What you need before you start
Open the collection schedule from your council or waste collector's website. Most publish it as a PDF, a postcode lookup or a list of dates. For each bin, note three things:
- Which bin – general waste, recycling, paper, glass, garden or food waste.
- How often – every week, every two weeks, every four weeks, once a month, or on irregular dates.
- Which day – and, for fortnightly bins, the date of the next collection, so the rhythm starts in the right week.
In the UK you can find your council through the official find your bin collection day service.
Step 1: Add your bins
On garbage.center each bin is one card. Pick the type, and the colour is set to match the usual bin colour – you can change it if your council uses different ones. Choose the rhythm:
| Your council says | Choose |
|---|---|
| Every Tuesday | Weekly, Tuesday |
| Every other Thursday | Every 2 weeks, Thursday, and the date of the next collection |
| Every four weeks | Every 4 weeks, with the next date |
| First Monday of the month | Monthly |
| A list of dates (common for glass or bulky waste) | Specific dates |
Garden waste often stops in winter. Set a start and end date on that card and the calendar leaves the winter months empty.
Step 2: Fix the holiday weeks
Around Christmas, New Year and Easter collections usually move by a day or two. Add each change as a day exception (for example *25 December → 27 December, general waste*). The printed calendar then shows the real date, not the regular one.
Step 3: Print it
The preview on the right is exactly what you will print. Download the PDF in the layout that suits your fridge:
- Year overview – the whole year on one A4 page.
- Half a year per page – bigger days, readable from across the kitchen.
- List of dates – compact, months × bin types.
- Black & white – letters instead of colours, for printers without colour ink.
Prefer to write it by hand? Download a blank 2027 template: whole year on one page, half a year per page.
Step 4: Get a reminder on your phone
A printed calendar does not wake you up on collection morning. Save the calendar and tap Add to phone: it subscribes your phone's calendar (Google Calendar, Apple Calendar or Outlook) to the dates, so every collection shows up with an alert. If the council changes a date and you edit the calendar, the phone updates by itself.
Step 5: Share it with your street
A saved calendar has its own link. Send it to your household, neighbours or the residents' group – nobody needs an account to open it, print it or add it to their phone.
FAQ
Is it free?
Yes. Creating, printing and adding the calendar to your phone is free for households.
Does garbage.center know my council's dates?
No. garbage.center is an independent tool, not affiliated with any council or waste collector. You copy the dates from your council's official schedule, and you should check that schedule if anything changes.
Can I make a calendar for 2027 already?
Yes. Pick 2027 in the year menu. If you already have a calendar for this year, use *Copy to 2027* and only adjust the dates that changed.
My bins alternate every week. How do I enter that?
Add both bins as *every 2 weeks* on the same weekday and give each one the date of its next collection. One will fall on odd weeks and the other on even weeks.
Can I print it without colours?
Yes. Choose one of the black & white layouts – each bin type gets a letter, so it stays readable on a black-and-white printer.