Surrey Heath Bin Help Without Guesswork
Use this guide to check your bin day, fix a missed collection, identify the right bin, sort recycling, and choose the correct route for food waste, textiles, electricals, garden waste, bulky waste or flats.
Every section is built for quick action: problem → exact answer → next step → official link.
Quick answer: Surrey Heath house rubbish bins are collected on alternate weeks to recycling bins. Food waste is collected every week. Bins should be placed at your property boundary by 6:00am on collection day.
Do not wait if your bin is missed: you can report a missed rubbish, recycling, food waste, garden waste, textile or small electrical collection up to two working days after the scheduled collection day. If the crew left a tag, fix the problem and wait for the next collection.
Choose your Surrey Heath waste problem
Tap the situation. This gives the correct next step before you open an official form.
Bin day and 2026 calendar steps
The fastest answer is address-specific. Surrey Heath says the 2026 calendar is available in the Surrey Heath Hub and shows whether waste or recycling is collected at your address each week.
Open Surrey Heath Hub
Click “Start now,” enter your address, then look under the “Waste” heading.
Check upcoming collections
Confirm rubbish, recycling, food waste, garden waste, textiles or small electricals for the exact address.
Download the PDF calendar
Use the printable 2026 calendar if your household prefers a fridge copy or shared-house notice.
Set a phone reminder
Use clear reminder names such as “Rubbish + food waste” or “Recycling + textiles.”
Which bin is which in Surrey Heath?
Surrey Heath is changing some bin colours as old bins are replaced, so two homes can have different-looking recycling or garden bins. Identify by purpose, not only colour.
| Collection | Surrey Heath bin / container | Use it for | Watch out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recycling | New: black body with blue lid. Existing: green lid and green body. | Household recycling only. | Recycling must be loose. Do not put full plastic sacks into shared or wheeled recycling bins. |
| Rubbish | Black lid and black body. | Waste that cannot be recycled through other Surrey Heath collections. | All rubbish must fit inside with the lid closed. Extra rubbish is not collected. |
| Garden waste | New: black body with brown lid. Existing: brown lid and brown body. | Subscribed garden waste only. | Do not put garden waste into rubbish bins. |
| Food waste | Small silver kitchen caddy and larger green outdoor food waste bin. | Weekly kerbside food waste. | Outdoor bin locks with its handle. Put it out by 6:00am. |
| Flats | Shared bins may be larger and different colours. | Use the labels on the shared bins. | Food waste is not currently available to all flats. |
What goes in each Surrey Heath collection
This table turns the official JWS pages into a quick “yes / no / action” guide.
| Collection | Yes | No / common mistake | Smart action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rubbish | Food pouches, nappies, plastic bags and film, hard plastics, polystyrene, aerosols and Tetra Paks if not using alternative recycling routes. | Recycling, food waste, garden waste, textiles, electricals, sharps, hazardous clinical waste, paint, chemicals, gas canisters, bricks, rubble, soil or business waste. | Use rubbish only after checking separate recycling routes first. |
| Food waste | Cooked and uncooked food, tea bags, coffee grounds, peelings, eggshells, meat, fish bones/skin, mouldy bread, cakes, pastries and expired food. | Liquids such as milk, yoghurt, oil or fat; packaging except bags used as caddy liners; black bags. | Line caddy with old shopping bags, bread bags, salad bags, newspaper or leftover compostable liners. |
| Garden waste | Grass cuttings, hedge trimmings, leaves, small twigs/branches up to 3 inches or 7.5 cm, dead plants and cut flowers. | Soil, stones, rubble, food waste, pet litter, wood or sawdust. | Subscribe, compost at home, or take to a Community Recycling Centre. |
| Textiles | Clean dry clothes, towels, sheets, paired shoes, belts and bags. | Single shoes, pillows, cushions, duvets and cuddly toys. | Put one standard carrier bag next to your rubbish or recycling bin. Do not use a black bag. |
| Small electricals / batteries | Headphones, e-cigarette tips, electrical toys, phones, irons, hairdryers, toasters, radios, smoke detectors and household batteries. | Items too big for a standard carrier bag, low-energy bulbs and car batteries. | Electricals in one tied carrier bag; batteries in a separate clear/sandwich bag. Leave next to your bin. |
| Bulky waste | Large domestic items such as washing machines, furniture, doors, flooring and mattresses. | Business waste, building waste and rubble. | Try reuse charities first, then request paid collection or use a CRC. |
Missed collection: report or wait?
You can report a missed collection only when the collection was due and there was no reported problem with the bin.
