Non-metropolitan district · East of England, England

Chelmsford bin collection day

Check your Chelmsford bin day, plan around bank holidays and set up free reminders for every collection. Chelmsford City Council empties bins in 7 postcode districts, including CM1, CM2, CM3 and CM4, covering places such as Battlesbridge, Bicknacre and Boreham.

Check your Chelmsford bin day

The quickest way to see the next date for each of your bins is the council's own checker. Pick your address and it lists every collection.

Open the Chelmsford bin day checker Make a reminder calendar

Link goes to www.chelmsford.gov.uk. If it has moved, use the GOV.UK bin day finder or the council website.

Check a postcode in Chelmsford

Not sure whether your street is in Chelmsford? Postcode districts on council borders can be split, so enter your full postcode to check.

Chelmsford at a glance

Map showing where Chelmsford is in the UK

179,549residents (2020)

339 km²area

7postcode districts

58places listed

About 179,549 people live in Chelmsford (mid-2020 estimate) across 339 square kilometres. That makes it a mix of towns and countryside, where rural rounds can be long and run early.

Council: Chelmsford City Council
Type: Non-metropolitan district
County council: Essex County Council
Region: East of England

Who collects what in Chelmsford

Chelmsford City Council collects household bins, recycling, garden waste and bulky items. Essex County Council is the waste disposal authority, so it runs the household waste recycling centres (the tips) and decides where the waste goes after collection. If you have a question about your bin day, missed bins or new bins, contact Chelmsford. For tip opening hours, van permits or booking a tip slot, contact Essex County Council.

Bank holidays and Chelmsford bin days

When a bank holiday lands on or before your collection day, Chelmsford may collect as normal or move collections later in the week. These are the next bank holidays in England and Wales:

Date	Bank holiday
Friday, 25 December 2026	Christmas Day
Monday, 28 December 2026	Boxing Day (substitute day)
Friday, 1 January 2027	New Year's Day
Friday, 26 March 2027	Good Friday
Monday, 29 March 2027	Easter Monday

Christmas and New Year cause the biggest changes. See Christmas bin collections for what usually happens.

Recycling rules in England

Under Simpler Recycling, councils in England must collect the same core recycling from every home: paper and card, glass, metal, plastic (including cartons), food waste every week, and garden waste for households that ask and pay any charge. The rules applied from 31 March 2026, with plastic film and bags joining the plastic stream from 31 March 2027. Councils still choose their own bins, colours and rotas.

GOV.UK: Simpler Recycling household guidance

Not sure which bin something goes in? Our which bin A to Z covers everyday items, and bin colours explained covers what each colour usually means. Chelmsford has the final say, so check its website if your bin label disagrees.

Postcode districts in Chelmsford

Chelmsford collects bins in all or part of these postcode districts. Districts marked on more than one council page cross a boundary.

Towns and villages in Chelmsford

Bins in these places are collected by Chelmsford.

Battlesbridge (SS11)
Bicknacre (CM3)
Boreham (CM3)
Broomfield (CM1)
Chelmsford (CM1, CM99)
Chignall Smealy (CM1)
Chignall St James (CM1)
Cock Clarks (CM3)
Cooksmill Green (CM1)
Crix (CM3)
Danbury (CM3)
East Hanningfield (CM3)
Edney Common (CM1)
Ford End (CM3)
Fryerning (CM4)
Fuller Street (CM3)
Galleyend (CM2)
Galleywood (CM2)
Gamble's Green (CM3)
Good Easter (CM1)
Great Baddow (CM2)
Great Canney (CM3)
Great Leighs (CM3)
Great Oxney Green (CM1)
Great Waltham (CM3)
Howe Green (CM2)
Howe Street (CM3)
Little Baddow (CM3)
Little Leighs (CM3)
Little Waltham (CM3)
Littley Green (CM3)
Loves Green (CM1)
Margaretting (CM4)
Mashbury (CM1)
Mill Green (CM4)
Moulsham (CM2)
Nine Ashes (CM4)
Nounsley (CM3)
Pleshey (CM3)
Rank's Green (CM3)
Rettendon (CM3)
Rettendon Place (CM3)
Roxwell (CM1)
Rudley Green (CM3)
Runsell Green (CM3)
Runwell (SS11)
Sandon (CM2)
South Hanningfield (CM3)
South Woodham Ferrers (CM3)
Springfield (CM98)
Stagden Cross (CM1)
Stock (CM4)
West Hanningfield (CM2)
Widford (CM2)
Willows Green (CM3)
Woodham Ferrers (CM3)
Writtle (CM1)
Young's End (CM3)

Councils near Chelmsford

Chelmsford bin questions

How do I find my bin collection day in Chelmsford?

Enter your postcode on this page to confirm that Chelmsford collects your bins, then use the Chelmsford bin day checker. Pick your address and it shows the next date for each bin. Copy those dates into our bin calendar to get reminders.

Do Chelmsford bin days change on bank holidays?

Many councils keep normal collection days on most bank holidays and only change around Christmas and New Year, while others move every collection in a bank holiday week by a day. Chelmsford publishes any changes on its website before each holiday. Our bank holiday page lists the dates for England and Wales.

What should I do if Chelmsford misses my bin?

Check your bin day first, as collections sometimes run late into the evening. If the rest of your street has been emptied and yours has not, report it on the Chelmsford website, usually within one or two working days. Leave the bin out unless the council says otherwise. Our missed bin guide explains what to expect.

Does Chelmsford collect food waste?

Under Simpler Recycling, councils in England must collect food waste every week from all households, free of charge, from 31 March 2026. A few councils were given a later start date, so check the Chelmsford website if you have not received a food caddy yet.

Where is the tip for Chelmsford?

Household waste recycling centres in Chelmsford are run by Essex County Council, not by Chelmsford. Many now ask you to book a slot, and vans and trailers may need a permit.

Which postcodes does Chelmsford cover?

Chelmsford collects bins in all or part of these postcode districts: CM1, CM2, CM3, CM4, CM98, CM99, SS11. Districts on the edge of the council area can be shared with a neighbouring council, so enter your full postcode to be sure.

Bin Collection Day is independent and not run by Chelmsford City Council. Collection dates and services can change at short notice; the council's website is always the final word.