Food and garden
Garden waste collection: subscriptions, costs and rules
Garden waste collections take grass cuttings, leaves, hedge trimmings and other green waste away for composting. In most parts of the UK they are an optional service you pay for each year.
How subscriptions work
- Sign up online. Councils usually open renewals early in the year. You get a sticker or permit for the bin and a collection schedule.
- Pay once a year. Prices vary a lot between councils. Some offer discounts for paying early or for people on certain benefits.
- Collections are usually fortnightly. Many councils run a reduced service or pause for a few weeks in winter.
- Bins without a valid permit are not emptied. If your bin is skipped, check your subscription first.
Find your council with the postcode lookup and search its website for “garden waste”.
What goes in
- Grass cuttings, leaves and weeds
- Hedge and shrub trimmings, small branches
- Dead flowers and plants
- Fallen fruit
- Real Christmas trees, cut to fit, in January
What stays out
- Soil, stones and rubble, which make bins too heavy
- Plastic bags and plant pots
- Pet waste and animal bedding, in most areas
- Japanese knotweed and other invasive plants, which need specialist disposal
- Food waste, unless your council runs a combined food and garden bin
What Simpler Recycling changed in England
From 31 March 2026, councils in England have to offer garden waste collections to households that ask for them and pay any charge. Government guidance encourages councils to collect garden waste for at least 36 weeks a year, depending on local circumstances. Where food and garden waste go in the same bin, the service must be weekly and only the garden waste element can be charged. Households can opt out of garden waste and still get free weekly food waste collections. Read more about Simpler Recycling.
Alternatives
- Home composting. Grass, leaves and vegetable peelings make good compost. Many councils sell discounted compost bins.
- The tip. Most household waste recycling centres take garden waste free from residents.
- Leave it. A pile of logs and leaves in a corner of the garden is a good home for wildlife.
Tips for a cleaner bin
Line the bottom with scrunched newspaper or a layer of twigs to stop wet grass sticking. Leave grass to dry for a day before you put it in. In hot weather, keep the bin in the shade and put it out every collection, even if it is half full, to stop smells.