https://github.com/robbrad/ukbincollectiondata
UK Council Bin Collection Data Parser Outputting Bin Data as a JSON
https://github.com/robbrad/ukbincollectiondata
home-assistant ukbincollection
Last synced: 6 days ago
JSON representation
UK Council Bin Collection Data Parser Outputting Bin Data as a JSON
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/robbrad/ukbincollectiondata
- Owner: robbrad
- License: mit
- Created: 2020-01-24T19:45:26.000Z (about 6 years ago)
- Default Branch: master
- Last Pushed: 2025-04-13T15:55:12.000Z (11 months ago)
- Last Synced: 2025-04-13T15:59:09.251Z (11 months ago)
- Topics: home-assistant, ukbincollection
- Language: Python
- Homepage:
- Size: 4.65 MB
- Stars: 229
- Watchers: 4
- Forks: 124
- Open Issues: 54
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- Changelog: CHANGELOG.md
- Contributing: CONTRIBUTING.md
- License: LICENSE
- Code of conduct: CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md
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# UK Bin Collection Data (UKBCD)
This project aims to provide a neat and standard way of providing bin collection data in JSON format from UK councils that have no API to do so.
Why would you want to do this?
You might want to use this in Home Automation—for example, say you had an LED bar that lit up on the day of bin collection to the colour of the bin you want to take out; then this repo provides the data for that.
**PLEASE respect a councils' infrastructure / usage policy and only collect data for your own personal use on a suitable frequency to your collection schedule.**
Most scripts make use of [Beautiful Soup 4](https://pypi.org/project/beautifulsoup4/) to scrape data, although others use different approaches, such as emulating web browser behaviour, or reading data from CSV files.
[](https://community.home-assistant.io/t/bin-waste-collection/55451)
[](https://github.com/robbrad/UKBinCollectionData/issues/new/choose)
---
## Requesting your council
> :warning: Please check that a request for your council has not already been made. You can do this by searching on the [Issues](https://github.com/robbrad/UKBinCollectionData/issues) page.
If an issue already exists, please comment on that issue to express your interest. Please do not open a new issue, as it will be closed as a duplicate.
If an issue does not already exist, please fill in a new [Council Request](https://github.com/robbrad/UKBinCollectionData/issues/new/choose) form, including as much information as possible, including:
- Name of the council.
- URL to bin collections.
- An example postcode and/or [UPRN](https://uprn.uk/) (whichever is relevant).
- Any further information.
Please be aware that this project is run by volunteer contributors and completion depends on numerous factors - even with a request, we cannot guarantee if/when your council is added to this integration.
---
## Home Assistant Usage
### Install with HACS (recommended)
#### Automated
[](https://github.com/hacs/integration)
This integration can be installed directly via HACS. To install:
* [Add the repository](https://my.home-assistant.io/redirect/hacs_repository/?owner=robbrad&repository=UKBinCollectionData&category=integration) to your HACS installation
* Click `Download`
For details on how to setup the custom component integration, see the [documentation](https://github.com/robbrad/UKBinCollectionData/tree/master/custom_components/uk_bin_collection).
#### Manual
1. Ensure you have [HACS](https://hacs.xyz/) installed
1. In the Home Assistant UI go to `HACS` > `Integrations` > `⋮` > `Custom repositories`.
1. Enter `https://github.com/robbrad/UKBinCollectionData` in the `Repository` field.
1. Select `Integration` as the category then click `ADD`.
1. Click `+ Add Integration` and search for and select `UK Bin Collection Data` then click `Download`.
1. Restart your Home Assistant.
1. In the Home Assistant UI go to `Settings` > `Devices & Services` click `+ Add Integration` and search for `UK Bin Collection Data`.
1. If you see a "URL of the remote Selenium web driver to use" field when setting up your council, you'll need to provide the URL to a web driver you've set up separately such as [standalone-chrome](https://hub.docker.com/r/selenium/standalone-chrome).
### Install manually
1. Open the folder for your Home Assistant configuration (where you find `configuration.yaml`).
1. If you do not have a `custom_components` folder there, you need to create it.
1. [Download](https://github.com/robbrad/UKBinCollectionData/archive/refs/heads/master.zip) this repository then copy the folder `custom_components/uk_bin_collection` into the `custom_components` folder you found/created in the previous step.
