General waste - green bin
The standard size is 180-litre wheelie bin.
Your green bin is for waste that cannot be recycled through your blue recycling bin, glass bin or other available recycling services.
This bin is emptied every fortnight. You can check your bin collection schedule using our bin day lookup.
Presenting your green bin
Please follow the guidance below to help make sure your bin is collected:
- Put your bin out by 6am on your scheduled collection day.
- Present your bin kerbside, where your property meets the public footpath, and in a position where our collection crews can safely access it.
- Your bin should be presented without anything attached to it, including ropes, bungee cords, straps, chains or similar items. Bins with attachments cannot be emptied as they can pose a health and safety risk to our collection crews and damage collection equipment.
- Make sure the lid is fully closed and down against the bin (plastic to plastic). Do not overfill your bin.
- Please do not leave additional bags or other waste besides, on top of or outside your green bin.
- Put your bin out only on your collection day, or late the evening before, and remove it from the kerbside once it has been emptied.
What can go in your green bin?
Your green bin is for general household waste that cannot be recycled through your blue recycling bin, glass bin or other available recycling services.
General household waste
Examples of items that can be placed in your green bin include:
- Packaging, polystyrene and thin plastics that cannot be recycled
- Bagged food waste
- Used kitchen roll and tissues
- Cool ashes from fires – please make sure ashes are completely cold before placing them in your bin
- Non-recyclable glass, such as drinking glasses and oven-proof glass
- Textiles and plastics that cannot be recycled through other available services
Offensive and non-hazardous medical waste
The following types of household waste can also be placed in your green bin when prepared correctly:
- Nappies and Incontinence pads
- Sanitary products
- Soiled bedding
- Plasters
- Stoma and catheter bags - drained
- Non-infectious wound dressings
- Stomach feeding items
- Home dialysis kits
- Pet waste, including small amounts of cat litter, animal bedding and faecal matter
Nappies, sanitary products, pet waste and other offensive waste must be securely bagged and tied before being placed in your green bin. It must not be placed loose in the bin or presented as side waste.
Medicines, inhalers or drugs should not be disposed of in your general waste - you should take these to your local pharmacy for safe disposal.
Items that must not go in your green bin
Some items cannot be collected as part of your general waste service. These include:
- Medicines, inhalers or drugs
- Soil, compost and turf
- Metal and other building materials
- Rubble, bricks and concrete
- Wood
- Paint and liquid waste
- Asbestos
- Batteries and vapes and other electronic cigarettes
- Electrical items
- Gas canisters and cylinders
- Nitrous oxide canisters
- Hazardous and infectious waste
- Commercial or business waste
Please use the appropriate disposal or recycling service for these items.
For guidance on how to dispose of specific items, please use the Nottinghamshire County Council Recycling Checker | Nottinghamshire County Council
If incorrect or excluded materials are found inside your bin, the bin cannot be emptied.
If this happens, you will need to remove the incorrect materials and present your bin on your next scheduled collection day.
If you cannot wait until your next scheduled collection, a paid return collection is an option.
Infectious Waste
Your doctor, district nurse or other healthcare professional will advise you if your waste needs to be treated as clinical or infectious waste.
If you have infectious waste, such as used dressings, your district nurse or healthcare provider will need to complete the Nottinghamshire County Council healthcare waste referral form to arrange a collection. Request a healthcare waste collection | Nottinghamshire County Council
Once your referral has been approved, we will provide a weekly collection of your infectious waste in yellow clinical waste bags. Collections will take place on either Tuesday or Wednesday.
Please leave your securely tied yellow waste bags outside your front door or next to your bins, where they are easily accessible to our collection operatives. Our operative will collect the filled bags and leave you with a supply of new yellow bags for your next collection.
Please do not place infectious waste in your general waste bin.
Side Waste
Our refuse collections are for waste contained inside the green bin.
We do not collect side waste, including:
- Bags placed next to the bin
- Bags placed on top of the bin
- Loose waste placed beside the bin
- Waste placed outside the bin
Any side waste left following a collection is the responsibility of the householder and must be disposed of safely and legally.
If you have more general waste than will fit inside your green bin you can take additional household waste to your local Household Waste Recycling Centres
Recycling centres | Nottinghamshire County Council
Please check the available disposal options before travelling, as some types of waste cannot be accepted at Household Waste Recycling Centres.
What you can take to our recycling centres | Nottinghamshire County Council
Additional waste
If you have more general waste than will fit inside your green bin, please do not leave additional bags or other waste besides, on top of or outside your green bin.
You may be eligible for an additional general waste bin if:
- Six or more permanent residents live at the property.
- Your household has two or more children aged 4 or under who are in nappies.
- Someone in your household has a medical condition that generates additional waste, such as incontinence.
If you meet one of these criteria, you can apply for an additional general waste bin by completing our Additional General Waste Bin Request Form.
Applications are subject to eligibility criteria and require supporting information.
