Waste Collection Day Changes

Some bins collection days are to be changed across East Cambridgeshire from 28 March 2022 to improve service efficiency for residents and reduce carbon emissions.

Households have been sent a letter informing them of the changes which will involve blue, green, and black sack routes.

Some areas of the district will continue to have the same collection day. East Cambs Street Scene (ECSS), which operates independently as a trading arm of East Cambridgeshire District Council, is responsible for waste collection and street cleansing across the district.

It estimates that by simply changing which rounds are completed on which day, it will save nearly 5000 litres of diesel and 12 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year. This is the equivalent of taking one truck off the road every single day.

Rearranging the rounds, so teams can work their way more methodically through the district will also allow waste operatives to work more efficiently. This will help ECSS become more resilient when it comes to managing the organisation’s resources.

Blue and green bins will continue to be collected on an alternate basis and residents should continue to check their calendars and our website for bank holiday changes.

The new collection days and areas are as follows

Monday - Long Meadow, Lode, Bottisham, Burrough Green, Brinkley, Dullingham, Six Mile Bottom, Stetchworth, Westley Waterless, Woodditton, Ditton Green, Little Ditton, Upend, Fordham, Badlingham, Chippenham, Kennett, Snailwell, Newmarket, Ashley, Silverley, Cheveley, Kirtling, Saxon Street;

Tuesday – Burwell, Reach, Swaffham Prior, Swaffham Bulbeck, Barway, Soham Fen, Stuntney, Isleham; and from 17 May - Wicken, Upware, some areas of Queen Adelaide, Prickwillow, Shippea Hill, Little Ouse, Redmere and some rural areas of Littleport;

Wednesday – Littleport, Queen Adelaide, Prickwillow, Shippea Hill, Little Ouse, Redmere, Soham, Upware, Wicken;

Thursday – Haddenham, Aldreth, Earith, Wentworth, Stretham, Chittering, Wilburton, Sutton, Witcham Toll, Witchford, Witcham, Mepal, Wardy Hill, Coveney, Pymoor, Little Downham;

Friday – Ely, some areas of Queen Adelaide, Chettisham, Little Thetford.

We realise residents have had to cope with a lot of recent changes to their bins collections, but we hope these changes will help benefit everyone involved in the longer term, including the environment.

How will this affect you?

The frequency of collections will remain the same, with BLACK bags collected weekly and BLUE and GREEN bins collected fortnightly. 

  • You may experience a change in your collection day and week.

  • Your waste may be collected at a different time of the day.

  • Your waste may be collected by a different crew.

What do you need to do?

Ensure your waste is presented to your collection point by 7am.

Continue to use your BLUE bin for mixed dry recycling, your GREEN bin for garden and food waste and your BLACK bag for general waste.

A letter telling you which day your bin will be collected was sent to your property in February/March.

To check your new collection day, please use our address checker.


Below are some frequently asked questions to support you through this change.

Why are waste collection days changing?

We estimate that by simply changing which rounds are completed on which day, we will save nearly 5000 litres of diesel and 12 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year. This is the equivalent of taking one truck off the road every single day.

Rearranging our rounds so teams can work their way more methodically throughout the district will also allow waste operatives to work more efficiently.

Why have I been sent a letter if my bin collection day is not changing?

We have sent letters to all residents informing them what their bin collection day will be, together with a new calendar which shows what days collections will be over the forthcoming Bank Holidays.

Why am I having two consecutive green or blue bin collections?

Changes to our waste collection days mean some households may experience two green bin or two blue bin collections in a row as the new rounds are introduced. If this is likely to cause you any issues, please contact us.

Will my rubbish still be collected every week?

Yes. We will continue to collect black sacks every week.

Will my blue and green bins still be collected every fortnight?

Yes. We will continue to collect blue and green bins fortnightly. Please check your new calendar to see when your next collection date is.

In some instances, you may have to wait a little longer for your blue or green bin to be collected while ECSS gets the new rounds in place. Please bear with us. 

If you have additional needs and need help with your recycling during this time, please contact us. 

Will my waste collection days still change on Bank Holidays?

Yes. We have lots of Bank Holidays coming up this year. Please refer to your calendar or online to see when your waste collection dates will be.

What time do I have to put my bin out by?

The time ECSS collect your bin may change. 

To enable teams to complete rounds as efficiently as possible, please continue to put your bins out by 7am on the day of your collection. Waste presented after this time may not be collected. 

Why are you making these changes now?

There is never a good time to make changes like this. We realise this may cause you some temporary inconvenience but in the longer term it means we can provide you with a more efficient and resilient service. It will also help benefit the environment at the same time.

Can I still get an additional Blue bin?

Yes. You can order an additional blue bin for a one-off charge. Please see our website for more information about additional bins.

Can I still get an additional Garden bin?

Yes. There is a yearly charge for an additional garden waste bin. This service runs from 1 April to 31 March. Please see our website for more information about additional bins.

Will my collection crew be changing?

We are not making any redundancies as part of these changes, but you may find you get a different team to collect your bins.

Will there be any changes to how much Council Tax I pay as a result of these changes?

No. As the frequency of the service is staying the same, the amount you pay in Council Tax will also stay the same.