Chelmsford bin collections
A missed bin in Chelmsford has to be reported the day after collection, not the day after that. Leave it any longer and you've missed your chance. Recycling is split between a green box for cans and glass, a white sack for paper and card, and a clear sack for plastics.
Some rounds change in early 2027
Chelmsford is rebalancing its rounds in early 2027. Around one property in ten, roughly 7,500, may get a new collection day or week. The council hasn't said which streets yet, and it will contact the homes that are moving. There's no printed calendar this autumn, so the online checker is the place to look.
Which bin is which in Chelmsford
The black bin is for rubbish. Have everything out by 7am.
Garden waste: £62 a year
£62 for the first brown bin, on a year running 1 March to 28 February, and you pay the full fee even if you join part way through. A second bin is £32, and the third to sixth are £62 each. Households on Council Tax benefit pay £46.50 for the first bin. Chelmsford aims for 26 collections a year and guarantees at least 20.
Weekly food waste collection
Weekly, from the green outdoor bin, with a grey caddy for the kitchen. A roll of liners is delivered once a year, between September and October.
Report a missed bin
Report it the day after the scheduled collection. Friday collections can be reported up to the end of Monday.
- Phone
- 01245 615800
Bulky waste collection from £31
£31 for the first item and £13.60 for each one after that. Those prices hold until the end of December 2026.
Worth knowing in Chelmsford
The council reception is closed from 19 October 2026 until 4 January 2027.
Get told the night before
Binformation is a free Android app. Put your postcode in once and it sends a notification the evening before each collection, saying which bins are going. If the council moves your day for a bank holiday, the reminder moves with it.
Nearby councils
Where this comes from
Every fact on this page was read from the council's own website, last checked on 26 October 2026. Councils change prices each April, so check the link before you pay for anything.
- Collection changes: citylife.chelmsford.gov.uk
- Collection frequency: chelmsford.gov.uk, chelmsford.gov.uk, chelmsford.gov.uk
- Garden waste: chelmsford.gov.uk
- Missed bins: chelmsford.gov.uk
- Bulky waste: chelmsford.gov.uk
Linking to this page is fine. Scraping it, or copying the council information in bulk, isn't: see the terms of use.
Get Binformation, free on Google Play