This has now passed. What this story describes ran until 26 September 2026. We keep it as a record, and the details below were correct when published. For what is current, see News.

Wheelie bin roadshows visit Edenbridge, Swanley and Sevenoaks this month before collections change on 12 October. The dates, times and free caddy liners.

Sevenoaks District Council is running three wheelie bin roadshows this month, in Edenbridge, Swanley and Sevenoaks, ahead of the switch to the new waste collection service on Monday 12 October. Staff will answer questions about the new bins and recycling, and residents can pick up a free roll of food waste caddy liners while stocks last. (Sevenoaks District Council, Wheelie bin roadshows come to town!)

The dates, all 10am to 2pm:

  • Edenbridge: outside Waitrose, Saturday 19 September
  • Swanley Market: by the southern entrance to Asda, Wednesday 23 September
  • Sevenoaks: Blighs Clock Tower, Saturday 26 September
Wheelie bin roadshow dates: Edenbridge outside Waitrose on Saturday 19 September, Swanley Market by the southern Asda entrance on Wednesday 23 September, Sevenoaks at Blighs Clock Tower on Saturday 26 September, all 10am to 2pm, before the new collection service starts on Monday 12 October 2026
Graphic by Sevenoaks Online
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What changes on 12 October

The roadshows are the last public information push before the biggest change to the district’s bin collections in years, which we covered in full when it was announced in July. In short:

  • Every household gets a 240-litre wheelie bin with a green lid for recycling and a 180-litre black bin for general waste
  • The two bins are emptied on alternate weeks: general waste one week, recycling the next
  • Glass is collected from the kerbside for the first time, in the recycling bin
  • Food waste continues to be collected every week in the existing caddy

(Sevenoaks District Council, Wheelie bin roadshows come to town!)

Cllr Irene Roy, the council’s Cabinet Member for Cleaner and Greener, said: “We are very excited to be introducing new wheelie bin collections. Other areas that use these bins have seen their recycling rates increase significantly, with residents generally welcoming the convenience and ease of this collection system.” She added that the council “ran similar events before introducing food waste collections earlier this year”, and that those were “well attended and well received”. (Sevenoaks District Council, Wheelie bin roadshows come to town!)

What it means for you

If you are unsure what goes in which bin, when your first collections fall, or what happens to the old green recycling bags, the roadshows are the chance to ask someone in person; each runs for four hours in the middle of a shopping day. The council’s own information hub for the change is at sevenoaks.gov.uk/wheeliebins.

Until 12 October, nothing changes: keep using your current collections, and do not put the new wheelie bins out early. Your current collection day is on our Sevenoaks bin collection days page, and the district’s tips are covered in tip opening times.

The rules the new bins come with

The council’s wheelie bin page sets out several rules that are easy to miss and that the roadshow staff can talk through. (Sevenoaks District Council, Wheelie bin collections from October 2026)

  • Leave the seals on. Keep the bins at your property, write your house name or number on them, and leave the seals in place until one week before your first collection.
  • No bins yet? Deliveries run until the start of October. If your neighbours have theirs and you do not, the council asks you to wait 24 hours before reporting a missed delivery, as crews may still be in your area. The same online form covers a faulty bin.
  • Out by 7am. From 12 October bins must be at the edge of your property by 7am and left out until 4pm or until emptied, lids closed. Recycling, general waste and food waste come on different lorries, at times that can change from week to week.
  • No side waste. Rubbish outside the black bin will not be collected, and extra sacks will not be taken. The one exception is flattened cardboard placed neatly beside a full recycling bin.
  • Ashes in the black bin. Cold, bagged ashes from fires, stoves and barbecues go in general waste, as do nappies, pet waste, plastic film, polystyrene and window glass or Pyrex. Glass bottles and jars go in recycling.
  • Dates still to come. The council says it will confirm each household’s alternate week collection dates nearer the time.

Anyone who cannot wheel the bins out for health or mobility reasons can apply for an assisted collection once their bins have arrived. Some properties, such as flats above shops or homes without suitable storage or access, will not get wheelie bins; the council says it will confirm their arrangements in writing. The green recycling bags stop being used on 12 October, and a temporary service to collect unwanted bags will run from early 2027.

Sources

Image: The town centre, Edenbridge, by Stefan Czapski, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Geograph.