Bin Collection Day

City corporation · London, England

City of London bin collection day

Check your City of London bin day, plan around bank holidays and set up free reminders for every collection. City of London Corporation empties bins in 14 postcode districts, including E1, EC2, EC2M and EC2N, covering places such as Barbican, London and Spitalfields.

Check your City of London bin day

City of London publishes bin days on its own website. Use the official finder below to reach the right page, then pick your address.

GOV.UK bin day finder City of London website

Once you have your dates, our bin calendar turns them into reminders.

Check a postcode in City of London

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

City of London at a glance

Map showing where City of London is in the UK
10,938residents (2020)
3 km²area
14postcode districts
4places listed

About 10,938 people live in City of London (mid-2020 estimate) across 3 square kilometres. That makes it a dense urban area, where many homes share communal bins or have bins collected from the back of terraces.

Council: City of London Corporation
Type: City corporation
Region: London

Who collects what in City of London

City of London Corporation collects household bins and recycling in its area. Many London boroughs share waste disposal through a joint waste authority, and some run their own reuse and recycling centre. Flats and estates in London often have communal bins with different days from houses, so check the address of the block rather than the street.

Bank holidays and City of London bin days

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

DateBank holiday
Friday, 25 December 2026Christmas Day
Monday, 28 December 2026Boxing Day (substitute day)
Friday, 1 January 2027New Year's Day
Friday, 26 March 2027Good Friday
Monday, 29 March 2027Easter 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. City of London has the final say, so check its website if your bin label disagrees.

Postcode districts in City of London

City of London 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 City of London

Bins in these places are collected by City of London.

  • Barbican (EC2)
  • London (EC2M, EC2N, EC2R, EC2V, EC2Y, EC3A, EC3M, EC3N, EC3V, EC4N, EC4R)
  • Spitalfields (E1)
  • Tower of London (EC3R)

Councils near City of London

City of London bin questions

How do I find my bin collection day in City of London?
Enter your postcode on this page to confirm that City of London collects your bins, then use the City of London website. Pick your address and it shows the next date for each bin. Copy those dates into our bin calendar to get reminders.
Do City of London 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. City of London 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 City of London 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 City of London 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 City of London 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 City of London website if you have not received a food caddy yet.
Where is the tip for City of London?
City of London or its waste partnership runs the local household waste recycling centres. Many tips now need a booking, and vans and trailers may need a permit, so check before you go.
Which postcodes does City of London cover?
City of London collects bins in all or part of these postcode districts: E1, EC2, EC2M, EC2N, EC2R, EC2V, EC2Y, EC3A, EC3M, EC3N, EC3R, EC3V, EC4N, EC4R. 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 City of London Corporation. Collection dates and services can change at short notice; the council's website is always the final word.