We provide every household with a black wheelie bin and empty them on alternate weeks to your recycling. Find out when your bins will be emptied using the online bin calendar (on our partner's Lichfield District Council website). 

What to put in your black bin 

Black bins are only meant for rubbish that cannot be recycled and for food waste.

We can only collect rubbish that is inside your black bin. Bins will not be emptied if they are heavy/overloaded and the lid must be shut. For health and safety reasons, we cannot collect side waste.

Please make sure your bin is at the kerbside from 6.00am on your collection day.

Need a larger/additional black bin?

You can apply for extra black bin capacity if:

• there are six or more people living in your house
• there are five or more people living in your house, and one is a child under three years old
• there are four or more people living in your house, and two are children under three years old
• your household generates more waste as a result of a medical condition that is not toxic/hazardous, such as additional medical packaging. If you produce toxic/hazardous clinical waste (such as syringes, sharps, dressings or bodily fluids) these cannot be disposed of in your black bin - please find out about what to do with clinical waste.

Apply for an additional black bin here. 

Missed, lost or damaged bins

To report a missed or damaged bin, you can fill in one of the online forms below or telephone 0345 002 0022 by the end of the next working day after it was due to be emptied. If the crew have not reported an issue with your bin, we will return within three working days to empty it. Please note there is a £21.25 charge to replace lost or stolen black refuse bins only. As of 1 April 2023 this charge will be £22.50.

• Report a missed bin collection online
• Report a damaged or lost bin online

Our waste services are jointly operated with Lichfield District Council and you will be taken to to their website to report these issues.

Preventing maggots

In hot weather maggots can be a problem in black bins. Here is some advice to prevent them:

• all black bin waste should be bagged, particularly food (double if necessary for nappies)
• recycle as many items as possible and wash/rinse all food packaging
• bins should be disinfected with normal household cleaning products and sprayed with fly spray
• Keep your bin in the shade if possible with the bin lid closed

If you do find maggots in your bin: tip the contents into a plastic bag/sac that can be sealed or knotted. After the bin has been emptied, clean and disinfect it well and spray the inside with a long-lasting insecticide.

What happens to the waste?

All waste from your black bin is sent to a plant (Energy from Waste plan, Four Ashes) where it is converted into energy. It does not go to a landfill site where it can take years to decompose. By disposing of waste in this way, the contents of black bins across Staffordshire could generate 23 megawatts of energy - enough to power 30,000 homes for a year.