Redbridge bins, garden waste and the Chigwell Road tip, sorted

Bins aren't glamorous, but they're the council service most of us use every week. And 2026 is a year of change in Redbridge: food waste caddies are arriving, garden waste has paused for winter, and the Chigwell Road reuse and recycling centre, the borough's only tip, has rules that catch people out.

This guide uses Redbridge Council's own pages and the East London Waste Authority (ELWA). Prices and rules change, so check the council's site before you act. Last checked on 28 October 2026.

Key things to know

• Bin day: use the online bin-day checker; holiday changes are on the holiday dates page.
• Out by 6am on collection day, inside your boundary near the road, not on the pavement.
• Food waste: weekly, arriving November to December 2026 for homes that don't have it yet.
• Garden waste: paused for winter, back in spring 2027.
• Bulky waste: one free collection a year, up to three items.
• The tip: proof of address needed; book if you have a van, trailer or DIY waste.

Rubbish and recycling

The rubbish page asks for all waste in the wheelie bin, lid closed. Extra waste outside it won't be collected. Homes using sacks can put out up to three black bags a week. A replacement wheelie bin costs £20, though new residents may not need to pay. Rubbish goes to the Jenkins Lane waste management facility, where it's dried, sorted for further recycling and partly turned into fuel.

Recycling goes out the same day. The recycling page says to use two boxes:

• Box 1: food tins and drinks cans, glass bottles and jars, plastic bottles, clean plastic pots, tubs and trays (no black plastic), empty aerosols, clean foil, cartons and clean tubes.
• Box 2: paper, envelopes (window ones included), thin and thick card. Flatten large cardboard and leave it neatly beside the box.

A replacement box is £7.45, with a soft lid at £1 or a hard lid at £3, delivery included. Batteries and small electricals go to a proper recycling point, never the household bin.

Food waste, the big change this winter

The council's food waste page says about 13,000 homes already have weekly collections and the rest will get them from November to December, with letters between October and November 2026 saying when caddies arrive. We have a first-hand report on the caddies reaching Wanstead streets. Rubbish and recycling stay the same, as this is an additional weekly service, and flats come in stages, usually with communal bins.

• You get: a small kitchen caddy, a starter roll of liners, a larger outdoor caddy and instructions.
• In: cooked and uncooked food, including meat, bones, fish, eggs, dairy, bread, rice, pasta, tea bags and coffee grounds.
• Out: oils and liquid fat, packaging, garden waste, animal bedding, liquids such as milk.
• Where it goes: an anaerobic digestion facility in Dagenham. The council says government requires every council to collect food waste separately.

If your neighbours have caddies and you don't, check your start date on the bin-day checker. If you're in phase one and haven't received yours, the council's page gives an email address.

Garden waste

The garden waste page says fortnightly green collections have ended for the year and return in spring 2027. The service is for homes with their own gardens, not flats without attached gardens, businesses or allotments. The council lists no charge for the collection itself, only the bags.

When it runs, you can put out up to five bags, left open so the waste is visible, out by 6am within your boundary. It takes hedge and grass cuttings, weeds, plants, flowers, leaves and twigs, but not large branches, turf, soil, stones, pet bedding, food or fallen fruit.

Green bags cost £2 each from any Redbridge library (up to five per household), with proof of residency: a council tax document, passport or driving licence. Apple Pay or Android Pay work at any library; cash only at Redbridge Central Library. Our Wanstead Library guide has the address and hours.

Bulky waste

Residents get one free bulky waste collection every 12 months, for up to three items, on a rolling basis. Extra items are £15.20 each, paid in advance. Items must be out by 6am and visible from the road, and you must say what they are when booking. Changes or cancellations need at least two full working days' notice. Accepted items include armchairs, beds, bikes, carpets, cookers, desks and Christmas trees.

The Chigwell Road tip

Chigwell Road, Woodford Bridge, IG8 8PP. Rules are on Redbridge's centre page and the ELWA page.

• Opening: Monday to Friday 7.30am to 4.30pm; weekends 8am to 4pm. Gates shut 15 minutes before closing. Closed Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day; other bank holidays 8am to 4pm. You may queue.
• Bring: proof of address: a council tax bill or driving licence. Bank statements and other ID are not accepted. Household waste only.
• Book if you're driving a van, towing a trailer, or taking building or DIY waste (restricted waste), via the ELWA booking page. Vans need the logbook (VC5), and Luton vans and vans with a tail lift or tipper can't use the site. Most normal cars needn't book. Vehicles over 3,500kg aren't allowed, and number-plate cameras deter commercial users.
• The 1,000kg limit: each household can take 1,000kg of restricted waste a year, on a rolling basis. That means bathroom suites, tiles, kitchen cabinets, windows and doors, structural wood, rubble, soil, carpet, fence panels, plasterboard and radiators.
• Takes: cardboard, paper, glass, cans, plastic bottles and hard plastics, garden waste, wood, scrap metal, electricals, fridges and freezers, batteries, tyres, TVs, cartons and takeaway coffee cups. Reusable items in good condition (furniture, bikes, books, paint, shoes) go to charities or low-cost sale, so ask the centre about paint. Laughing gas canisters go in the canister cage.
• Alternatives: ELWA sites at Frizlands Lane (Barking and Dagenham), Gerpins Lane (Havering) and Jenkins Lane (Newham); the council notes the last two have longer hours.

Private waste contractors and missed collections

If you hire a private waste contractor, the council says to check they're registered with the Environment Agency and hold a valid Upper Tier Waste Carrier's Licence (call 03708 506 506), get a waste transfer note and receipt, and avoid cash-only services. If your waste is fly-tipped and you can't prove who took it or that they were licensed, you could be fined £600.

For a missed collection, report it quickly. The rubbish and recycling pages say within 24 hours, while the main bins page says 48 hours, so just do it as soon as you can. The council aims to collect within two working days. Report fly-tipping via the fly-tipping page.