Portsmouth rubbish bin collections: Your questions answered

The new bin trial will be rolled out to 6,500 households, with an additional 1,400 flat-fronted properties provided with an alternative to the wheelie bins, such as seagull-proof hessian sacks, or council-provided disposal sacks.

Areas suggested for the trial include parts of Paulsgrove, Hilsea, North End, Milton and Fratton, although the council has yet to confirm exactly which streets will be included.

Here’s the advice the council gave to Cosham residents involved in the trial:-

Where and when do I put the bin out for collection?

Regardless of where your black bags are currently collected from, we ask that all black rubbish bins are placed safely at the boundary of your property and on the pavement.

The crew won’t go more than a step and a reach into your property to get the bin. Please place the bin out by 7am on the day of collection, and not earlier than 7pm on the night before.

I have extra waste that won’t fit into the bin. Will it be collected?

The crew will only be collecting rubbish which is in the bin with the lid closed. Any extra waste will not be collected.

What do I do with extra rubbish? Can I get a larger bin?

We are encouraging recycling, use of the bring banks and Green Waste Club to minimise the amount of rubbish. If after everything is fully recycled, you still have more rubbish on a regular basis, then we can assess you to see if you are suitable for a larger bin.

If you would like to organise an additional bin assessment, please contact us on 023 9284 1105.

If you still need to get rid of rubbish you can take it to the Portsmouth Recycling centre at Port Solent.

I haven’t got room to keep another bin. Can I still put sacks outside?

Please wait until the bin has arrived and then assess if it is not possible to keep a bin. If at this point you still don’t have anywhere safe to store a bin, please call us. We will then assess the situation at your property.

What do I do with my own bin I use to store rubbish for collection?

As this is a trial, we would suggest that you keep hold of it until the end of the six months. We will know then whether wheeled bin collections for rubbish will become a permanent fixture.

I don’t produce much rubbbish. Do I still need a bin?

If you are going to put any rubbish out for collection, it needs to be in a wheelie bin. However you only have to put the bin out for collection when you need it emptying. If you are only producing a very small amount of rubbish, consider asking a neighbour if you can put your rubbish in their bin. Be sure to ask their permission first.