What can I put in my household waste wheeled bin?
You can place bagged domestic food waste in your bin together with any other light items which will fit in your bin, that are not accepted in your blue bin| or Green-it bin|, if applicable. The bin should not be so full as to prevent the lid being fully closed, nor too heavy to prevent maneuvering as the vehicle has a weight sensor which will not allow a heavy bin to be emptied.
Where should I put the bin for collection?
If you have been informed your collection is from the front of your property, the bin should be placed on the pavement area as near as possible to the kerbside.
If your collection is at the rear (for example in a back lane), the bin should be placed outside your back gate or door. For all collections, the wheeled bin should be placed with the handles facing the road. This will help the collectors and the empty bin will be returned to the same place.
When should I place my bin out for collection?
Bins should be placed at your collection point by 7.30am on the morning of your collection day and returned within the boundary of your property the same day.
Please check that all recycling items have been collected before bringing your blue bin back onto your property.
What can I do if my bin is not collected?
If there is a good reason why your bin has been missed, then the crews will come back and empty it. If your bin has been missed, please call Customer Services on 0191 433 7000.
Please remember that your refuse bin should be placed at your collection point by 7.30 am on the morning of your collection day and be returned within the boundary of your property the same day.
What if my bin is not big enough?
Occasionally, you may have some extra waste which will not fit into your wheeled bin. You should not place this out next to your wheeled bin as it will not be taken. Any excess waste can be removed by the Special Collection Service|. Charges apply for this service.
What if I cannot manage to move my bin?
We appreciate that some people are not able to move their wheeled bins to the collection area due to age or disability. Where genuine difficulty is identified, alternative arrangements will be made. Anyone wishing to be considered for an assisted collection should call Customer Services on 0191 433 7000.
If my household waste bin becomes lost or stolen, why do I have to pay £10 for a new one?
Gateshead Council no longer issues replacement wheeled bins free of charge and we now ask for a £10 contribution from the householder towards the cost of the replacement bin.
If I have extra bags of rubbish that don’t fit in my bin, what can I do with them?
Gateshead Council does not collect extra bags of waste that won’t fit in your bin. If you have extra bags of rubbish you should first double check that what is in them cannot be recycled in your blue recycling bin| (or communal recycling facilities) or taken to a recycling bank. If you have additional bags of refuse you can either arrange a special collection| , or take the rubbish to one of our Household Waste and Recycling Centres at Cowen Road, Blaydon or Campground in Wrekenton. (Note: a permit is not required if you are accessing the site in a family car, MPV or estate car without a trailer.)
If I cancel my Bulky Household waste collection, can I get a refund?
As long as you give us at least 2 working days notice before the arranged collection date, then a full refund will be offered.
Also, any changes or alterations must be given at least 2 working days before your collection date. Find out more about special collections|.
Can I have more than one recycling bin?
Yes. If one bin isn't enough to recycle all your paper, glass, cans, plastic bottles and cardboard you can contact us to request an additional bin.
Where can I take cardboard to be recycled?
Cardboard can be recycled in the main section of your blue recycling bin. You can also take your cardboard to the Household Waste and Recycling Centres, Cowen Road, Blaydon and Campground, Wrekenton.
Where is my nearest Waste and Recycling Centre and what are the opening times?
We operate two Household Waste and Recycling Centres at Cowen Road, Blaydon and Campground, Springwell Road, Wrekenton. From October to March both sites are open from 8:00am-5:00pm Monday-Friday and 8:00am-6:00pm Saturday-Sunday. From April to September the sites are open 8:00am-8:00pm everyday.
I actually get all my three bins (refuse, recycling and garden waste) collected all on the same day, every fortnight – why is this?
There are 303 properties in the west of the borough – in Whickham, Stella and Hedgefield - that have all their bins collected on a Friday, once a fortnight. This is because these properties are difficult to access with a normal sized collection vehicle, usually due to space constraints. Therefore, we have made special arrangements for smaller vehicles to collect the bins from these properties and it is more efficient to collect all three bins on the same day.