Non-metropolitan district · South East, England

Swale bin collection day

Find your Swale bin collection day, check what goes in each bin and see how bank holidays change collections. Swale Borough Council empties bins in 5 postcode districts, including ME9, ME10, ME11 and ME12, covering places such as Badlesmere, Bapchild and Bobbing.

Check your Swale 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 Swale bin day checker Make a reminder calendar

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

Check a postcode in Swale

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

Swale at a glance

151,015residents (2020)

373 km²area

5postcode districts

54places listed

About 151,015 people live in Swale (mid-2020 estimate) across 373 square kilometres. That makes it a mix of towns and countryside, where rural rounds can be long and run early.

Council: Swale Borough Council
Type: Non-metropolitan district
County council: Kent County Council
Region: South East

Who collects what in Swale

Swale Borough Council collects household bins, recycling, garden waste and bulky items. Kent 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 Swale. For tip opening hours, van permits or booking a tip slot, contact Kent County Council.

Bank holidays and Swale bin days

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

Postcode districts in Swale

Swale 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 Swale

Bins in these places are collected by Swale.

Badlesmere (ME13)
Bapchild (ME9)
Bobbing (ME9)
Borden (ME9)
Boughton Street (ME13)
Bredgar (ME9)
Conyer (ME9)
Dargate (ME13)
Doddington (ME9)
Dunkirk (ME13)
Eastchurch (ME12)
Eastling (ME13)
Faversham (ME13)
Frith (ME13)
Goodnestone (ME13)
Graveney (ME13)
Halfway Houses (ME12)
Hartlip (ME9)
Hernhill (ME13)
Highsted (ME9)
Iwade (ME9)
Kemsley (ME10)
Leaveland (ME13)
Leysdown-on-Sea (ME12)
Lower Halstow (ME9)
Luddenham Court (ME13)
Lynsted (ME9)
Milstead (ME9)
Milton Regis (ME10)
Minster (ME12)
Murston (ME10)
Newington (ME9)
Newnham (ME9)
North Street (ME13)
Oad Street (ME9)
Oare (ME13)
Ospringe (ME13)
Oversland (ME13)
Preston (ME13)
Queenborough (ME11)
Rodmersham (ME9)
Selling (ME13)
Sheerness (ME12)
Sheldwich (ME13)
Sittingbourne (ME10)
Stalisfield Green (ME13)
Teynham (ME9)
Throwley (ME13)
Tunstall (ME9)
Upchurch (ME9)
Uplees (ME13)
Warden (ME12)
West Minster (ME12)
Whitehill (ME13)

Councils near Swale

Swale bin questions

How do I find my bin collection day in Swale?

Enter your postcode on this page to confirm that Swale collects your bins, then use the Swale 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 Swale 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. Swale 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 Swale 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 Swale 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 Swale 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 Swale website if you have not received a food caddy yet.

Where is the tip for Swale?

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

Which postcodes does Swale cover?

Swale collects bins in all or part of these postcode districts: ME9, ME10, ME11, ME12, ME13. 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 Swale Borough Council. Collection dates and services can change at short notice; the council's website is always the final word.