1. Restart your Home Assistant.
1. In the Home Assistant UI go to `Settings` > `Devices & Services` click `+ Add Integration` and search for `UK Bin Collection Data`.
### Overriding the Bin Icon and Bin Colour
We realise it is difficult to set a colour from the councils text for the Bin Type and to keep the integration generic, we don't capture colour from a council (not all councils supply this as a field), only bin type and next collection date.
When you configure the component on the first screen, you can set a JSON string to map the bin type to the colour and icon
Here is an example to set the colour and icon for the type `Empty Standard General Waste`. This type is the type returned from the council for the bin. You can do this for multiple bins.
If you miss this on the first setup, you can reconfigure it.
```json
{
"Empty Standard General Waste":
{
"icon": "mdi:trash-can",
"color": "blue"
}
}
```
---
## Standalone Usage
```commandline
PS G:\Projects\Python\UKBinCollectionData\uk_bin_collection\collect_data.py
usage: collect_data.py [-h] [-p POSTCODE] [-n NUMBER] [-u UPRN] module URL
positional arguments:
module Name of council module to use (required)
URL URL to parse (required)
options:
-h, --help show this help message (optional)
-p POSTCODE, --postcode POSTCODE Postcode to parse - should include (optional)
a space and be wrapped in double
quotes
-n NUMBER, --number NUMBER House number to parse (optional)
-u UPRN, --uprn UPRN UPRN to parse (optional)
```
### Quickstart
The basic command to execute a script is:
```commandline
python collect_data.py ""
```
where ```council_name``` is the name of the council's .py script (without the .py) and ```collection_url``` is the URL to scrape.
The help documentation refers to these as "module" and "URL", respectively. Supported council scripts can be found in the `uk_bin_collection/uk_bin_collection/councils` folder.
Some scripts require additional parameters, for example, when a UPRN is not passed in a URL, or when the script is not scraping a web page.
For example, the Leeds City Council script needs two additional parameters—a postcode, and a house number. This is done like so:
```commandline
python collect_data.py LeedsCityCouncil https://www.leeds.gov.uk/residents/bins-and-recycling/check-your-bin-day -p "LS1 2JG" -n 41
```
- A **postcode** can be passed with `-p "postcode"` or `--postcode "postcode"`. The postcode must always include a space in the middle and
be wrapped in double quotes (due to how command line arguments are handled).
- A **house number** can be passed with `-n number` or `--number number`.
- A **UPRN reference** can be passed with `-u uprn` or `--uprn uprn`.
To check the parameters needed for your council's script, please check the [project wiki](https://github.com/robbrad/UKBinCollectionData/wiki) for more information.
### Project dependencies
Some scripts rely on external packages to function. A list of required scripts for both development and execution can be found in the project's [PROJECT_TOML](https://github.com/robbrad/UKBinCollectionData/blob/feature/%2353_integration_tests/pyproject.toml).
Install can be done via `poetry install` from within the root of the repo.
---
## UPRN Finder
Some councils make use of the UPRN (Unique property reference number) to identify your property. You can find yours [here](https://www.findmyaddress.co.uk/search) or [here](https://uprn.uk/).
---
## Selenium
Some councils need Selenium to run the scrape on behalf of Home Assistant. The easiest way to do this is run Selenium as in a Docker container. However that you do this, the Home Assistant server must be able to reach the Selenium server.
### Instructions for Windows, Linux, and Mac
#### Step 1: Install Docker
##### Windows
1. **Download Docker Desktop for Windows:**
* Go to the Docker website: Docker Desktop for Windows.
* Download and install Docker Desktop.
2. **Run Docker Desktop:**
* After installation, run Docker Desktop.
* Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the setup.
* Ensure Docker is running by checking the Docker icon in the system tray.
##### Linux
1. **Install Docker:**
* Open a terminal and run the following commands:
```bash
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install \
apt-transport-https \
ca-certificates \
curl \
gnupg \
lsb-release
curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/docker-archive-keyring.gpg
echo \
"deb [arch=$(dpkg --print-architecture) signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/docker-archive-keyring.gpg] https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu \
$(lsb_release -cs) stable" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list > /dev/null
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io
```
2. **Start Docker:**
* Run the following command to start Docker:
```bash
sudo systemctl start docker
```
3. **Enable Docker to start on boot:**
bash
Copy code
```bash
sudo systemctl enable docker
```
##### Mac
1. **Download Docker Desktop for Mac:**
* Go to the Docker website: Docker Desktop for Mac.
