The quickest way to set a bin day reminder is to add a recurring weekly alert in your phone's Calendar or Reminders app — but for a hands-off solution that automatically shifts dates around bank holidays, a dedicated app like BinMate is far more reliable.
Why a simple phone reminder often isn't enough
A recurring reminder sounds ideal in theory: set it once and forget it. In practice, bin day reminders have a well-known failure mode — bank holidays. Almost every UK council shifts collections by at least one working day when a bank holiday falls mid-week, and many shift by two or three days over Christmas and New Year. A static weekly reminder has no knowledge of any of that.
Councils across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland all handle bank holiday disruptions differently. Some collect a day late; others catch up on Saturday; a handful run to their own bespoke schedule. There is no single nationwide rule. If your reminder fires on Thursday morning and the lorry is actually coming on Friday this week, the bag of recycling stays on the kerb — or worse, it doesn't make it out at all.
That said, using a basic phone reminder is a reasonable starting point, especially if your council rarely changes its schedule. Here is how to do it on both platforms.
Setting a bin reminder on iPhone
Apple gives you two built-in options: the Reminders app and the Calendar app. Both can create repeating alerts.
Using the iPhone Reminders app
- Open Reminders and tap New Reminder.
- Name it something clear — "Put bins out tonight" works well.
- Tap the i (info) button next to the reminder name.
- Toggle on Date and set the date and time you want the alert (the evening before collection is ideal).
- Tap Repeat and choose Weekly (or Fortnightly if your council runs alternate-week collections).
- Tap Done.
Using the iPhone Calendar app
- Open Calendar and tap the + button.
- Add a title and set the date for your next collection eve.
- Enable Alert and choose a time — "At time of event" or "1 hour before" both work.
- Tap Repeat and select Every Week.
- Tap Add to save.
Setting a bin reminder on Android
On Android the most widely available option is Google Calendar, which comes pre-installed on most devices.
- Open Google Calendar and tap the + (Create) button.
- Select Event.
- Give it a name and pick the date of your next collection eve.
- Set a start time for your alert — early evening (around 7–8 pm) tends to catch people before they settle in for the night.
- Tap Does not repeat and change it to Every week (or every 2 weeks for fortnightly collections).
- Tap Save.
Some Android phones also have a dedicated Clock or Reminders app; the steps are broadly similar — create an alarm or reminder, name it, set the time, and enable weekly repetition.
Comparing your options
| Method | Setup effort | Handles bank holidays | Works on fortnightly schedule |
|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone Reminders (manual) | Low | No — manual update needed | Yes (set to fortnightly) |
| Google Calendar (manual) | Low | No — manual update needed | Yes (set to every 2 weeks) |
| BinMate app | Very low (postcode or quick manual) | Yes — automatic date shifting | Yes |
The bank holiday problem in practice
In 2026 alone, England and Wales have eight public bank holidays. Many fall on Mondays, which pushes collections for Tuesday–Friday households forward by one day that week. Over Christmas and New Year the disruption often stretches across two or three weeks, with some councils collecting on Saturdays they would normally leave empty.
If you rely on a static weekly alarm, you need to manually check your council's website before every bank holiday and update the reminder yourself. That is fine if you remember to do it — but it rather defeats the purpose of a reminder in the first place.
You can check your council's latest schedule at any time via GOV.UK's rubbish collection day finder. Bear in mind that each council publishes its own bank holiday changes; there is no centralised feed. Find out how to look up your specific bin day.
A smarter approach: use BinMate
BinMate is a UK bin-collection reminder app for iPhone and Android, built specifically to solve the problems that manual calendar reminders cannot. Here is what it does differently:
- Automatic bank-holiday date shifting — BinMate adjusts your reminders whenever a bank holiday would affect your collection, so you do not have to.
- Night-before and morning-of alerts — you get a nudge the evening before to put the bins out, and another on the morning of collection day if needed.
- Home-screen widget — glance at your phone's home screen to see which bin goes out next and when.
- Postcode auto-detect in selected areas — BinMate can detect your schedule automatically in supported postcodes; everywhere else, quick manual setup takes under a minute.
If you have ever left the wrong bin out — or forgotten entirely — because a bank holiday caught you off guard, this is the problem BinMate is designed to solve. Read more about never missing a bin collection day.
Frequently asked questions
How do I set a fortnightly bin reminder on my phone?
In the iPhone Reminders or Calendar app, choose "Every 2 Weeks" in the repeat options. In Google Calendar on Android, set the recurrence to "Every 2 weeks." Start the reminder on the evening before your next collection so the two-week cycle stays in sync. Just remember that any bank holiday falling in that fortnight may shift your actual collection date, so double-check with your council when one is approaching.
Will a phone calendar reminder update automatically for bank holidays?
No. A manually created recurring reminder in Apple Calendar, Google Calendar, or the Reminders app does not know anything about bank holidays. It will fire on the same day every week regardless. You need to either manually adjust the reminder each time a bank holiday affects your collection, or use a dedicated app like BinMate that handles this automatically.
What time should I set my bin day reminder?
Most people find an alert the previous evening — somewhere between 7 pm and 9 pm — works best, as it gives you time to drag the bins out before bed. A second reminder on the morning of collection (around 6–7 am) is useful if your lorry comes early. BinMate sends both a night-before and a morning-of alert by default.
Do all UK councils collect bins on the same days after a bank holiday?
No — bin collection bank holiday arrangements vary by council. The most common approach is to shift every collection that week forward by one working day, but some councils collect on Saturdays to catch up, others run a different bespoke timetable, and a small number make no change at all. Always check your local council's website before a bank holiday to confirm your revised collection day.
