Q. Why has my bin not been collected?
A. The most frequent causes of a bin not being emptied are that is either overfull or not accessible. The lifting equipment on the vehicles, and the operatives themselves, cannot take bins that are overflowing or full of heavy items. Please also make sure that your bin is accessible at the edge of your property by 7am on your regular collection day.
If your green bin has not been collected, it may be because of contamination. We cannot accept items such as food waste or plastics in the green bin. Click here to learn more about what you can put in a green bin.
Q. What is the procedure if I lose my wheelie bin?
A. Please contact us. You can phone the Environmental Services Helpline on 01942 404364 or email us via the link found at the foot of this page. We will need to know your name, address (including postcode), your contact telephone number and the reason you require a replacement bin.
Q. I'm moving into a brand new property. How do I get a bin and recycling sack?
A. Please call us on 01942 404364. New bins cost £35.80 including V.A.T. which must be paid in advance. White sacks for paper recycling and green bins for garden waste (for many properties) are free of charge.
Q. What about large items?
A. The council can take up to 7 items of bulky household furniture items for a standard charge of £10. Contact us on 01942 404364 for details or book online here.
The borough's household waste recycling centres accept domestic waste. Trade waste is not accepted. Vans or trade vehicles with no more than 4 wheels and twin axled trailers under 3 metres long must have a permit to tip. Vans are defined as vehicles without side windows. Residents should call the special helpline on 01942 404366 during office hours to obtain their free permit in advance or book online in advance. Vehicles with more than 4 wheels, trailers over 3 metres long and any “tipper” vehicles are barred from all the sites. Click here for further details.
Q. What about heavy items?
A. The lifting equipment on the vehicles, and the operatives themselves, cannot take bins that are overflowing or full of heavy items. We do not take building materials such as rubble, stones, tiles or wood under any circumstances. There should be no building materials whatsoever in domestic bins: they can be taken to a household waste recycling centre (domestic items only, and you may require a permit).
Q. When might I need a permit?
A. You may need a permit to take additional items of waste to a household waste recycling centre. Although trade waste is not accepted at any household waste recycling centre, residents can continue to bring their household waste in a car or van.
Vans or trade vehicles with no more than 4 wheels and twin axled trailers under 3 metres long must have a permit to tip. Vans are defined as vehicles without side windows. Permits are free and should be applied for in advance. Call the special helpline on 01942 404366 during office hours to obtain a permit or apply for your permit online. Vehicles with more than 4 wheels, trailers over 3 metres long and any “tipper” vehicles are barred from all the sites. Trailers of any kind are not permitted at Orrell site.
Q. How do I get a replacement paper recycling sack?
A. You can ring us on 01942 404364. The crews will also take paper and magazines if they are put out in a plastic carrier bag on collection day (please don't use a black sack).
Q. What happens at Bank Holidays and over Christmas?
A. All residents are sent an annual calendar for their recycling collections. The calendar also provides information about holiday refuse collection services. They are normally one day later than usual after a Bank Holiday Monday, with the Friday collection before Easter being on the Saturday.
Q. Where can I recycle glass bottles and jars, cans, tin foil, plastic bottles and other items?
A. Many residents now have a brown bin for these items. There are also over a hundred and fifty handy roadside recycling points, as well as five household waste recycling centres in the borough. You can find your nearest recycling site by clicking here.
Don't forget to slim your bin by recycling as much as possible in the collection services and at the handy roadside bottle and can banks. Click here to find your nearest recycling site.
Q. Where are the household waste recycling centres?
Thank you for supporting recycling in Wigan Borough.
