Time banding

Improving the City's streets

The Time Banding Scheme applies to both residential and commercial bagged waste (including recycling and loose cardboard) collections across the City.

All businesses and residents are restricted from putting out waste and recycling sacks/bags and loose cardboard for collection on the public highway and footpaths during certain hours every day the week.

If you are a resident within the Square Mile and your property does not have a binstore, you are required to place your city of London clear recycling and white general waste bags on the street for collection between 6.30pm and 7.30pm, Monday to Saturday only. If the specified waste and recycling presentation time is missed, your bags must be stored off the street until the next scheduled collection. Please note, there are no collections on Sundays or Bank Holidays so please do not put your bags on the street for collection. This is in order to comply with the City of London's Time Banding scheme. Please be advised that if bags are on the street outside of these times, on Sundays or Bank Holidays, you could be fined.

There are a number of commercial waste carriers which support the scheme. You will need to arrange with your waste carrier the times which are suitable for it to collect your waste. 

The Scheme does not affect residents and businesses using wheelie bins or internal compactors to store and dispose of waste.

The scheme significantly improves the quality of the street environment by reduces the number of obstructions on the footway, increasing access and improving safety for pedestrians. Restricting the periods when bagged waste is on the street reduces the opportunity for loose rubbish to be added to the bagged waste, which is a food source for vermin.