Tagged, heavy, damaged or wrong bin: exact fix
A tag is not just a warning. It tells you why the crew could not collect and what must be fixed before the next collection.
| Tag reason | What it means | Fix before next collection |
|---|---|---|
| Wrong items in recycling | Non-recyclables can cause the whole truck load to be rejected. | Remove wrong items. Put recycling loose in the bin, not in plastic sacks. |
| Food waste bin wrong items | Non-food items affect anaerobic digestion. | Remove packaging, black bags, liquids, oil and non-food waste. |
| Lid not closed | Bin is unsafe to empty. | Remove items until the lid fully closes. |
| Extra rubbish outside bin | Extra rubbish is not collected. | Store it, use a CRC, or request a temporary additional rubbish bin if eligible. |
| Extra recycling outside bin | Allowed only if visible as recycling. | Use a clear tied plastic bag next to the recycling bin; not a black bag. |
| Extra food waste outside bin | Food waste cannot be collected unless inside a food waste bin. | Freeze it until the next collection or request an additional food waste bin if regular. |
| Wrong week / wrong bin | Rubbish cannot be collected on recycling week, and recycling cannot be collected on rubbish week. | Put the same bin out on the next correct collection week. |
| Damaged or unsuitable bin | Crews cannot safely empty it. | Order a suitable replacement bin online. |
Extra recycling, extra rubbish and clear-bag rule
Surrey Heath treats extra recycling and extra rubbish differently. This is where many users make the wrong decision.
Extra recycling
Can be collected on your next recycling day if placed in a clear tied plastic bag next to the recycling bin.
Extra rubbish
Cannot be left out with the next collection. Store it, use a CRC, or request temporary extra rubbish capacity if eligible.
Textiles/electricals
Use standard carrier bags, not black bags. Electricals and batteries must be in separate bags.
Garden waste: subscribe, compost or CRC
Garden waste should not go in your rubbish bin. Use the fortnightly garden waste subscription, compost at home, or take garden waste to a Community Recycling Centre.
| Garden waste option | Use for | Important details |
|---|---|---|
| Fortnightly garden waste service | Regular grass, hedge and leaf waste. | Subscribe or renew through JWS. This is for garden waste only. |
| Home composting | Garden clippings and suitable home compost materials. | Surrey Environment Partnership offers composting advice and discounted composting products. |
| Community Recycling Centre | Larger garden clear-outs or unsubscribed households. | Garden waste can be taken to your local CRC for free; check opening times and accepted waste. |
| Let lawn grow | Low-effort summer option. | Less mowing saves time and supports wildlife. |
Garden waste yes
- Grass cuttings.
- Hedge trimmings.
- Leaves.
- Small twigs and branches up to 3 inches / 7.5 cm thick.
- Dead plants and cut flowers.
Garden waste no
- Soil.
- Stones and rubble.
- Food waste.
- Pet litter.
- Wood or sawdust.
Bulky waste: reuse first, then book
Bulky waste includes large items such as washing machines, furniture, doors, flooring and mattresses. If an item is reusable, try reuse before paid disposal.
| Situation | Best route | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Reusable furniture or appliance | Furniture Helpline, FurnitureLink Guildford or Woking Community Furniture. | JWS lists these options for Surrey Heath reuse. |
| Not reusable | Request and pay for a one-off bulky waste collection. | The price is displayed after you select items. |
| On Council Tax support or Housing Benefit | Check concessionary rate. | You may need your benefit reference number. |
| Building waste or rubble | Do not book bulky waste. | Business and building waste, including rubble, cannot be collected as bulky waste. |
| Flat/shared bin store | Book bulky waste or use CRC. | Do not leave furniture or mattresses beside shared bins; this is fly-tipping. |
Flats and shared bins in Surrey Heath
Flat collections may not match house collections. Check the service for your block before using house-bin rules.
Food waste varies
Food waste recycling is not currently available to all flats. Use the collection-day form to see what is available where you live.
Shared recycling loose
Do not put plastic bags or sacks full of recycling into shared recycling bins. Empty recycling loose.
No dumping near bins
Large items beside shared bins are fly-tipping. Use bulky waste booking or CRC instead.
Assisted collection: help moving bins
If no one in your home can move bins to the edge of the property, you can request assisted collection.
Check the need
This is for households where no one can move the bins to the property edge.
Choose the Surrey Heath form
JWS has different forms by council area. Select Surrey Heath.
Say where bins will be left
You must tell JWS where on your property the bins will be placed. All bins should be together in one location.
Expect review
JWS says the need for assisted collection may be reviewed from time to time.
