How to Get a New Bin From the Council

Find Out How to Get a New Wheelie Bin from the Council

Council Wheelie Bin Replacement

So, you’ve just moved house and there aren’t any bins at your new property, how do you go about getting a new wheelie bin from the council?

If you arrive at your new house and there aren’t any bins, it should be for one of two reasons: either you’ve purchased a new build property, or the previous owners didn’t leave any.

Either way, you will need to find out how to get a new bin from the council in your new area. Continue reading to find out how…

Do I Need to Buy a Council Bin?

If you’ve moved house and don’t have any wheelie bins at your property, you will need to order and buy them from your local council.

Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, councils have a legal obligation to collect household waste, but only from a container that they specify.

This is because some types of wheelie bins aren’t compatible with the equipment on different refuse vehicles. This means that if you don’t buy a council bin, they won’t empty it.

How Much Does it Cost to Order a New Wheelie Bin?

From 1 April 2015, councils started charging for wheelie bins provided to new homes, according to the individual local authority’s scale of fees and charges.

This isn’t limited to the first time a home is occupied. For example, a resident moving into an existing home will have to pay for their bins if none are left by the previous resident.

The cost of your new wheelie bins will depend on which local authority you live in. Different local councils charge different amounts to order a new wheelie bin from them.

You can find out the price of council bins by visiting your local authority’s website or by phoning them up.

For example, below are some of the fees different councils charge to buy new bins after moving house:

– Nottingham City Council – £20.00
– Wakefield Council – £21.65
– Enfield Council – £60.60
– Brent Council – £50.00
– Newham Council – Free

Why Does My Council Charge Me For a Replacement Bin?

Some councils started charging for replacement wheelie bins due to the costs of increasing demand. When the government cut local authority budgets, the cost of bins was a price they could no longer incur.

You may be wondering why you have to pay for new bins from the council when you already pay council tax. This is because, while part of your council tax does go towards the collection and disposal of waste, it does not contribute towards the provision of the waste containers themselves.

If you do pay for new or replacement bins from the council, the cost will usually cover the cost of administration and delivery of the bin.

Can You Get a Free Recycle Bin?

Let’s find out how to get recycling bins for free…

It is sometimes possible to get free recycle bins, but this can be quite difficult given the wide variation in local recycling programmes and the costs of new bins.

If free recycling services aren’t available in your area, you may have to pay for new bins or collect your own recycling and drop it off at a designated location.

Another option to get free recycling bins when you’ve moved house is to post in local online groups or marketplaces to see if anyone has spare bins or is getting rid of theirs.

For instance, someone who is moving or trying to get rid of excess recycling bins may be willing to give you them for free.

What Size Wheelie Bin Do I Need?

When you’re looking at how to get a new bin from the council, make sure you double check what size bin you’ll need. Some councils offer different sized bins to suit different purposes and needs – from the smallest sizes of 120 litres all the way up to 1100 litres.

Below, we outline the best sized bins for different sized households:

Small households – between 120 and 240 litre bins
Large households – between 240 and 360 litre bins

A good way to measure what sized bin you need is to think about how often you change a full bin bag:

If you change the bin once per week – 120/240 litres
If you change the bin twice per week – 240 litres
If you change the bin more than twice per week – 360 litres

What Happens if My Wheelie Bin is Stolen?

You might not pay too much attention to the security of your household wheelie bin. But you would certainly notice if it went missing or was stolen. So, here’s what to do if your wheelie bin is stolen.

First, it’s important to check that your bin is actually lost or stolen. Make sure the neighbour from a few doors down hasn’t accidentally claimed it as theirs or that the often dreary British weather hasn’t blown it down the road.

If you can’t find it anywhere and you’re almost certain your bin has been stolen, you should report it to the police. Use the 101 non-emergency number of visit the website to report the theft of your wheelie bin.

If you have a local council bin, then you’ll need to contact them too. Depending on which local authority you live in you may have to pay for a replacement wheelie bin.

However, if your bin has disappeared and it emerges that it was damaged during collection, you should be able to get a replacement wheelie bin for free.

How Can I Stop My Bin From Being Stolen?

Given that losing your wheelie bin and being without one even for a couple of days is an absolute pain, how can you stop your bin from being stolen?

It’s surprisingly easy to protect your bins from theft. The easiest solution would be to keep your bins stored somewhere safe. Don’t leave them out in the open where everyone can see them. Instead, hide or even lock them away.

Another way you can reduce the risk of your bin being stolen is not to put it out too early for collection. Understandably, many households put their bins out the night before collection day so they don’t forget. While this might seem like a smart move, leaving your bin out on the street all night might prove too tempting for bin thieves.

Similarly, try to bring it back onto your property as soon as possible after your rubbish has been collected. Or, if you’re not going to be at home, ask a trusted neighbour to bring it in for you.

It’s also always good to clearly label your bin with your house number or name. You could even go all out and customise it with brightly coloured stickers. No bin thief is going to choose to take the most identifiable bin on the street.

How to Get a New Wheelie Bin…

So, now you know how to get a new bin from the council. Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as it might seem given the varying rules, regulations and prices each local authority has when it comes to wheelie bins.

Thankfully, however, our guide to how to get a new wheelie bin from the council has answered all your questions. Now, when you move house, you should have no trouble getting a replacement wheelie bin and keeping it safe from thieves.

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