Garden waste

Service changes from 13 July 2026

We're making changes to the garden waste subscription service from 13 July 2026. 

The service is going fully digital, and you will no longer need to put a printed sticker on your green garden waste bin. 

We'll include full details of the service upgrade in your subscription renewal letter, or you can read about it below.

Learn more about why and how we're changing your service 

We’re making improvements to the garden waste subscription service to make it more efficient, more reliable, and better for the environment. As part of this upgrade, the service will become fully digital. By removing the need for printed stickers, we’ll reduce unnecessary waste and streamline the way we manage collections. This change supports our commitment to operating more sustainably.

The process will be simpler than ever for you. Once you’ve subscribed, you won’t need to wait for a sticker or attach anything to your bin. Our on-board systems and digital database will tell our crews which households have an active subscription, ensuring your bin is collected as normal. If a property does not have a valid subscription, the team will not be able to empty the bin. 

If you do not renew your subscription within eight weeks of it expiring, we will arrange to retrieve the garden waste bin from your property. This helps us make sure our bins are used correctly and remain available for households that need them.

Use this page to find out everything you need to know about garden waste:

• The waste containers you can use
• Frequency and time of collections
• Cost of the service
• How to request, change or renew your service
• The items you can (and cannot) put into garden waste
• How you can help us to collect your garden waste

The Garden Waste Service is for domestic properties only and is not for Business use. Find out about Business Waste and Recycling services.

Choose your waste container

You can't use standard black household rubbish bins for garden waste.

You can use a green garden waste wheelie bin or Council-branded paper sack to dispose of your garden waste. For a regular collection, order a green wheelie bin and get a yearly subscription. If you only want to book occasional garden waste collections, sacks may be a better option for you.

Wheelie bins (and yearly subscriptions)

You can either order a 240 litre bin (size 107cm x 58cm x 73cm) or 140 litre bin (size 106cm x 49cm x 55cm).

From 13 July 2026, a garden waste wheelie bin costs £75 per year, plus a one-off charge of £11.75 to deliver your bin, on the first year you take up the service. The subscription year runs from July to July. 

If you take out a subscription part-way through the year, you will pay a reduced amount for the remaining months left. If you want your collection to start in May or June, we will add a charge for these months to a standard annual subscription for the following year, and advise you of the cost.

Charges for annual subscriptions and garden waste wheelie bins

All subscriptions will run until 11 July 2027. The table below shows the cost of your subscription, depending on the month you make your order. We cannot give you a refund if you cancel the service part-way through the year.

You only have to pay a bin delivery cost (and therefore the 'total cost' figure) if you're subscribing for the first time, or you order a replacement for a lost or stolen bin. We'll deliver your garden waste wheelie bin within 30 days. 

Garden waste subscription charges

Time of your order	Subscription	Bin delivery	Total
Before 12 July 2026	£82.61	£11.35	£93.96
July, August, September 2026	£75	£11.35	£86.35
October, November, December 2026	£55	£11.35	£66.35
January, February, March 2027	£40	£11.35	£51.35
May, June, July 2027	£25	£11.35	£36.35

Warning If we have to cancel or suspend our collection service due to severe weather or other circumstances outside of our control, we regret that we cannot offer a refund for a missed collection.

Garden waste sacks

We will only collect Council-branded garden waste sacks.

A single paper garden waste sack costs £5.09. This may be more suitable if you have a one-off clearout, or just need to use the service occasionally.

Where to buy your sacks

You can buy Council-branded paper garden waste sacks from any of the locations listed below.

