Reading Bin Collections MCP Server

The Reading Bin Collections MCP Server bridges the gap between local municipal data and AI assistants, enabling developers to enrich conversational experiences with real‑world scheduling information. By exposing a lightweight API that queries the Reading Borough Council’s official endpoints, it allows Claude (or any MCP‑compatible client) to answer location‑specific questions such as “What are my bin collections for 51 Gosbrook Road, RG48BN?” without leaving the chat interface.

At its core, the server performs two sequential lookups. First it resolves a unique property identifier (UPRN) from a postcode, using the council’s address‑search service. With that UPRN in hand it then requests the bin‑collection schedule, receiving structured data for recycling, food waste, domestic refuse and other categories. The response is formatted as a concise, human‑readable list that the assistant can present directly to the user. This eliminates manual lookup or reliance on third‑party services, ensuring up‑to‑date information sourced straight from the municipality.

For developers building AI workflows, this MCP server offers several tangible benefits. It abstracts away the complexities of HTTP authentication, pagination, and data parsing, presenting a clean interface that can be invoked with a single prompt. The server’s integration is seamless: once registered in Claude’s configuration, the tool appears as a contextual menu item and can be called on demand or automatically when a user mentions an address. This plug‑and‑play model is ideal for applications such as smart home assistants, local service bots, or civic engagement platforms that need accurate waste‑collection reminders.

Key features include:

• Real‑time data sourced directly from the Reading Borough Council, ensuring accuracy.
• Location specificity, supporting house numbers and postcodes for precise scheduling.
• Ease of integration via MCP, with no need to handle API keys or OAuth flows.
• Extensibility, allowing additional data points (e.g., special collection days) to be added with minimal changes.

In practice, the tool can power scenarios like a household assistant that nudges residents about upcoming recycling days, or a municipal app that aggregates waste schedules for neighborhood planning. Its straightforward design and tight coupling to official data make it a standout choice for developers who want reliable, location‑aware information without the overhead of maintaining external data feeds.