Refuse Collections
General Household Waste
General household waste is collected weekly.
In seaside towns, it is collected from the back door of the property.
In all other areas, waste is collected weekly from immediately inside the front boundary of the property.
You are responsible for your waste until it is collected. You must put out your rubbish in suitable containers to prevent it becoming litter, e.g. due to the activities of foraging animals and birds. Rigid containers are preferable to plastic bags.
Except where it is unavoidable due to the layout of the property, waste should be presented for collection within the property, not on the street.
When should it be put out?
In all locations across the district, waste should be put out for collection by 7.00am on collection day, but not sooner than the evening before collection day.
(Please note that previously, in Exmouth, Budleigh Salterton, Sidmouth, Beer and Seaton during the months of May to September inclusive, waste had to be put out by 5.00am on collection day. This is no longer the case from Tuesday, 1 May 2007 and all waste should be put out by 7.00am.)
It is illegal to deposit your household waste in a litterbin or to leave it in a public place.
Bank Holiday collection information will be distributed to households. Click here for details of bank holiday collection date changes.
Only general household waste may be put into bins or sacks. We will not collect bins or bags if the contents
- include garden waste;
- weigh over 25kg;
- contain bulky items that wouldn't fit into a 90 litre bin;
- contain hazardous waste, e.g. clinical needles, etc.
This list is not exclusive and we will use our discretion about whether to collect waste from a property.
The council has signed a new refuse contract with SITA, our partner in refuse and recycling. We are introducing improvements to both services, and these will be phased in over the two years starting from 1 April 2006.
There will be no additional cost to the Council Tax payer for the improved service, due to the terms negotiated with SITA. The company is currently in discussions with EDDC about a number of improvements that will be phased in over the next few years.
The main emphasis of the contract is on recycling more materials. The phased approach will ensure that there is a smooth transition to such issues as:
- Recycling boxes for every household
- More frequent recycling collections
- More materials for recycling - e.g. plastic bottles
The council is responding to Government targets to recycle 27% of household waste, rising to 30% by 2010. The new service, once fully implemented, should enable the Council to comply with those targets.
