Cornwall Council Bin Collection Dates

Cornwall Council collects waste from around 250,000 households across the county, making it the largest unitary authority in England by area. Collections cover everything from the far west at Land's End to the Tamar Valley border with Devon, spanning towns including Truro, Falmouth, Newquay, St Austell, Penzance, Camborne, Redruth, Bodmin, and Launceston. Food waste is collected weekly in a green caddy and accepts all food waste including cooked and uncooked meat, fish, fruit, vegetables, bread, and dairy products. Residents receive a small kitchen caddy for convenience alongside a larger outdoor collection caddy. Recycling is collected fortnightly in a blue bin and accepts paper and cardboard, glass bottles and jars, food tins and drink cans, plastic bottles, tubs, trays and pots. General household rubbish is collected fortnightly in a black bin on alternate weeks to the recycling bin — so a bin collection of some kind occurs every week. Garden waste — including grass clippings, leaves, plants, and small branches — is collected fortnightly in a brown bin as a subscription service; residents must register and pay an annual charge to receive this collection. Missed collections should be reported within 24 hours by calling Cornwall Council on 0300 1234 141 or via the council website. Cornwall operates several Household Waste Recycling Centres including Truro HWRC at Dopps Lane TR4 9LZ, Bodmin HWRC at Launceston Road PL31 2RZ, and Helston HWRC at Clodgey Lane TR13 8LJ. See cornwall.gov.uk for a full list of HWRC sites and opening hours.

Collection frequency: Food waste (green caddy): weekly. Recycling (blue bin): fortnightly. General waste (black bin): fortnightly, alternate weeks to recycling. Garden waste (brown bin): fortnightly, subscription.