* Download and install Docker Desktop.
2. **Run Docker Desktop:**
* After installation, run Docker Desktop.
* Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the setup.
* Ensure Docker is running by checking the Docker icon in the menu bar.
#### Step 2: Pull and Run Selenium Standalone Chrome Docker Image
1. **Open a terminal or command prompt:**
2. **Pull the Selenium Standalone Chrome image:**
```bash
docker pull selenium/standalone-chrome
```
3. **Run the Selenium Standalone Chrome container:**
```bash
docker run -d -p 4444:4444 --name selenium-chrome selenium/standalone-chrome
```
#### Step 3: Test the Selenium Server
1. **Navigate to the Selenium server URL in your web browser:**
* Open a web browser and go to `http://localhost:4444`.
* You should see the Selenium Grid console.
#### Step 4: Supply the Selenium Server URL to UKBinCollectionData
1. **Find the `UKBinCollectionData` project:**
* Go to the GitHub repository: [UKBinCollectionData](https://github.com/robbrad/UKBinCollectionData).
2. **Supply the Selenium Server URL:**
* Typically, the URL will be `http://localhost:4444/wd/hub`.
* You might need to update a configuration file or environment variable in the project to use this URL. Check the project's documentation for specific instructions.
### Summary of Commands
**Windows/Linux/Mac:**
```bash
docker pull selenium/standalone-chrome docker run -d -p 4444:4444 --name selenium-chrome selenium/standalone-chrome
```
**Selenium Server URL:**
* `http://localhost:4444/wd/hub`
---
### Instructions for Home Assistant OS
If you're running Home Assistant Supervised, it's possible to host the Selenium instance on the same system.
This guide is based on a Raspberry Pi 4. Instructions for other systems may vary.
#### Prerequisites
1. Install **Portainer** from Alex Belgium's add-on repository:
[alexbelgium/hassio-addons](https://github.com/alexbelgium/hassio-addons)
---
#### Step 1: Pull and Run Docker Image
Since the Raspberry Pi 4 uses an ARM64-based architecture, use the `seleniarm/standalone-chromium:latest` Docker image.
1. Open **Portainer** and navigate to the **Images** tab.
2. In the **Image** text box, enter:
```
seleniarm/standalone-chromium:latest
```
3. Click **Pull the image**.
4. Once the image is pulled, navigate to the **Containers** tab and click **Add container**.
5. Configure the container:
- **Name:** Give it a clear and descriptive name (e.g., `selenium-chromium`).
- **Image:** Enter:
```
seleniarm/standalone-chromium
```
Make sure to uncheck **Always pull the image**.
- **Network ports configuration:**
- Click **Map additional port**.
- Set both the **Host** and **Container** ports to `4444`.
6. Click **Deploy the container**.
---
#### Step 2: Configure UKBinCollectionData Integration
1. **Add the integration** in Home Assistant.
2. On the second stage of the integration setup wizard:
- Ensure that `http://localhost:4444` shows as accessible.
- If not, verify that the Selenium container is running in Portainer.
3. Enter the required information for the integration.
4. In the **Remote Selenium Server** text box, enter:
```
http://:4444
```
Replace `` with the IP address of your Home Assistant system.
---
## Reports
All integration tests results are in [CodeCov](https://app.codecov.io/gh/robbrad/UKBinCollectionData/)
### Nightly Full Integration Test Reports:
- [Nightly Council Test](https://app.codecov.io/gh/robbrad/UKBinCollectionData/tests/master)
🗺️ View Test Coverage Map (in VS Code)
---------------------------------------
You can generate integration test results and view the interactive UK council coverage map with traffic-light-style statuses for each council.
### 🧪 Step 1: Run Integration Tests
Run: `make integration-tests`
This runs the full BDD test suite and outputs a `junit.xml` report to:
`build/test/integration-test-results/junit.xml`
### 📊 Step 2: Generate Map Test Results JSON
Convert the JUnit XML output to a flat test result JSON: `make generate-test-map-test-results`
This creates: `build/integration-test-results/test_results.json`
This file is used by the map to color each council:
* ✅ Green: Test passed
* 🟠 Amber: Test failed
* ❌ Red: Not integrated
### 🗺️ Step 3: Open the Map
Open the map viewer in VS Code:
1. Right-click the `map.html` file in VSCode and choose **Show Preview**
2. The map will open in your browser, showing real-time integration coverage and test results.
---
## ICS Calendar Generation
You can convert bin collection data to an ICS calendar file that can be imported into calendar applications like Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, Microsoft Outlook, etc.