You can take additional household waste to your local Household Waste Recycling Centre, where appropriate. Recycling centres | Nottinghamshire County Council
Please check the available disposal options before travelling, as some types of waste cannot be accepted at Household Waste Recycling Centres. What you can take to our recycling centres | Nottinghamshire County Council
Heavy or overfilled bins
Your green bin must not be too heavy or overloaded. The maximum weight for a 180-litre green bin is 90 kg.
A bin may not be emptied if:
- It is too heavy to be safely lifted.
- It is overloaded.
- The lid does not fully close.
- Waste has been compacted or stuck inside the bin.
If your bin is too heavy or overfilled, you will need to reduce the amount or weight of waste before presenting it on your next scheduled collection day.
If waste is stuck inside the bin, please loosen the contents so that they can empty safely when the bin is lifted. Collection crews are not permitted to manually remove waste from your bin.
If you cannot wait until your next scheduled collection, a paid return collection is an option.
Missed collections
Our collection crews start work from 6am and can continue collecting until 2pm. Collection times can vary, so please do not report your bin as missed until after 2pm.
If your bin has not been emptied after 2pm, please report the missed collection within 2 working days.
You can report a missed collection using our Report a missed bin form Report a missed bin – Mansfield District Council, by email at mdc@mansfield.gov.uk or by contacting the Customer Services Team on 01623 463463.
We will investigate the missed collection and, where it is a genuine missed collection, we will normally return to empty the bin within 5 working days, subject to operational resources.
Once you have reported a missed collection, leave your bin presented kerbside until it has been emptied.
A missed collection will not be classed as genuine where:
- The bin was not out by 6am.
- The bin was not at the correct collection point.
- Access was not available.
- The bin contained incorrect or contaminated materials.
- The bin was too heavy or overfilled.
- The lid was not fully closed.
- The contents were stuck inside the bin.
If the collection was not due to Council error, you will normally need to wait until your next scheduled collection or arrange a paid return collection.
If your road is inaccessible
Sometimes collections can be affected by circumstances outside the Council's control, such as:
- Road closures
- Parked vehicles blocking access
- Severe weather
- Other access restrictions
Where it is safe and practical to do so, we will make further attempts to collect your bin.
During severe weather or other exceptional circumstances, please follow any collection updates provided on our website and social media channels.
Lost, stolen or damaged green bins
If your green bin has been damaged by the Council's collection vehicle or is no longer serviceable through normal wear and tear, we will replace it free of charge.
If your green bin has been lost, stolen or damaged through misuse, a replacement charge will apply.
Please report a lost, stolen or damaged bin using our Bin Problems – Mansfield District Council
New-build properties
If you have recently moved into a new-build property in Mansfield district, the provision of waste and recycling bins is normally arranged through the developer.
If your new property requires a set of bins, please speak to your housing developer in the first instance.
Flats and communal bins
For flats and housing complexes, some properties may not have individual green bins and will instead have access to communal waste bins.
The same general principles apply. Communal bin areas must be kept clear, accessible and safe so that collection crews can access and empty the bins.
Loose waste, excess rubbish or bulky items must not be left around communal bins or in a way that prevents access.
Where access to a communal bin store is blocked, the collection may not be possible to complete.
Maggot prevention guide
During warm weather, flies can lay eggs in household waste, which can quickly develop into maggots. Keeping your waste securely contained and your bin clean can help prevent this.
How to prevent maggots
There are several simple steps you can take to help prevent maggots from developing in your bin:
- Bag food waste securely, particularly meat, fish and bones, and make sure bags are tied tightly.
- Double-bag nappies and sanitary products before placing them in your green bin.
- Rinse food packaging and polystyrene trays before putting them in your bin where appropriate.
- Keep the bin lid fully closed to prevent flies from getting inside.
- Avoid overfilling your bin, as this can prevent the lid from closing properly.
- Keep your bin out of direct sunlight where possible, as heat can encourage flies and maggots to develop.
- Keep your bin clean and dry after it has been emptied.
- You can use citronella or eucalyptus-scented products around the bin to help deter flies.
If you already have maggots
If you find maggots in your bin, don't panic. There are simple steps you can take to get rid of them.
If your bin is empty:
- Clean the inside of the bin using hot water and household disinfectant or bleach, following the product instructions.
- Allow the bin to dry thoroughly before using it again.
If your bin still contains waste:
- Keep the lid fully closed to prevent flies from accessing the waste.
- Make sure all waste is securely bagged and tied.
- Once the bin has been emptied, clean and disinfect the inside of the bin as described above.
Keeping your bin clean
Regularly cleaning your bin, particularly during warmer weather, can help reduce smells, flies and maggots.
You can clean your bin yourself, or you may choose to use a private bin-cleaning service.
Never mix bleach or disinfectants with other cleaning products, as this can produce dangerous fumes. Always follow the manufacturer's instructions when using cleaning products.
