Garden waste
Contents
Garden waste
Residents can subscribe to our garden waste service with collections every two weeks. The service is charged but optional - you don't need to sign up.
Your subscription won't start straight away - we’ll deliver your stickers (and bin if needed) within 10 working days.
You need to wait 10 working days from the point of subscribing and then put your bin out on your next garden waste bin day, when we'll start collections.
If you've been waiting longer than 10 working days, you can present your garden waste bin as our crews will know by that point which addresses they need to pick up from - the stickers are used as an aid, so subscribed bins can be easily spotted. You should still contact us so we can get replacement stickers out to you.
Subscribe
You will need to pay an annual subscription of £40 by debit or credit card.
Your subscription will run for 12 months. We'll start collections on the next collection date, after 10 working days.
You can order 10 sacks at £16.50 for irregular collections. Each sack can hold approximately 85 litres of waste.
You'll need to leave a minimum of 3 sacks out at a time and let us know 3 working days before your next garden waste collection day.
You can also order a discounted home composter through Get Composting if you don't want to sign up.
If you're an existing East Northamptonshire customer, you can apply when your current subscription expires and your first bin subscription will be discounted to £20 if you sign up before the end of December 2023. The discount will be applied automatically on the application form.
If you're already paying by direct debit, this will continue at the lower cost and will be automatically discounted.
Other information
Your sticker can be placed:
- on the bin lid facing towards the front of the bin
or - placed on the back of the bin below the handles (please present the bin with the sticker clearly visible so our crews can spot it)
Bin colours
We use different coloured bins across North Northamptonshire for garden waste. New or replacement bins we provide will be black with a brown lid as we unify our bin colours:
- Corby area: Green bins
- East Northamptonshire area: Black with a brown lid
- Kettering area: Grey or green bins
- Wellingborough area: Brown bins
You'll use your current garden waste bin if you have one. We'll provide a standard-sized 240 litre bin if you don't.
You can have a maximum of four bins per household - but these need to be ordered at the same time. You will be charged a £40 subscription for each bin.
Sharing a bin
You can share a bin with a neighbour - you can decide how to split its use and pay for it but this agreement will not be our responsibility.
Unwanted bins
Unwanted bins can be taken away, but right now we are prioritising the delivery of the new service.
We won't automatically remove the bin if you don't sign up. The bin is associated with your household, so if you moved, the bin would stay there for the next resident. If you have had a space for the bin since the service began, we kindly ask you leave it where it is for now.
They can't be accepted at our Household Waste Recycling Centres.
Moving home
If you move house and stay in North Northamptonshire, you should leave the old bin and order another at your new address by contacting us.
Extra waste
We will only collect garden waste that fits in the garden waste bin with the lid closed, unless it is contained within provided council-supplied compostable sacks.
Extra waste left by the side of your bin will not be collected.
If we find garden waste in a general refuse or recycling bin, it will be tagged to inform you why we can't empty it. If it happens repeatedly, we'll write to you and explain what the issue is as part of our policy to raise awareness amongst residents.
We may issue a fixed penalty notice if you persistently ignore the rules around bin waste and it causes a nuisance, or, it is likely to have a negative impact on our services. We would do this in line with our enforcement and waste policies and is a last resort.
Reduced service over the year or in winter
There will be a two week break over the Christmas and New Year period. But there is enough green waste generated in the winter to provide the service for most of the year and we can remove Christmas trees after this break.
A reduced service would offer little savings as we still have our crews and vehicles to pay for and maintain.
Collection day changes
If collection days change in the future we will inform you in good time.
Funding to local government has reduced over the past years and we have made tough choices about how we fund our services.
By law, we must collect garden waste separately but we are allowed to charge for it. Over 80% of all local authorities in England and Wales do this.
It costs approximately £3 million every year to provide this service. The costs would be higher if residents already paying for a subscription didn't need to.
We will not be making a profit on this service as the £40 fee was calculated by looking at costs for containers, collections (including the charges we incur for taking it for composting) and administration. The subscription at £40 does not cover the full cost of the service.
There will be no discounts available for those on benefits. Fees will be reviewed yearly and you will not receive a reduction in council tax for using this service.
The waste is turned regularly to improve oxygen content, distribute heat to regulate the temperature and to distribute moisture.
The whole process takes in the region of sixteen weeks to produce a product which can then be screened to remove any contaminants (such as plastic) before use. It can then be used as a soil conditioner.
There is a cost to us to dispose of this waste and we do not make a profit from it.
If you're a landlord and need to order garden waste bins for other properties (e.g. bins for multiple properties) please contact our team and we may be able to set up an invoiced service for you.
Last updated 06 June 2023