Refuse

We provide a fortnightly refuse collection to all residential properties in Torridge. Your refuse should be placed out in bin bags or in a dustbin no taller than 70cm by 5.45am on your scheduled collection day.

Find the collection dates for my address

We do not provide any bins for storing your refuse bags. Torridge District Council has operated a black bag based refuse collection service for many years and at present has no plans to move to a wheelie bin based service. One issue we would face with using wheelie bins in such a rural area is their placement at remote collection points. Some of the areas of the district present a range of access problems for our refuse crews. The use of refuse sacks allows us to collect from very tight areas using smaller vehicles which then decant the collected bags into a waiting refuse truck.

Our long term aim is to reduce the amount of waste being presented for disposal by promoting our recycling service. At present Torridge District Council recycles over 50% of all waste produced in the district. By working with the public we hope to build on this and further reduce the amount of black refuse sacks we collect.

 Any items that are too large to fit into a refuse bag would be classed as a bulky item. Bulky items can be collected but it is a chargeable service. Please see our page on our Bulky item collection service for more information.

Please do not place loose items out for collection. We ask that all items are placed in a refuse bag so that the crews can be certain that they are to be disposed of.

Please note: We do not take the following items with your refuse collection: Plasterboard, builders waste, garden waste, paint tins, clinical waste, chemicals and slaughterhouse waste.

Renewable Energy

Devon County Council is one of the top performing counties for recycling in England. Continuing to reduce, reuse and recycle waste is a priority for the authority. However, even after extensive recycling activity, there will always be a proportion of waste left over that can't be recycled, reused or composted. This is known as residual waste. In Devon, the majority of waste that isn't reused, recycled or composted is sent to one of two energy recovery facilities either in Exeter or Plymouth. These plants combust residual (black bin) waste at extremely high temperatures in a controlled environment to produce energy which is transformed into power and steam.

Energy from waste is a mature technology with an established track-record, widely in use across Europe and Scandinavia. It is a clean and safe process that burns waste in a controlled environment to produce steam and electricity - enough to power 5,000 homes in the case of Exeter. Regulated by the Environment Agency, the emissions are constantly monitored to ensure they fall within strict limits.