If your waste collections are ‘time-banded’, this means you’re only allowed to put out your recycling and rubbish bags at certain times of day. This may apply to you if you live in a flat above a shop, or the entrance to your property is on a street with high footfall. 

Changes from 8 March 2023 

Collection days and times have changed, and residents now need to provide their own black bags instead of blue bags for general waste. 

We have sent a letter, a leaflet and new bags to everyone affected. If you received a letter but haven’t received new bags and a leaflet, please phone us on 020 8274 4902. 

This page has been updated to explain the new service. 

Residents 

Use our online checker to find out if you have time-banded collections, and when to put your bags out for collection: 

Check your collection days and calendar

If you have time-banded collections, you will have two collection days each week. 

You must: 

  • only put out your recycling and rubbish between 6pm and 8pm on your collection days 
  • place the bags on the pavement, immediately against your premises 
  • put recycling in purple bags 
  • put general rubbish in a black bag (or blue bag with a Merton logo) 
  • put out no more than one bag of general rubbish per week 

We will collect your bags from 8pm. 

Find out what you can put in your recycling and rubbish bags 

You can put out as many purple bags of recycling as you like. 

You may have to pay a penalty charge notice (PCN) if you put out your waste for collection at the wrong time, or more than one bag of general rubbish in the same week. 

How to get more bags 

We deliver purple bags every 6 months, and you can order new purple bags online. 

You need to buy your own black sacks from a supermarket or other shop. 

If you have some blue general rubbish bags with a Merton Council logo, you can continue to use these until they run out, but we no longer provide new ones. 

Businesses 

If you have time-banded collections, you must: 

  • only put out your recycling and rubbish between 6pm and 8pm on your collection days 
  • put your recycling and rubbish in orange and pink bags supplied by us 
  • place the bags on the pavement, immediately against your premises 

We will collect your bags from 8pm.