### Overview
The `bin_to_ics.py` script allows you to:
- Convert JSON output from bin collection data into ICS calendar events
- Group multiple bin collections on the same day into a single event
- Create all-day events (default) or timed events
- Add optional reminders/alarms to events
- Customize the calendar name
### Requirements
- Python 3.6 or higher
- The `icalendar` package, which can be installed with:
```bash
pip install icalendar
```
### Basic Usage
```bash
# Basic usage with stdin input and default output file (bin.ics)
python bin_to_ics.py < bin_data.json
# Specify input and output files
python bin_to_ics.py -i bin_data.json -o my_calendar.ics
# Custom calendar name
python bin_to_ics.py -i bin_data.json -o my_calendar.ics -n "My Bin Collections"
```
### Options
```
--input, -i Input JSON file (if not provided, read from stdin)
--output, -o Output ICS file (default: bin.ics)
--name, -n Calendar name (default: Bin Collections)
--alarms, -a Comma-separated list of alarm times before event (e.g., "1d,2h,30m")
--no-all-day Create timed events instead of all-day events
```
### Examples
#### Adding Reminders (Alarms)
Add reminders 1 day and 2 hours before each collection:
```bash
python bin_to_ics.py -i bin_data.json -a "1d,2h"
```
The time format supports:
- Days: `1d`, `2day`, `3days`
- Hours: `1h`, `2hour`, `3hours`
- Minutes: `30m`, `45min`, `60mins`, `90minutes`
#### Creating Timed Events
By default, events are created as all-day events. To create timed events instead (default time: 7:00 AM):
```bash
python bin_to_ics.py -i bin_data.json --no-all-day
```
### Integration with Bin Collection Data Retriever
You can pipe the output from the bin collection data retriever directly to the ICS generator. The required parameters (postcode, house number, UPRN, etc.) depend on the specific council implementation - refer to the [Quickstart](#quickstart) section above or check the [project wiki](https://github.com/robbrad/UKBinCollectionData/wiki) for details about your council.
```bash
python uk_bin_collection/uk_bin_collection/collect_data.py CouncilName "URL" [OPTIONS] |
python bin_to_ics.py [OPTIONS]
```
#### Complete Example for a Council
```bash
python uk_bin_collection/uk_bin_collection/collect_data.py CouncilName \
"council_url" \
-p "YOUR_POSTCODE" \
-n "YOUR_HOUSE_NUMBER" \
-w "http://localhost:4444/wd/hub" |
python bin_to_ics.py \
--name "My Bin Collections" \
--output my_bins.ics \
--alarms "1d,12h"
```
This will:
1. Fetch bin collection data for your address from your council's website
2. Convert it to an ICS file named "my_bins.ics"
3. Set the calendar name to "My Bin Collections"
4. Add reminders 1 day and 12 hours before each collection
For postcode lookup and UPRN information, please check the [UPRN Finder](#uprn-finder) section above.
### Using the Calendar
You have two options for using the generated ICS file:
#### 1. Importing the Calendar
You can directly import the ICS file into your calendar application:
- **Google Calendar**: Go to Settings > Import & export > Import
- **Apple Calendar**: File > Import
- **Microsoft Outlook**: File > Open & Export > Import/Export > Import an iCalendar (.ics)
Note: Importing creates a static copy of the calendar events. If bin collection dates change, you'll need to re-import the calendar.
