Kerbside and estates recycling
We need every resident in Lambeth to play their part by recycling as much of their waste as possible. All Lambeth residents must recycle their rubbish. You must put everything that can be recycled into your orange bag, green box or shared recycling bin. See a list of
Before throwing out non-recyclable items, please consider whether it can be reused, donated, or composted if you have food or garden waste.
If you persistently do not recycle you could face a fine of up to £1,000.
Recycling from kerbside properties
If your rubbish is collected from outside your property in a wheeled bin or black sack, your recycling will be collected in an orange bag.
We deliver rolls of 40 orange sacks to you free of charge three times a year. If you have run out of bags go to:
Orange recycling bags will be collected from the pavement outside the boundary of your property. You should put your recycling out by 6am on your collection day.
Please make sure your recycling does not obstruct the footpath and that it is not put out before 8pm on the night before your collection.
If you are physically unable to put out your recycling and do not have anyone who can help you, we can arrange an assisted collection. If you need an assisted collection please telephone 020 7926 9000.
Recycling on estates
Most residents who live on a housing estate have their recycling collected from shared green recycling bins near the entrance of each block or by the bin store.
You may want to use a reusable bag to store and take your waste regularly to the shared recycling bins. If you store your recycling in carrier bags or black sacks please empty your recycling from these into the shared bins as they cannot be recycled.
If you do not use a shared recycling bin we will deliver orange recycling sacks to you free of charge on a regular basis. To order more recycling bags go to:
If we collect orange sacks from you, you must put them on the pavement outside your property for collection by 6am on your collection day. Please make sure they do not obstruct the footpath and do not put them out before 8pm on the night before your collection.
By simply recycling your waste and letting Recyclebank know, you could make up to £75 a year in savings when visiting restaurants or buying anything from books to clothing. Find out about the scheme and if you are eligible to register.
When is my recycling collected?
We collect recycling on the same day as we do your rubbish - see recycling collection days. Please be aware your collection day have changed.
See our advice on storing your recycling between collection days.
Collection days may be changed around Christmas day and New Year's day. Details of any changes will be posted on this site. Collection days are not changed around other public/bank holidays.
You can also take your recycling to one of our recycling banks.
See a list of what you must put in your orange recycling sack or green recycling bin.
We have put together some further answers to questions you may have on compulsory recycling.
Missed collection
To report a missed recycling collection, please telephone 020 7926 9000 or fill in the missed refuse collection online form.
If your collection was due more than three days ago, please wait for your next regular collection.
It is important that your orange sacks only contain items that we can recycle. Non-recyclable items can result in the processing plant rejecting the entire load. In order to prevent this, our staff may place a sticker on your orange sack if they believe it contains the wrong materials.
If your recycling is not collected, check whether it has been stickered. Please remove the non-recyclable items and the sticker and present your recycling on your next collection day - your waste will then be collected and recycled.
Why is my recycling all mixed together?
You may wonder why your recycling can be collected all mixed up together. This is because our recycling collection service is now what we call 'co-mingled'.
All your recycling goes to the Western Riverside Waste Authority in Wandsworth. From there it is taken to a recycling centre where all the materials are sorted using the latest technology. Finally, all your recycling is sent on to be made in to a range of new products.
Our service standards
We deliver orange sacks to you on a regular basis:
- we provide extra orange sacks on request to residents
- we put right missed collections within 24 hours of being notified.