Bin Collection Day

London borough · London, England

Southwark bin collection day

Find your Southwark bin collection day, check what goes in each bin and see how bank holidays change collections. London Borough of Southwark empties bins in 11 postcode districts, including E1, SE1, SE1P and SE5, covering places such as Bermondsey, Borough and Camberwell.

Check your Southwark 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 Southwark bin day checker Make a reminder calendar

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

Check a postcode in Southwark

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

Southwark at a glance

Map showing where Southwark is in the UK
320,017residents (2020)
29 km²area
11postcode districts
30places listed

About 320,017 people live in Southwark (mid-2020 estimate) across 29 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: London Borough of Southwark
Type: London borough
Region: London

Who collects what in Southwark

London Borough of Southwark 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 Southwark bin days

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

Postcode districts in Southwark

Southwark 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 Southwark

Bins in these places are collected by Southwark.

  • Bermondsey (SE1, SE16)
  • Borough (SE1)
  • Camberwell (SE5)
  • Canary Wharf (SE16)
  • Denmark Hill (SE5)
  • Docklands (SE16)
  • Dulwich (SE21)
  • East Dulwich (SE22, SE5)
  • Elephant & Castle (SE17)
  • Herne Hill (SE24)
  • Honor Oak (SE22)
  • Kennington (SE11, SE17)
  • Lambeth North (SE1)
  • Lewisham (SE22)
  • London Bridge (SE1)
  • New Kent Road (SE1)
  • Newington (SE1)
  • North Dulwich (SE24)
  • Nunhead (SE15)
  • Old Kent Road (SE1)
  • Peckham (SE15)
  • Peckham Rye (SE15)
  • Rotherhithe (E1, SE16)
  • Rye Lane (SE15)
  • Southwark (SE1, SE1P, SE5)
  • Southwark Cathedral (SE1)
  • Surrey Quays (SE16)
  • Sydenham Hill (SE21)
  • Walworth (SE17)
  • Westminster Bridge (SE1)

Councils near Southwark

Southwark bin questions

How do I find my bin collection day in Southwark?
Enter your postcode on this page to confirm that Southwark collects your bins, then use the Southwark 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 Southwark 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. Southwark 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 Southwark 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 Southwark 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 Southwark 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 Southwark website if you have not received a food caddy yet.
Where is the tip for Southwark?
Southwark 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 Southwark cover?
Southwark collects bins in all or part of these postcode districts: E1, SE1, SE1P, SE5, SE11, SE15, SE16, SE17, SE21, SE22, SE24. 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 London Borough of Southwark. Collection dates and services can change at short notice; the council's website is always the final word.