Lewisham bin collections

By Mark Andrews. Checked against London Borough of Lewisham pages on 1 November 2026.

£5 an item, mattresses included. That's Lewisham's whole bulky waste charge for most things, with fridges and freezers the exception. Recycling and food go weekly, and the black bin every other week if you're in a house.

Which bin is which in Lewisham

Blocks of flats and estates have weekly rubbish collections instead. Bins out before 6am.

Black General waste Black wheelie binFortnightly
Green Recycling Green wheelie binWeekly
Grey Food waste Grey food waste caddyWeekly
Brown Garden waste Brown garden waste binWeekly

Garden waste: £100.63 a year

£100.63 for 2026/27, which buys weekly emptying of a 240 litre brown bin from 1 April to 31 March. Direct Debit sign-up for this year closed on 22 May, so anyone joining now pays the lot up front, refundable only if you cancel within 14 days. This year's permit sticker is purple and goes on the back of the bin, facing the road. No valid sticker and the council can take the bin away; put out an old bin without one and you risk a fine of up to £300.

Sign up for garden waste collection

Weekly food waste collection

Kerbside homes get an indoor caddy and a 23 litre outdoor bin, collected weekly. Flats and estates are being added in phases, starting with council-owned flats.

Report a missed bin

Crews are out all day, so wait until after 2pm, then report it before the end of the next day. If more than one bin was missed, each one needs its own report.

Report a missed bin to Lewisham

Bulky waste collection from £5

Fridges and freezers are £25. The fee isn't refundable. The bulky waste team's call-back number is 020 8314 7171.

Book a bulky waste collection

Recycling centres in Lewisham

Landmann Way in New Cross needs no booking, but it's for Lewisham residents only, so bring photo ID and proof of address, and vans are limited to four visits a year.

  • Landmann Way Reuse and Recycling Centre (New Cross) SE14 5RS

Worth knowing in Lewisham

In a flat or on an estate? Broken or lost bins go to recycle@lewisham.gov.uk rather than the online order form.

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.

Binformation on Google Play

Nearby councils

Where this comes from

Every fact on this page was read from the council's own website, last checked on 1 November 2026. Councils change prices each April, so check the link before you pay for anything.

Linking to this page is fine. Scraping it, or copying the council information in bulk, isn't: see the terms of use.