Enter your postcode to find your bin day and waste collection dates for all bin types in The Highland Council.
About bin collections in The Highland Council
The Highland Council covers a vast area of northern Scotland, making it the largest council area in the United Kingdom by land mass. The region includes Inverness, Fort William, Wick, Thurso, Nairn, Dingwall, Tain, Alness, Invergordon, Aviemore, Grantown-on-Spey, Portree and many other towns, villages and rural communities across Caithness, Sutherland, Ross-shire, Inverness-shire, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey, and the Isle of Skye.
The Highland Council is currently rolling out a new bin collection system across the area. Under the new system, recycling is split into two separate collections: a brown bin for fibres (paper and cardboard only, collected every four weeks) and a blue bin for containers (plastic bottles, food and drink cans, and glass bottles and jars, collected every four weeks). The two recycling bins alternate so there is one recycling collection every two weeks overall. Most Highland properties have now transitioned to the new system.
General waste is collected in the black bin on a fortnightly basis. Food waste is collected weekly in a small food caddy. Garden waste is collected fortnightly in the green bin.
In areas not yet transitioned to the new system, a single blue or grey recycling bin is collected fortnightly covering all recyclable materials. Your results will show the system that applies to your address.
Collection days and schedules vary significantly across Highland given the large and predominantly rural geography of the council area. Some properties are on shared rural rounds where collections may arrive earlier or later than in urban areas.
Popular postcodes in The Highland Council
Select a postcode below to go straight to your bin collection schedule.
Non-recyclable household waste — anything that cannot be recycled. Collected fortnightly in the black bin.
Recycling (Paper & Card)
Brown bin (fibres)
Accepts
Paper and card only. Collected every four weeks in the brown fibre bin (new system) or fortnightly in the recycling bin (old system).
Recycling (Containers)
Blue bin (containers)
Accepts
Plastic bottles, food and drink cans, glass bottles and jars. Collected every four weeks in the blue container bin (new system).
Food Waste
Food caddy
Accepts
All food waste, cooked or raw — meat, fish, dairy, fruit, vegetables and bread. Collected weekly in the food caddy.
Garden Waste
Green bin (garden waste)
Accepts
Grass cuttings, leaves, hedge trimmings, weeds and small branches. Collected fortnightly in the green garden bin.
Useful information for The Highland Council
Missed collection
Report missed collections online at highland.gov.uk or by calling 01349 886607. Report within 24 hours of your scheduled collection day.
Bank holidays
The Highland Council does not collect on bank holidays. Amended schedules are published on highland.gov.uk ahead of public holidays.
Recycling centre (HWRC)
Highland Council operates 17 Household Waste Recycling Centres across the region, including sites in Inverness, Fort William, Wick, Thurso, Portree and other towns. See highland.gov.uk/bins-recycling for locations and opening hours.
Select your area below to browse postcodes, or enter your postcode directly in the search above.
IV1Inverness
IV2Inverness
PH33Fort William
KW1Wick
KW14Thurso
IV12Nairn
IV15Dingwall
IV51Portree (Skye)
All The Highland Council postcodes are supported. Enter yours above to find your bin day and waste collection dates for all bin types — WhenBin always fetches live data directly from the council website, so you get the most up-to-date schedule.
Frequently asked questions — The Highland Council bin collections
The Highland Council collects the following bin types: General Waste, Recycling (Paper & Card), Recycling (Containers), Food Waste, Garden Waste. Collection frequency: General waste fortnightly. Fibres (paper/card) every 4 weeks. Containers (plastics/cans/glass) every 4 weeks. Food waste weekly. Garden waste fortnightly..
Black bin (general waste). Accepts: Non-recyclable household waste — anything that cannot be recycled. Collected fortnightly in the black bin.
Brown bin (fibres). Accepts: Paper and card only. Collected every four weeks in the brown fibre bin (new system) or fortnightly in the recycling bin (old system).
Blue bin (containers). Accepts: Plastic bottles, food and drink cans, glass bottles and jars. Collected every four weeks in the blue container bin (new system).
Food caddy. Accepts: All food waste, cooked or raw — meat, fish, dairy, fruit, vegetables and bread. Collected weekly in the food caddy.
Green bin (garden waste). Accepts: Grass cuttings, leaves, hedge trimmings, weeds and small branches. Collected fortnightly in the green garden bin.
Report missed collections online at highland.gov.uk or by calling 01349 886607. Report within 24 hours of your scheduled collection day.
The Highland Council does not collect on bank holidays. Amended schedules are published on highland.gov.uk ahead of public holidays.
Highland Council operates 17 Household Waste Recycling Centres across the region, including sites in Inverness, Fort William, Wick, Thurso, Portree and other towns. See highland.gov.uk/bins-recycling for locations and opening hours.
Collection frequency in The Highland Council: General waste fortnightly. Fibres (paper/card) every 4 weeks. Containers (plastics/cans/glass) every 4 weeks. Food waste weekly. Garden waste fortnightly.. Exact dates vary by address — enter your postcode on this page to see your personal bin day schedule.
Yes. WhenBin lets you look up your bin day for any The Highland Council address instantly — just enter your postcode above. Data is fetched live from the council, so your collection dates are always up to date.