Camberley CRC, recycling banks and when to use them
Use a Community Recycling Centre or recycling bank when kerbside collection is not the right route.
| Need | Best route | Surrey Heath detail |
|---|---|---|
| Nearest main CRC | Camberley Community Recycling Centre. | Wilton Road, Camberley GU15 2QW. |
| Garden waste clear-out | CRC or subscribed garden service. | JWS says garden waste can be taken to your local CRC for free. |
| Low energy bulbs, car batteries, larger electricals | CRC or appropriate retailer/bank route. | These are not for normal kerbside electrical bag collection. |
| More than one bag of textiles/electricals | CRC or bring bank. | Kerbside vehicle space is limited; JWS says one bag at a time for textiles/electricals. |
| Bulky items | Reuse, bulky waste booking or CRC. | Do not leave bulky items beside normal bins or shared bins. |
Contact number and phone script
Use online forms first for common waste requests. Call when you need help choosing the right route or cannot use the form.
| Need | Contact | Have ready |
|---|---|---|
| Surrey Heath and Woking waste contact | 03332 340978 | Address, postcode, bin type, collection date and what happened. |
| Missed collection | JWS online missed collection form. | Report within two working days unless a tag/problem was left. |
| Damage/complaint | JWS complaint/damage forms. | Use complaint only if a common request form does not cover the issue or repeated service failure continues. |
| Surrey CRC information | 03456 009 009 | Site name, item type, vehicle type and whether charges may apply. |
Simple call script
Hello, I’m calling about a Surrey Heath waste collection issue at [full address and postcode]. The collection was for [rubbish/recycling/food waste/garden waste/textiles/electricals]. It was due on [date]. The bin/items were out by 6:00am at the property boundary, and [no tag/tag reason] was left. Can you confirm the correct next step?
Official links after you know the right route
Use the link that matches your problem. This avoids random clicking and wrong forms.
2026 bin calendar
Use Surrey Heath Hub to view upcoming waste collections and download a printable PDF calendar.
Open calendar stepsReport missed collection
Use within two working days if no tag/problem explains why the bin was not collected.
Report missed binWhich bin is which?
Use when bin colours confuse you, especially while new colours are phased in.
Check bin coloursWhat to do with an item
Use for awkward items before guessing rubbish or recycling.
Search itemBulky waste
Use for furniture, appliances, mattresses and one-off bulky collection.
Book bulky wasteAssisted collection
Use if nobody at home can move bins to the edge of the property.
Request helpCamberley recycling centre
Use for items that cannot go through normal kerbside routes.
Recycling centresSurrey Heath Refuse Collection FAQs
How do I check my Surrey Heath bin collection day?
Use the Surrey Heath Hub or the Joint Waste Solutions collection day checker. Enter your exact address, then check upcoming collections and download the 2026 PDF calendar if you want a printable copy.
What time should bins go out in Surrey Heath?
If you live in a house, put your rubbish, recycling or food waste container out by 6:00am on your collection day at your property boundary. Flat collections may work differently.
How do I report a missed bin in Surrey Heath?
Use the Joint Waste Solutions missed collection form and select Surrey Heath. You can report missed rubbish, recycling, food waste, garden waste, textiles or small electricals up to two working days after the scheduled collection day.
Why was my bin tagged and not emptied?
A tag can mean wrong items, lid not closed, extra bags, extra food waste, bin too heavy, wrong bin, damaged bin, unauthorised extra bin or unsuitable bin type. Fix the issue and wait for the next scheduled collection.
Which bin is recycling in Surrey Heath?
Surrey Heath recycling bins may be a black body with a blue lid as new colours are phased in, or a green lid and green body for existing recycling bins. Recycling bins are for recycling only.
Can I put extra recycling next to my bin?
Yes, extra recycling can be collected on your next recycling collection if it is in a clear tied plastic bag next to your recycling bin. Do not use a black bag.
Can I leave extra rubbish next to my bin?
No. Extra rubbish will not be collected. Store it for a future collection, take it to a Community Recycling Centre, or request a temporary additional rubbish bin if your household qualifies.
How does food waste collection work in Surrey Heath?
Food waste is collected every week for houses. Use the small silver kitchen caddy indoors and empty it into the larger green outdoor food waste bin, then put the outdoor bin out by 6:00am.
What can I do with garden waste in Surrey Heath?
Use the fortnightly garden waste subscription service, compost at home, or take garden waste to a Community Recycling Centre. Do not put garden waste in your rubbish bin.
Who do I contact about Surrey Heath waste services?
For Surrey Heath and Woking waste enquiries, Joint Waste Solutions lists 03332 340978, available 8:30am to 5:00pm Monday to Friday.
Final practical advice
For Surrey Heath refuse collection, the best routine is simple: check the exact address calendar, put bins out by 6:00am, keep lids closed, sort recycling loose, use clear bags only for extra recycling, and report missed collections within two working days.
If the problem is not a normal bin-day issue, use the right route: tag fix, assisted collection, garden subscription, bulky waste booking, flat collection guidance, Camberley CRC or the item search tool.