In Bath

• Gardenalia, Mile End, London Road, Bath, BA1 6PT
• Larkhall Hardware, 6 Lambridge Buildings, Larkhall, Bath, BA1 6RS
• Francis DIY, 39 Moorland Road, Oldfield Park, Bath BA1 3PN
• Homecharmer, 7A Chelsea Road, Bath, BA1 3DU
• Percy Community Centre, New King Street, Bath, BA1 2BN
• Spar Weston, Brookside House, 8 High Street, Weston, Bath, BA1 4BY
• B&NES One Stop Shop, Lewis House, Manvers Street, Bath, BA1 1JQ
• Prior Park Garden Centre, Prior Park Road, Widcombe, Bath, BA2 4NF
• Hillier Garden Centre, Whiteway Road, Bath, BA2 2RG
• M&K Hardware Ltd, 32 Guildhall Market, Bath, BA2 4AW
• Best one Express, 33 Upper Bloomfield Road, Bath BA2 2RY

Outside Bath

• Maurdens Newsagents, 260 High Street, Batheaston, BA1 7RA
• Bathford Village Shop, Bathford Hill, Bathford, BA1 7SN
• Bathford Nurseries & Garden Centre, Box Road, Bathford, Bath, BA1 7LR
• B&NES One Stop Shop, Keynsham Library and Information Centre, Keynsham, BS31 1FS
• B&NES One Stop Shop, The Hollies, High Street, Midsomer Norton, BA3 2DP
• High Street DIY, 15 High Street, Midsomer Norton, BA3 2HY
• Radstock Town Council Community Hub, The Street, Radstock BA3 3PR
• Thomson’s Hardware, 5 Fortescue Road, Radstock, BA3 3PH

Warning If you purchase garden waste paper sacks, you will need to book a collection, as your details won't be on our digital system. If you don't book, it is unlikely that we will collect your sacks.

Frequency and time of collections

We collect your garden waste every other week. Find out when your next collection day is using our collection day finder.

There is a seasonal midwinter break in the garden waste service. Collections run from 13 July to 4 December 2026, and 18 January 2027 to 11 July 2027. 

We run a Christmas tree collection service every January (for Christmas trees only, and not other garden waste), which you can book separately during the festive period.

The garden waste we can collect

Check the lists below, to know what you can and cannot put into your garden waste bin or sack.

Yes, please

For a complete list of garden waste items we collect, please see our recycling A-Z page.

No, thanks

We don't collect any of the following items in your garden waste bin or sack:

• Soil, peat and turf (this can make your bin too heavy to lift and can damage it, but soil- or compost-bound plant roots are fine)
• Food waste, plastic or cardboard (please recycle these)
• Japanese Knotweed
• Large branches or logs
• Items such as cutlery and plates, even if they are labelled as 'compostable'
• Animal waste, such as dog and cat poo (these should go in your rubbish bin or bag)

Request, change or renew your garden waste subscription

You can request a new garden waste collection, change the number of bins you need, or renew your yearly garden waste subscription.

Request a new subscription

Change the number of bins

To add more garden waste wheelie bins, you need to pay your annual subscription first.

To decrease your number of garden waste wheelie bins part-way through the year, you can call us on 01225 394041. Please note, we won't refund your subscription cost if you decrease your number of garden waste wheelie bins part-way through the year. Alternatively, you can decrease your number of garden waste wheelie bins when you next renew your garden waste subscription.

Renew your subscription

If you are a current garden waste user, you will receive a postal notice to renew your subscription in April or May. This letter contains your garden waste reference number. You will need this number to renew your subscription.

Tell us if you are moving house

Please let us know if you are moving house. This will ensure that we can continue to collect your garden waste from your new address.

If you are moving out of the district and no longer need a service, please let us know using our online form.

Putting your garden waste out

Please help us to collect your garden waste quickly and efficiently, by doing the following.

• Put your bin or bag at the edge of your property closest to the road.
• Put your garden waste out by 6am on your collection day (and no earlier than 8pm the night before)
• Don't overfill your bin (we won't collect overloaded bins or return for them, but we will leave a note on your bin or sack if this has been an issue).

If your garden waste wheelie bin or sack is frozen and we can't empty it, we'll return for it on your next scheduled collection day.