Northern Beaches Council is a local authority in New South Wales, home to ~270,000 residents, covering Manly, Dee Why, Mona Vale, Avalon, Brookvale, Narrabeen and Frenchs Forest. Like most Australian councils, it runs a multi-bin kerbside collection service. The day your bins go out, and which bins go out which week, depends on your address.
This guide covers the standard Northern Beaches Council bin colours and frequencies, how to find your specific collection day, and an easier way to never have to think about bin night again.
Northern Beaches Council bin colours and schedule
Northern Beaches runs a 4-bin system: paper and cardboard go in the blue bin, containers in the yellow bin — they alternate fortnightly so only one recycling bin goes out each fortnight. Red bin is weekly; green (vegetation only, no food) is fortnightly.
How to find your collection day in Northern Beaches Council
Your exact collection day depends on your address. Northern Beaches Council divides the area into collection zones to balance truck routes across the week, which means different streets - and sometimes different sides of the same street, can have different days. The most reliable way to check is through the official Northern Beaches Council website:
Check your Northern Beaches Council bin collection day →
Enter your address there to see a personalised schedule, including any upcoming public holiday changes.
Why bin night gets confusing
In NSW, most councils, including Northern Beaches Council, collect general waste weekly and alternate recycling and garden waste on a fortnightly rotation. That means you need to know which week of the fortnight you're in, not just which day.
Public holidays can shift the entire schedule by a day, and some councils push the rotation forward while others skip a week entirely. If you've just moved to Northern Beaches Council, your neighbours may be on a completely different rotation to you, even on the same street.
What the bin colours mean
The bin lid colours used in Northern Beaches Council broadly follow Australia's national standard for kerbside bins (AS 4123.7), with a local variation on the general waste lid colour:
- Red lid: general waste: the things that can't be recycled or composted.
- Blue lid: general waste (used by some South Australian councils in place of the standard red lid).
- Yellow lid: mixed recycling: clean paper, cardboard, glass, plastic and metal containers.
- Green lid: garden organics: lawn clippings, prunings, leaves and small branches.
An easier way to remember bin night
If you're tired of checking calendars and counting fortnights, there's a simpler approach. Bindicator is a small lamp that sits on your kitchen bench or shelf and lights up the night before collection day in the colour of the bins that need to go out. You set it up once (it takes about 2 minutes), and then you never need to check a Northern Beaches Council calendar again.
Everyone in the house can see it. No app to open, no notification to dismiss.. When someone takes the bins out, they tap the lid to turn off the light, so the rest of the household knows it has been handled.
Bindicator costs A$35 with free returns and a 3-year warranty. No subscription, no ongoing cost.
Never think about bin night again.
Ships to Australia and the UK · Free returns · 3-year warranty
Get Bindicator for A$35Northern Beaches Council bin day: frequently asked questions
When is bin day in Northern Beaches Council?
Bin collection day in Northern Beaches Council depends on your specific address. Northern Beaches Council divides its area into multiple collection zones, so neighbouring streets, and even different sides of the same street, can have different days. The most reliable way to check is to enter your address on the official Northern Beaches Council website.
How often is general waste collected in Northern Beaches Council?
In Northern Beaches Council, the red bin (general waste) is collected weekly.
Does Northern Beaches Council have a green or FOGO bin?
Yes, Northern Beaches Council provides a green bin for garden organics (vegetation only). It is collected fortnightly.
What happens to bin collection on public holidays in Northern Beaches Council?
Collection day usually shifts by one day after a public holiday in Northern Beaches Council, with the rest of the week pushed back. Major holidays like Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day, Australia Day and ANZAC Day are most often affected. Always check the council website around public holidays. Exact arrangements vary year to year.
What if I miss a bin collection in Northern Beaches Council?
If your bins were not emptied on collection day, leave them out and contact Northern Beaches Council to report a missed collection. Most councils will return within 1–2 working days. Bringing the bins in and putting them out again the following week is the next-best option.
