Bin Collection Day

Scottish unitary authority · Scotland

Orkney Islands bin collection day

Everything you need for bin day in Orkney Islands: the official bin day checker, bank holiday changes and which bin is which. Orkney Islands Council empties bins in 3 postcode districts, including KW15, KW16 and KW17, covering places such as Aith, Berstane and Bow.

Check your Orkney Islands bin day

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

Find the Orkney Islands website on GOV.UK Orkney Islands website

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

Check a postcode in Orkney Islands

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

Orkney Islands at a glance

Map showing where Orkney Islands is in the UK
22,400residents (2020)
991 km²area
3postcode districts
41places listed

About 22,400 people live in Orkney Islands (mid-2020 estimate) across 991 square kilometres. That makes it a largely rural area, where some lanes are served by smaller lorries and collection times vary a lot.

Council: Orkney Islands Council
Type: Scottish unitary authority
Region: Scotland

Who collects what in Orkney Islands

Orkney Islands Council is a single-tier council, so it handles everything: bin collections, recycling, garden waste permits, bulky uplifts and the household waste recycling centres. In Scotland, bulky collections are often called special uplifts.

Bank holidays and Orkney Islands bin days

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

DateBank holiday
Monday, 30 November 2026St Andrew's Day
Friday, 25 December 2026Christmas Day
Monday, 28 December 2026Boxing Day (substitute day)
Friday, 1 January 2027New Year's Day
Monday, 4 January 20272nd January (substitute day)

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

Recycling rules in Scotland

Scottish councils set their own collections, and many follow the voluntary Household Recycling Charter, which aims for more consistent recycling across Scotland. Food waste is collected in most urban areas, and many councils charge a yearly permit for garden waste. GOV.UK's bin day finder does not cover Scotland, so use your council's own checker.

Zero Waste Scotland

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. Orkney Islands has the final say, so check its website if your bin label disagrees.

Postcode districts in Orkney Islands

Orkney Islands 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 Orkney Islands

Bins in these places are collected by Orkney Islands.

  • Aith (KW16)
  • Berstane (KW15)
  • Bow (KW16)
  • Burwick (KW17)
  • Clouston (KW16)
  • Dounby (KW17)
  • Finstown (KW17)
  • Greenigo (KW15)
  • Hackness (KW16)
  • Hurliness (KW16)
  • Ireland (KW16)
  • Kettletoft (KW17)
  • Kirbister (KW16)
  • Kirkwall (KW15)
  • Linksness (KW16)
  • Longhope (KW16)
  • Lyness (KW16)
  • Melsetter (KW16)
  • Murra (KW16)
  • Ness of Tenston (KW16)
  • Northdyke (KW16)
  • Oil Terminal (KW16)
  • Orphir (KW17)
  • Outertown (KW16)
  • Pan (KW16)
  • Pierowall (KW17)
  • Quoyloo (KW16)
  • Rackwick (KW16, KW17)
  • Redland (KW17)
  • Rinnigill (KW16)
  • Scapa (KW15)
  • Skaill (KW16)
  • Stromness (KW16)
  • Tingwall (KW17)
  • Toab (KW17)
  • Tradespark (KW15)
  • Twatt (KW17)
  • Voy (KW16)
  • Whitehall (KW17)
  • Work (KW15)
  • Yesnaby (KW16)

Councils near Orkney Islands

Orkney Islands bin questions

How do I find my bin collection day in Orkney Islands?
Enter your postcode on this page to confirm that Orkney Islands collects your bins, then use the Orkney Islands website. Pick your address and it shows the next date for each bin. Copy those dates into our bin calendar to get reminders.
Do Orkney Islands 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. Orkney Islands publishes any changes on its website before each holiday. Our bank holiday page lists the dates for Scotland.
What should I do if Orkney Islands 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 Orkney Islands 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 Orkney Islands collect food waste?
Most councils in Scotland collect food waste in a small kitchen caddy and a larger outdoor caddy, though some rural and island areas do not. Check the Orkney Islands website for your address.
Where is the tip for Orkney Islands?
Orkney Islands 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 Orkney Islands cover?
Orkney Islands collects bins in all or part of these postcode districts: KW15, KW16, KW17. 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 Orkney Islands Council. Collection dates and services can change at short notice; the council's website is always the final word.