We can offer general guidelines for flats with communal bins that have a council waste collection but every flat in Cardiff is different. Your collection arrangements depend on how your building is managed.
How recycling and waste collections work
Find out what to put in each bin.
Recycling
Recycling is collected once a week. Find out what you can recycle.
If you have separate recycling bins, please separate your recycling into the correct bins. Please do not put your recycling into any bags.
If you have communal green bins, you can put your recycling into the bin loose. You do not have to use green bags.
Plastic and tin containers bin (red)
The red bin is for containers, such as:
- cans,
- tins,
- cartons,
- plastic bottles,
- tubs and trays.
Paper and cardboard bin (blue)
The blue bin is for:
- paper, and
- cardboard.
Glass bin (yellow lid)
The bin with a yellow lid is for glass.
If you do not have separate recycling yet
Do not put black bags in your communal green bin. We will not collect recycling that is mixed with general waste.
We no longer provide green bags for mixed recycling. You can put your recyclable items loose in the bin.
Food waste
Food waste is collected once a week. Find out what goes in your food waste caddy.
Use caddy liners in your kitchen caddy, then put them in your communal brown food waste bin. Do not use plastic bags.
You can pick up food caddy liners at your local stockist.
General waste
General waste is collected every two weeks. Find out what goes in your general waste bin.
You can use any type of bag apart from recycling bags for general waste. Put the bags in your communal general waste bin.
We will only collect the contents of your bin. We will not empty bins blocked by bulky waste or extra bags.
Garden waste
Garden waste is collected every two weeks. Find out what goes in your garden waste bin.
Many flats with gardens are maintained by grounds maintenance.
Put garden waste directly in your communal garden waste bin. Do not put bags of garden waste in your communal bin.
If your garden bin has been lost or stolen, please contact your landlord, caretaker or building management company. They can order a replacement from us by calling Connect to Cardiff (C2C) on 029 2087 2087.
Bin provisions for flats
If you have council waste collections, we will provide bins for your building. The amount of bins provided will depend on the number of flats in the building.
Extra bins
We will not provide extra general waste bins.
If you regularly have extra non-recyclable waste, speak to the person responsible for your building. This could be your:
- property manager,
- landlord,
- housing developer, or
- management company.
We can help them encourage residents to recycle more.
They could also choose to arrange extra collections with a private company.
They can also buy extra recycling bins from us if there is enough space to store them. You will need to speak to the person responsible for your building to arrange this.
If you live in a council flat, please speak to your tenancy officer.
Missing bins
If you do not have the correct number of bins for your property or if bins need to be replaced or repaired, you should speak to the person responsible for your building. You can find out the bin prices.
If you have council collections but do not have a communal food waste bin, speak to the person responsible for your building. They may be able to arrange a food waste collection.
If you live in a council flat, please speak to your tenancy officer.
New developments
If your property is a brand-new development, your bins may be ordered and on their way or you may not be having a council waste collection.
Before council collections can begin, the site will need to be assessed, and council bins will need to be ordered and paid for. Your property manager, landlord, housing developer or management company is responsible for this.
Help using bins correctly
We can help residents living in blocks of flats understand how to use their bins correctly. We are also happy to arrange door knocking education events. If you would like to arrange a door knocking event, please ask your management company to contact us so we can arrange building access.
If your bins are not secure and can be accessed by people not living in your development, there is a risk that they may be used as a fly-tipping spot. We strongly recommend that bins are secure. If you do not think they are, you should speak to your property manager, landlord or management company and ask them to make some alterations.
