Sevenoaks bin collections start an hour earlier during the heatwave

Bin crews across the Sevenoaks district are starting their rounds an hour earlier than usual this week because of the heatwave, and the council is asking residents to have their waste out earlier to match. The change runs from Monday 22 June to Friday 26 June 2026, and applies to refuse and recycling sacks and food waste bins. (Sevenoaks District Council, Early start for waste collections during the heatwave)

The practical point for households is the cut-off time. With crews out earlier, the council wants everything kerbside by 6am on your normal collection day rather than the usual deadline, so nothing is missed if the lorry reaches your road sooner than it would in cooler weather.

Why collections are starting early

The council has linked the change directly to the temperatures forecast for the week. In its notice it says: “Excessively hot temperatures make working conditions tough for our crews, and this early start will give them more time to work in the cooler part of the day.” (Sevenoaks District Council, Early start for waste collections during the heatwave)

Refuse collection is heavy outdoor work, and an earlier start lets crews get the bulk of each round done before the hottest part of the afternoon. Your collection day itself does not change: only the time the lorry may turn up does, which is why the advice is simply to put things out earlier rather than on a different day.

What it means for you

Three things are worth doing this week:

• Put your sacks and food waste bin out by 6am. If you normally leave it until you head out to work, set it out the night before or first thing instead. A round that usually reaches you mid-morning could come noticeably earlier.
• Mind the food waste in the heat. Warm weather makes food caddies smell quickly and attract flies. Keeping the caddy lid closed, lining it, and putting it out on the day rather than letting it sit all week helps. If you can keep bins and caddies in shade until collection morning, do.
• Check your day if you are not sure. Your collection day is unchanged, but if you have recently moved or simply want to confirm it, the council runs a free address checker at its find your waste collection day page.

The earlier start is a temporary measure for this week only. After Friday 26 June, collections are expected to return to their normal times. (Sevenoaks District Council, Early start for waste collections during the heatwave)

More on bins in Sevenoaks

This change lands in the middle of a bigger year for waste in the district. Sevenoaks is rolling out new wheelie bins, a weekly food waste caddy and its first kerbside glass collection during 2026, so the sack-based service many households use now is on its way out. Our Sevenoaks bin collection days guide explains how to find your day, what goes in which bin, how bank holidays affect collections, and what is changing with the new wheelie bins. For council service decisions behind the waste changes, see our roundup of recent Sevenoaks council decisions.

Sources

• Sevenoaks District Council, Early start for waste collections during the heatwave (dates, one-hour-earlier start, 6am deadline, affected collections, and the reason quoted)
• Sevenoaks District Council, Find your waste collection day

Image: Granville Road, Sevenoaks, by Malc McDonald, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Geograph.