Refuse & Recycling
Waste Collection Status Update 08/08/2025
We understand how important reliable waste collections are and we’re sorry that recent delays have fallen short of the high standards customers expect and deserve from us.
Following recent changes to refuse and recycling collections to prioritise residual waste (grey bins and waste sacks) and garden waste subscriptions, we’d like to provide you with further information and update you on progress and next steps.
Over the last couple of months, we have needed to make some changes to the overtime arrangements for our Waste Services. The change made was to bring them in line with all other overtime arrangements within the Council and this has led to a significant reduction in the uptake of overtime, which has impacted on collection rates and the service provided to customers. Overtime continues to be offered as required to staff.
We have now increased the number of waste collection vehicles and crews to ensure an efficient service can be delivered with collections completed on time. This has allowed us to catch up on residual and garden waste collections, 99 percent of which are now completed.
Following a two-week pause to the service, on Thursday 14 August, green and blue bin collections will resume in line with your usual collection dates and we expect services to be back to normal by the end of August.
We know this will cause inconvenience for our customers and for this we sincerely apologise. We would like to thank residents for their patience and understanding while we resolve this issue and ask them to please visit our website for the most up to date information: https://www.westlancs.gov.uk/refuse-recycling.aspx
Thank you.
Rescheduled recycling collections will now be:
|
Usual Date |
Rescheduled Date |
|
Thursday 31 July |
Thursday 14 August |
|
Friday 1 August |
Friday 15 August |
|
Tuesday 5 August |
Tuesday 19 August |
|
Wednesday 6 August |
Wednesday 20 August |
|
Thursday 7 August |
Thursday 21 August |
|
Friday 8 August |
Friday 22 August |
|
Tuesday 12 August |
Tuesday 26 August |
|
Wednesday 13 August |
Wednesday 27 August |
We would like to thank you for your continued patience whilst we work hard to resolve this situation.
Recycling Centres
If you would like to dispose of any waste, you can find your local Recycling Centre by visiting the links below:
Burscough - Lancashire County Council
Skelmersdale - Lancashire County Council
Recycling centres - Lancashire County Council
Delayed collections
07/08/2025
General waste (Grey bins)
- No operational delays
Recycling (Blue & Green bins)
- As mentioned above, recycling collections (blue and green bins) are postponed until Thursday 14th August
Garden waste (Brown bins)
- No operational delays
Please see ward map for reference: https://www.westlancs.gov.uk/media/547227/all-wards.pdf
Ongoing access issues
- Access issues at Milman Road and surrounding parts of Prescot Road in Aughton due to roadworks.
- Access issues at Tontine and Cinnamon Brow, Up Holland due to roadworks.
- Access issues at Bromilow Road, Skelmersdale due to parked vehicles.
- Access issues at Emlridge in Tanhouse, Skelmersdale due to roadworks.
What goes in your bins?
To find out what items you can recycle in your bins, please click here.
Garden waste collections
Our garden waste collection service is open to all households across the borough. We offer fortnightly collections of garden waste such as leaves and grass cuttings which is then recycled.
For more information on garden waste collections and how to sign up, please click here.
Find your collection dates
Find your collection dates by typing your postcode, street or house name into the 'Your West Lancashire' panel on the right-hand side of this page (on a computer) or at the bottom of this page (on a mobile phone).
Please leave your bins at your normal collection point by 7.00am, with the lid closed and handles facing outwards, and take them back to your property promptly after they have been emptied.
Safe disposal of gas bottles & batteries
We have seen an increase in gas bottles in recycling collected from households, including nitrous oxide bottles, helium bottles, small carbon dioxide bottles and fire extinguishers. Please do not place these in your recycling bins as they cannot be processed through the recycling system and may explode if crushed. Please take empty gas bottles to your local Household Waste Recycling Centre where they can be disposed of safely, find your nearest one here.
Batteries placed in bins can cause fires in the collection vehicles and recycling facilities. Please do not place batteries in any waste or recycling bins. Collect your used batteries and drop them off at your local recycling centre, or at a collection point in a supermarket, DIY centre or local shop.
Missed bin collection
We keep our website and social media updated with major interruptions or delays to collection services. If we are already aware of the missed collection we will make arrangements to return and you will not have to raise a specific enquiry for your address.
If you wish to report a missed collection, please note that this can only be done from 6pm on the day your collection should have taken place. Before reporting a missed bin, please check your bin collection day, you can do this by putting your address into the ‘Your West Lancashire' panel on this page.
To report a missed collection or spillage problem, please click here.
Need a new wheelie bin?
If one or more of your wheelie bins has been stolen, lost or damaged, or if you have moved into a property that does not have any bins, a charge of £25 will be made for each replacement bin.
Households may also qualify for second grey bins if they have a large family or have approved medical waste. Additional bins for medical waste may be issued following assessment of customer need.
Assisted Collections
Assisted collections are available to eligible residents that meet specific criteria such as being physically unable to present bins for collection and living alone. Applications will be assessed and where residents meet the criteria for assisted collections, a Waste Management Officer will make contact to arrange access to the bins.
If your application is approved, all waste receptacles must be left visible and accessible for collection in the agreed location by 7am on collection day.
To submit an application for assisted collection please click here.
