QR code for the bin collection calendar: always up-to-date pickup dates

The bin collection calendar is one of the most sought-after pieces of information in a municipality. Yet it is often available as a PDF with the year in the filename on the website, and the link in the last municipal newsletter leads nowhere in January. A dynamic QR code solves this problem once and for all.

The problem with the new year

The bin collection calendar is printed on flyers, fridge magnets, stickers for the bin, and in the municipal newsletter. Some of these remain in place for years. If the QR code points directly to the file “waste-calendar-2026.pdf”, it becomes outdated from the next year onward. Those who scan it get old dates or an error page.

The solution: one code, a new destination each year

With a dynamic QR code, the pattern contains only a short redirect. In the dashboard, you specify where it leads. When the new calendar arrives, you enter the new address. All printed codes, including the sticker on the bin from three years ago, now lead to the current calendar.

With time scheduling, you don’t even need to remember a date: You set the code to redirect to the new calendar from January 1st, and upload the file to the website in December.

Where the code can lead

• to the calendar as a PDF, if a file exists
• to the waste collector’s page with a street search
• to the waste page of the municipality website
• to a dedicated page in Same-QR with “All links”: calendar, separation guide, recycling center, bulky waste registration

The link page is practical when there are multiple calendars, for example by district or separated for bio and residual waste. One code, one page, and the resident selects their part.

Where the QR code belongs

• on the back of the printed calendar, so that changes can be found
• as a weatherproof sticker on bins and containers
• in every issue of the municipal newsletter in the same place
• at the recycling center and at collection points

For outdoor stickers, use foil, print the code with a light border and at least 3 cm in size. A code that is scanned from a distance of two meters may be significantly larger.

Changes in the middle of the year

If a collection is cancelled or postponed due to a holiday, simply replace the file or add a note to the link page in the destination. Anyone who opens the calendar via the code always sees the current status.

Conclusion

The bin collection calendar qr code changes every year, but the QR code for it does not have to. Print it once on the calendar, bin, and newspaper, and just swap the destination. On sameqr.com, the first dynamic QR code is free.

Frequently asked questions