How we collect your mixed rubbish and recycling

Central Westminster

Streets in the centre of Westminster, including all our shopping streets, have lots of pedestrians or narrow pavements. So we want to keep rubbish and recycling bags off the street for as long as possible. These streets are known as 'bags off streets' areas or BOS.

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All waste must be presented for collection no more than 30 minutes prior to the scheduled collection times in a bags off street area. Bags placed out after the start of your collection period may not be collected. 

Rubbish in black bags need to be tied up and placed with the clear recycling bags. 

Recycling and waste collections operate as normal on bank holidays, including Easter. There are no collections on Christmas Day.

Businesses 

Please tie up rubbish in red bags and put recycling in blue bags - find out more about Westminster's special waste disposal service for businesses.

Outer Westminster

Please tie up rubbish in black bags and put your mixed recycling in the clear bags which are free to order.

If you have a front garden, please place your rubbish and recycling out the morning before the start of the collection, so it's clearly visible to the collection team. 

If you don't have a front garden, please place your clear bags out on the pavement at the edge of your property boundary. 

Items placed out after the start of your collection period may not be collected. 

Recycling and waste collections operate as normal on bank holidays, including Easter. There are no collections on Christmas Day. 

Estates and mansion blocks 

These often have rubbish and recycling bins in dedicated rooms. Your estate office staff, caretaker or porter can help you find them. 

Some properties may need to use doorstep collections. If so, please check arrangements for your block with your managing agent and then check your collection day and time.

Please tie up rubbish in black bags and put recycling in the clear bags which are free to order.

Recycling and waste collections operate as normal on bank holidays, including Easter. There are no collections on Christmas Day. 

Residential communal rubbish bins

Large communal bins are located in various areas of Westminster.  

They are for bagged household rubbish only - no recyclables, electrical items, bulky items, commercial waste or hazardous waste. 

Anyone found dumping commercial or builder’s waste in these bins could be fined up to £5,000. If you witness illegal dumping, please call us on: 020 7641 2000.

When calling please have the following information ready: 

• date and time you saw the incident  
• location 
• how many people were involved and what they looked like 
• what waste was dumped 
• what you saw including any vehicles involved such as their make, colour and registration number 

Further information

Get more information on fly-tipping and enforcement and Westminster’s commercial waste service.

If you require an assisted recycling or rubbish collection due to mobility issues, please contact the Recycling Team on [email protected] or speak to the Call Centre Team.