where they can, will take excess recycling waste. However this must be dry, not bagged and must be able to fit into the bin. If it rains and the excess is cardboard or in a cardboard box, we will not be able to take it.

The crew must empty all the bins on the round, so if they are near capacity they will leave side waste to ensure all the bins will be emptied and the round completed. All recycling side waste must be clean and dry. Glass and breakables should all be in the bin.

At times due to lack of spare capacity on the lorry on the round they may be unable to take this. The crews must always prioritise the bins that are on their round. This is decided by the crews and their decision is final. Side waste will need to be placed in the bin for the next collection or taken to your local recycling centre run by Norfolk County Council.

If you regularly find your bin is overfull, you may be eligible for a larger or extra bin. To find out visit Additional/ Larger bin page

We expect the crews to return the bin to where it has been collected from. However there are some circumstances where this might not happen. Some examples of this are:

• the bin wasn’t presented at the edge of the public highway and visible from the road and therefore the crew have left the bin where it should have been presented.
• The crew have been unable to access to the road with the collection vehicle, so they have gone and retrieved the bins and due to the time taken to do this they have left them near your property.

If your presented bin has been returned incorrectly, please report so we can investigate and where possible address the issue.

Bin not returned correctly form

Crews are expected to use their knowledge and expertise to provide the highest possible standard of service to the public.

Crews are instructed to avoid confrontation and to refer residents to contact the Council’s waste department.

The Council expects collection crews to treat residents and for residents to treat our crew or crews working on behalf of the council with respect, without intimidation or harassment.

Please let us know if the crew’s behaviour has fallen below the standard you would expect, so this can be investigated and where appropriate, action taken.

Crew behaviour form

If the bin is only partly emptied, the likelihood is that this is due to the bin contents being stuck. The crews will always attempt to empty the bin. Crews will try their best to remove this however should the material not come out crews will leave a tag explaining that they have tried to empty the bin. We are unable to return in these circumstances but will attempt to empty the bin again on the next scheduled collection.

To prevent this happening, you can take a few simple measures to reduce the risk of your bin getting stuck:

• Garden waste bins - Avoid putting liquid in the bin to compact the contents.
• Do not push the contents down into the bin as this increases the likelihood of contents getting stuck.

In freezing temperatures it may cause the waste to stick to the inside of the waste bins. Crews will try their best to remove this however should the material not come out crews will leave a tag explaining that they have tried to empty the bin. We are unable to return in these circumstances but will attempt to empty the bin again on the next scheduled collection.

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

• if you have lots of garden waste do not compress it into your bin this leads to a greater chance of freezing
• store your bin in a warmer spot or close to a wall (or if possible, storing in a garage or shed) and then putting it out on the morning of collection by 6:30am
• loosen the content by sliding a spade or similar between the contents and the inside of the bin on the morning of collection
• keep your bin/food caddy lid closed
• wrapping food waste in small amounts of newspaper or brown paper packing (Broadland District Council food waste service)
• do not put liquid into your garden waste bin

We advise you do not pour hot water over your bins lids as this can make the problem worse if the lid refreezes.

The food waste crews will always try to leave liners for every resident that requests them for use inside the food waste caddy. However if the crew are receiving a lot of requests for food waste liners, this can result in the crew running out of liners before they have an opportunity to restock. Please leave a liner tied on the external caddy handle for the next collection to request a new roll of liners.

The crew may also not leave liners if they have only recently left liners for a property. Food waste liners are expected to last 5 weeks before the next roll is required. We would recommend that you request a new roll of liners when you only have a week supply left. This way if the crew are unable to leave a roll that week you will have enough bags to last until the following week when you can request liners again.

When you receive the liners, please ensure you remove the liner from the handle of the outside caddy to avoid any confusion.

If you have run out of liners you can use any plastic bag or newspaper you have available, to fit inside the caddy.

If you have been repeatedly missed, let us know so this can be investigated.

Food waste liner supply form

During high demand the crews will need to rotate which areas on the daily round they collect from as once the cages on the collection vehicles are full, they are unable to take any more. Please leave the item/s out next week and if it isn’t collected after two weeks, please contact us.

Items will also not be collected if:

• The items aren’t contained in a standard sized carrier bag Items in charity bags or black sacks cannot be accepted.
• The waste has been mixed, for example, electrical items are in the same bag as batteries or textiles. This is because they are sent to different places.
• The items are those that cannot be taken (give example of item that is too large)

More information on small electrical, batteries or textile collection

If this is the second time your item/s haven’t been collected, please let us know so we can instruct our contractor to collect on your next collection

My electrical, battery and textile items were not taken