Our garden waste service and permits – information for residents
Garden waste is an optional paid-for service.
Garden waste permits are currently off sale for 2025-26, while we prepare sales for 2026-27. New permits will be available for purchase from mid February.
For an additional annual charge, residents can get their garden waste, such as hedge clippings, grass cuttings, dead leaves etc collected regularly from their home using one of our brown wheeled bins.
Those who pay for the service will receive a permit sticker which runs either from:
- 1 April until 31 March (annual permit – available from mid-February) or
- 1 October until 31 March (half-year permit – available from 1 September).
When you receive your permit, you will need to stick it on the lid of your brown bin. We will only empty garden waste from bins displaying a valid permit.
Permits run until 31 March each year. If you wish to continue receiving garden waste collections from 1 April, you will need to buy a new permit.
Buy a permit
Please allow up to 10 working days for your permit to arrive.
- If you don’t have a My Account, please click here to pay for a garden waste permit
If you sign up for an online account with us you will have easy access to change your contact details, so that we can contact you easily if we experience major problems with the service or need to let you know about any changes. It will also make it easier for you to buy your next permit.
What is a garden waste permit?
A garden waste permit is a sticker that you need to stick onto your brown bin. This identifies to our waste collection crews that you have paid for that year, and they can empty your bin. We will send you a permit sticker for each bin that you have paid for, along with instructions on how to stick this onto the lid of your bin. The colour of the sticker will relate to the year that you have paid for, so will change each year. It will have your address on it so that the crews know it is your bin. For 2026/27, the permits will be pink.
Does it matter where I put my permit on the bin?
Please ensure your permit is clearly displayed on the lid of your bin. This will ensure our collection teams can easily identify that you have paid for this service.
I already have a permit what should I do with it once I receive a new one?
Please keep your old permit on the bin until after you have received your very last garden waste collection in March.
After your last March collection, remove the old permit and affix the new 2026/27 one to the lid of your brown bin. If you’re not able to remove your old permit, just stick the new one over it.
Will the overall cost of the service be the same this year?
Every year we review our charge for the garden waste collection service. As this is an opt-in service, we need to make sure the amount we charge covers the cost of running the service. This year the cost of the scheme is
- 1-year permit (to run 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027) – £76
- 6-month permit (available from 1 September 2026, to run from 1 October until 31 March 2026) – £38
How does the payment work?
Each year you will need to make a single online payment for your garden waste collections, we will then send you a new permit sticker for your bin.
If I join mid-year what price do I pay?
Where possible, please buy your permit well before 1 April as this will ensure you’ll benefit from the full year’s worth of scheduled garden waste collections up to 31 March 2027.
If you are joining between 1 April and 30 September, you will need to pay the full fee. If you join from 1 October, you will be able to pay a reduced fee to receive collections between 1 October to 31 March.
What are the wider benefits?
Because the permit we send you will identify clearly that you have paid for the service it will be easier to identify those people who haven’t paid and make sure we don’t collect their garden waste. This helps to ensure we only make collections where the service has been paid for.
What is an online account?
You will have the opportunity to set up an online account called ‘MyAccount’ using your email address, and you can use this account to pay for and manage your permit. This will also mean an improved service for you – making it easier for us to let you know about any changes or major disruptions to the service, for example where bad weather affects a collection, and for you to report issues with your collections. It will also make it easier when you buy a new permit next year.
Do I have to set up an online account?
No, you don’t have to set up an online account, but we encourage you to as it’s the easiest way for you to manage your permit payment each year, and for us to keep you informed by email of any major service disruptions during the year.
What if I don’t have an email or access online – can I still buy a permit?
Yes, we will provide support to any residents who need help to buy their permit, just call our customer service centre on 01235 422422. Please only call us if you can’t purchase your permit online.
What happens if I move within the district?
If you move within the district, you will not be able to take your bin or your permit with you as the bin is registered to the property and does not belong to you.
However, if the house you move into has an existing bin and permit, you can use this until the end of the current permit year on 31 March. Then, if you have an online account, we can send you an email when it’s time to buy next year’s permit.
What happens if I move out of the district
If you move out of the district, the residents moving into your old property will be able to use your permit until the end of the current permit year on 31 March. Then they will need to set up an online account. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide any refunds.
I’ve moved into the district what do I need to do to get a garden waste bin?
If the house you move into has an existing bin and permit, you can use this until the end of the current permit year on 31 March. If you set up an online account, we will send you an email when it’s time to buy next year’s permit. If there isn’t an existing garden waste bin you can sign up for the scheme and purchase a permit on our website.
What if I no longer require the service
If you are moving out of your property, please leave the bin for the next resident to use if they wish. There is no other action that you need to take.
If you are remaining at the property but no longer want to use the service, please call us on 01235 422422 so we can arrange to have your brown bin collected.
What day will my bin be collected?
As long as you have stuck your permit sticker onto your bin we will collect your garden waste as usual on your scheduled collection day. You can find out more about your collection days here.
What if my sticker goes missing?
Stickers are very robust and ‘tamper proof’, so it is virtually impossible to remove them, when new. It will also have your address on it. However, if your sticker is unreadable or missing, we can provide you with a replacement.
What if my bin is lost or needs replacing?
If you need to have a new bin for any reason, we can issue you with a replacement sticker. In most cases this will be free of charge, except where you need to pay an admin charge for us to replace your bin because you have damaged the old one, in which case there will be a charge for a new sticker.
What if I want two or more bins?
You can order more than one garden waste bin for your property. You will need to pay for a permit for each bin.
We have to use sacks, rather than bins, what do I do?
If you have to use sacks because your property can’t accommodate a brown bin, you will still need to make an online payment for the service each year, but we won’t send you a sticker. This is because the sacks have branding on them so the crews can easily identify that you have paid for the service. Biffa will continue to deliver your sacks for the year to you as at present.
