Report a Missed Bin
Why was my bin not emptied?
If you feel that your bin collection has been missed, you should report this via our online reporting here; Waste - Domestic - Report a missed bin collection - MyOrkney or to our customer services team 01856873535.
Please note that your bin or bags should be out at the designated collection point no later than 08:00 on your collection day. Please do not report your bin as missed before 15:00 on the collection day as there may have been issues and route changes on that day. OIC will not normally send the collection vehicle back to your property except under exceptional circumstances. If your bin has been missed by our collection team then please take the waste or recycling to the nearest recycling centre details of which can be found here; Household Waste Recycling Centre. Alternatively, please hold onto it for the next collection if there is enough space in your bin as OIC do not collect side waste.
During inclement weather such as high winds, OIC may decide not to collect certain recycling streams especially those which the wind may blow from the vehicles causing an environmental litter impact, or in extreme cases may not make any collections at all. When there is snow and ice on the roads this may also impact collection as it would not be safe to operate the vehicles in such road conditions. When this happens OIC will make efforts to return as soon as practical to make these collections, details of such arrangements will be notified via our website, social media and local press (especially Radio Orkney) due to the fast reaction required in making these arrangements, you may also call customer services for further information. In these circumstances it may, if safe, be an idea to leave your bin out for collection on the following day/s.
Contaminated Recycling bins
Recycling containers presented for collection which include items not in the collection week schedule, we will consider it as contaminated. If your bin is unemptied, our waste teams will attach a green or yellow tag to the bin to explain the reason we did not empty your bin. Common examples are plastics which are not bottle shaped and corrugated cardboard.
Orkney Islands Council currently do not have a sorting facility for recycling which is why we collected in separate streams. By baling each stream collected separately OIC ensures the best price for it which helps the Orkney community maintain its waste service.
Details of what you should and should not put in your kerbside collection can be found at the following places.
A larger range of recycling streams are made available to Orkney residents and visitors at our five Mainland Waste or recycling sites; Household Waste Recycling Centre, which includes electrical, batteries, cardboard, green garden waste.
There are bring sites throughout Orkney which can be found here: Recycling Centres - What and Where to Recycle.
Love your bin - love your bin collector!
Below are some reminders of the simple things you can do to help bin collections run smoothly and prolong the life of your bin. Taking these steps will help our crews empty bins quickly - safely - and complete their schedules.
- Have your council issued bins or red bags out at the designated collection point by 08:00 on your collection day. Routes do change with operational reasons so OIC may collect your bin at a different time to usual so having your bin out by 08:00 ensures that any changes do not affect your collection.
- Put bins with within two metres of the public carriageway. Bear in mind that a small side road, farm access road or unadopted housing scheme may appear to be ‘roadside, but they may not be in fact be a public road – if you are unsure, you can contact OIC to check.
- Make sure you leave your bin where the waste operatives can easily see it. If you are able having the bin handles facing the road will speed up operations and reduce handling times.
- You may have your bin attached to something between collection days, please ensure that you undo this for collection. OIC waste routes do not allow time to undo restraints on bins.
- If you live in an exposed area, especially for wind, you may use a smooth weight of up to two Kg to hold the bin in place or one of the approved bin clips details of which can be found here; Windy weather – bin clips and other advice.
- If your bin breaks OIC will place a red tag on it indicating the issue, it also has a QR code on it to direct you to the form to request a new one. Please do not reuse the bin as the issue may cause the bin to jam in the collection vehicle or fall off and injure an operative or passer-by.
- Look after your bin, you may be the first to notice it has become broken. Please do not pack the contents in tightly as this will damage it in the emptying process or mean OIC cannot fully empty it. Be aware of the weight, excessive amounts of food waste, cat litter, animal bedding or nappies for example may make the bin too heavy. Heavy bins do break on the lifting edge and fall. Minimising food waste or composting it and using washable nappies when you can, are two great ways to reduce the weight of your bin.
- A word about caddies. OIC initially gave out caddies for recycling separation with the recycling bins. This was when OIC used different vehicles for collection, however these vehicles are no longer in the fleet and so caddies cannot be used to present recycling for collection. You may still use them to aid separation of your recycling. Tipping caddies into the waste vehicles creates a safety risk for OIC operatives as they must enter the automatic bin lift area to tip it.
- Lastly the waste team are here to help. If you are struggling with capacity, there is an additional capacity scheme and for those close to the collection points but without the ability to move your bins an assisted collection for which you may qualify. Remember to not put out extra bags beside your bins waste as OIC will not collect it to preserve room in the vehicle, please take any extra to one of the OIC Watse and recycling centres or as a neighbour if they have space to take it.
