• Provide enough space to keep all containers within the property boundary. Residents should not have to store containers on the street.
• If containers are not permanently stored at the front, provide secure and independent access from the rear garden or other storage location to the front of the property.
• Provide at least 1.75 square metres of external space for the waste containers required by each property.

The following waste streams are collected from the boundary of properties in Milton Keynes and the surrounding borough. See the waste receptacle specifications section for container dimensions.

New developments should be designed to accommodate the full set of waste containers.

Each new property should be provided with suitable equipment to help residents reduce waste, in line with the council’s Sustainability Strategy. Developers should contact the council to arrange the following one-off provision when the first residents move in:

• 1 council branded 180 litre black wheeled bin*
• 1 council 180 litre wheeled bin with a red lid*
• 1 council branded 180 litre wheeled bin with a blue lid*
• 1 council branded 140 litre green bin*
• 2 council branded yellow battery bags*
• Home composting bin, for properties with gardens only
• Water butt kit to collect and store water, for properties with gardens only
• Communications pack or educational activities*

*These items must be supplied by the council.

Order bins

• Residents must take refuse and recycling containers to the front boundary. The internal and external layout must make this practical.
• As part of a change of use to an HMO, provide 15 square metres of storage space for a drying area and waste containers.
• Make the external waste storage area secure and unobtrusive. It should be accessible to residents and collection crews but not to other people.
• Ensure the storage area is readily accessible from a road. Crews should not have to use stairs or lifts, cross grass, or enter any part of the building other than the bin storage area.

Because HMO populations can change frequently, the council recommends starting with one 360 litre black general refuse bin. This recommendation is based on an average property with six people or rooms.

If residents want to recycle, the landlord is responsible for ensuring that recycling bins are used correctly. Recycling bins are supplied only when requested by the landlord. If recycling bins are repeatedly contaminated, the council may remove them.

Registered HMO properties can request:

• 1 360 litre black general refuse bin
• 1 180 or 240 litre bin with a red lid for paper and cardboard, on request
• 1 180 or 240 litre bin with a blue lid for plastics, metals and glass, on request
• 1 180 litre bin with a green lid for food and garden waste, on request

Landlords should contact Waste Services to arrange the containers and request an up-to-date information pack for tenants or display within the HMO.

• Keep communal bins in a safe, unobtrusive storage area to reduce visual impact and discourage misuse.
• If the bin area is inside a building,
  • locate it on the ground floor
  • provide level access to the road or an appropriate dropped kerb
  • provide access without requiring crews to pass through the building
  • use closed doors and keep them locked on non-collection days
  • limit access to residents and authorised collection crews.
• Bins should be no more than 10 m from the access point where the collection vehicle stops.
• If the bin area is within a parking area, provide enough clearance and a suitable dropped kerb so bins can be moved safely without damaging parked vehicles. Hatched no-parking areas are recommended.

Design and safety

• Size the area to store every required communal bin and allow safe access around them. Loose waste will not be removed unless it is inside the correct bin.
• Cover bin stores where possible to help prevent unauthorised access, vermin and water entering the store.
• Use bumper strips on walls or floors where bins back onto a wall forming part of a property. This can reduce noise and impact damage.
• Enclose exposed pipework.
• Consider closed-circuit television covering routes to and from the flats and the bin-store entrance to help identify fly-tipping and misuse.

Signage and lighting

• Clearly identify the communal bin store so it is not confused with cycle or other storage.
• Provide automatic lighting activated by passive infrared sensors or a similar system.
• Display the name and contact details of the company or person responsible for the bin store, such as the managing agent.
• Display clear instructions showing how to use each bin correctly.
• Display closed-circuit television signage where cameras are in use.

Access

• Allow residents to access bins from inside the building, or provide a separate locked and covered bin area outside.
• Ensure communal storage doors are unlocked on collection days, or provide a key-code or key-safe code for crews. The council does not accept loose keys. A key may be used only when it is stored in a coded key safe.
• Design communal bin-store doors and gates to open outwards so they remain usable when the store is full.

One set of large 4-wheeled bins is typically enough for 10 to 15 one-bedroom flats. A standard set consists of:

• 1 black 1,100 or 660 litre large 4-wheeled bin for bagged residual, non-recyclable waste
• 1 pink 1,100 or 660 litre large 4-wheeled bin for loose recyclable materials
• 1 140 litre green wheeled bin for food and garden waste, supplied by the council on request

There is a charge for the supply of a large 4-wheeled bin set. Additional bins or collections can be provided, but extra charges apply for the containers, administration and delivery. Contact Waste Services for current prices.

The usual delivery time for council-supplied bins is approximately 15 to 20 working days. If a supplier is delayed, delivery may take up to 12 weeks.

Developers, landlords and property managers may buy the bins themselves. These bins must meet the council’s requirements for size, colour and signage, and comply with British Standard EN 840 so they are compatible with the lifting equipment on council collection vehicles.

All site-supplied bins should:

• match the size and colour of the council’s bins
• display the correct signage and symbols for the waste stream
• be supplied as a complete set, including all required bin types

Several manufacturers can supply suitable bins. The council is not liable for damage to privately supplied bins. Measurements may vary slightly between manufacturers.