Bin Collection Day

Unitary authority · South East, England

Southampton bin collection day

Check your Southampton bin day, plan around bank holidays and set up free reminders for every collection. Southampton City Council empties bins in 6 postcode districts, including SO14, SO15, SO16 and SO17, covering places such as Bassett, Bitterne and Coxford.

Check your Southampton bin day

Southampton 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 Southampton website

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

Check a postcode in Southampton

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

Southampton at a glance

Map showing where Southampton is in the UK
252,872residents (2020)
50 km²area
6postcode districts
18places listed

About 252,872 people live in Southampton (mid-2020 estimate) across 50 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: Southampton City Council
Type: Unitary authority
Region: South East

Who collects what in Southampton

Southampton City Council is a unitary council, so it handles both bin collections and the household waste recycling centres (the tips). One website covers your bin day, missed bins, garden waste, bulky waste and tip bookings.

Bank holidays and Southampton bin days

When a bank holiday lands on or before your collection day, Southampton 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. Southampton has the final say, so check its website if your bin label disagrees.

Postcode districts in Southampton

Southampton 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 Southampton

Bins in these places are collected by Southampton.

  • Bassett (SO16)
  • Bitterne (SO18)
  • Coxford (SO16)
  • Freemantle (SO15)
  • Itchen (SO19)
  • Lordshill (SO16)
  • Lordswood (SO16)
  • Millbrook (SO15)
  • Northam (SO14)
  • Portswood (SO17)
  • Rownhams (SO16)
  • Shirley (SO15)
  • Sholing (SO19)
  • Southampton (SO15)
  • Swaythling (SO18)
  • Thornhill (SO19)
  • Upton (SO16)
  • Woolston (SO19)

Councils near Southampton

Southampton bin questions

How do I find my bin collection day in Southampton?
Enter your postcode on this page to confirm that Southampton collects your bins, then use the Southampton website. Pick your address and it shows the next date for each bin. Copy those dates into our bin calendar to get reminders.
Do Southampton 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. Southampton 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 Southampton 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 Southampton 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 Southampton 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 Southampton website if you have not received a food caddy yet.
Where is the tip for Southampton?
Southampton 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 Southampton cover?
Southampton collects bins in all or part of these postcode districts: SO14, SO15, SO16, SO17, SO18, SO19. 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 Southampton City Council. Collection dates and services can change at short notice; the council's website is always the final word.