#### 2. Subscribing to the Calendar
If you host the ICS file on a publicly accessible web server, you can subscribe to it as an internet calendar:
- **Google Calendar**: Go to "Other calendars" > "+" > "From URL" > Enter the URL of your hosted ICS file
- **Apple Calendar**: File > New Calendar Subscription > Enter the URL
- **Microsoft Outlook**: File > Account Settings > Internet Calendars > New > Enter the URL
Benefits of subscribing:
- Calendar automatically updates when the source file changes
- No need to manually re-import when bin collection dates change
- Easily share the calendar with household members
You can set up a cron job or scheduled task to regularly:
1. Retrieve the latest bin collection data
2. Generate a fresh ICS file
3. Publish it to a web-accessible location
### Additional Examples and Use Cases
#### Automation with Cron Jobs
Create a weekly update script on a Linux/Mac system:
```bash
#!/bin/bash
# File: update_bin_calendar.sh
# Set variables
COUNCIL="YourCouncilName"
COUNCIL_URL="https://your-council-website.gov.uk/bins"
POSTCODE="YOUR_POSTCODE"
HOUSE_NUMBER="YOUR_HOUSE_NUMBER"
OUTPUT_DIR="/var/www/html/calendars" # Web-accessible directory
CALENDAR_NAME="Household Bins"
# Ensure output directory exists
mkdir -p $OUTPUT_DIR
# Run the collector and generate the calendar
cd /path/to/UKBinCollectionData && \
python uk_bin_collection/uk_bin_collection/collect_data.py $COUNCIL "$COUNCIL_URL" \
-p "$POSTCODE" -n "$HOUSE_NUMBER" | \
python bin_to_ics.py --name "$CALENDAR_NAME" --output "$OUTPUT_DIR/bins.ics" --alarms "1d,6h"
# Add timestamp to show last update time
echo "Calendar last updated: $(date)" > "$OUTPUT_DIR/last_update.txt"
```
Make the script executable:
```bash
chmod +x update_bin_calendar.sh
```
Add to crontab to run weekly (every Monday at 2 AM):
```bash
0 2 * * 1 /path/to/update_bin_calendar.sh
```
**Google Assistant/Alexa Integration**
If you have your calendar connected to Google Calendar or Outlook, you can ask your smart assistant about upcoming bin collections:
- "Hey Google, when is my next bin collection?"
- "Alexa, what's on my calendar tomorrow?" (will include bin collections)
## Docker API Server
We have created an API for this located under [uk_bin_collection_api_server](https://github.com/robbrad/UKBinCollectionData/uk_bin_collection_api_server)
### Prerequisites
- Docker installed on your machine.
- Python (if you plan to run the API locally without Docker).
### Running the API with Docker
1. Clone this repository.
2. Navigate to the `uk_bin_collection_api_server` directory of the project.
#### Build the Docker Container
```bash
docker build -t ukbc_api_server .
```
```
docker run -p 8080:8080 ukbc_api_server
```
#### Accessing the API
Once the Docker container is running, you can access the API endpoints:
API Base URL: http://localhost:8080/api
Swagger UI: http://localhost:8080/api/ui/
#### API Documentation
The API documentation can be accessed via the Swagger UI. Use the Swagger UI to explore available endpoints, test different requests, and understand the API functionalities.
#### API Endpoints
`GET /bin_collection/{council}`
Description: Retrieves information about bin collections for the specified council.
Parameters:
council (required): Name of the council.
Other optional parameters: [Specify optional parameters if any]
Example Request:
```bash
curl -X GET "http://localhost:8080/api/bin_collection/{council}" -H "accept: application/json"
```
## Docker Compose
This includes the Selenium standalone-chrome for Selenium-based councils.
```yaml
version: '3'
services:
ukbc_api_server:
build:
context: .
dockerfile: Dockerfile
ports:
- "8080:8080" # Adjust the ports as needed
depends_on:
- selenium
selenium:
image: selenium/standalone-chrome:latest
ports:
- "4444:4444"
```
### Run with
```bash
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install docker-compose
docker-compose up
```
---
## FAQ
#### I've got an issue/support question—what do I do?
Please post in the [HomeAssistant thread](https://community.home-assistant.io/t/bin-waste-collection/55451) or raise a new (non-council request) [issue](https://github.com/robbrad/UKBinCollectionData/issues/new).
#### I'd like to contribute, where do I start?
Contributions are always welcome! See ```CONTRIBUTING.md``` to get started. Please adhere to the project's [code of conduct](https://github.com/robbrad/UKBinCollectionData/blob/master/CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md).
- If you're new to coding/Python/BeautifulSoup, feel free to check [here](https://github.com/robbrad/UKBinCollectionData/issues?q=is%3Aissue+is%3Aopen+label%3A%22good+first+issue%22) for issues that are good for newcomers!
- If you would like to try writing your own scraper, feel free to fork this project and use existing scrapers as a base for your approach (or `councilclasstemplate.py`).
## Contributors
