Garden Waste Subscription Service

This agreement is made between the Customer (You) and Colchester City Council (the Council or We) and sets out the terms and conditions for the garden waste collection service.

Service description

We will provide fortnightly garden waste collections to you if you pay the subscription fee for the Service in advance. The annual fee for the Service is set by us each year.

Subject to the terms of this agreement, the Council will provide up to five 240-litre brown or 140-litre brown bins (this is subject to what You have requested, and We have agreed to provide) which will be emptied on an allocated day once in every period of two weeks. There will be a total of 25 collections annually (subject to terms and conditions).

2025-2026 Garden Waste Charges

New Subscribers or for those wanting to add a bin to their subscription

• Joining Fee £35 per bin
• Service Fee £60 per bin

Renewals

• For existing Subscribers renewing service at their existing address
• Service Fee £60 per bin

Move Home

For Existing subscribers moving home during the course of their subscription. You can only move up to the number of bins already subscribed. If you need more capacity you should ‘Add a Bin’ at the new address once Move Home completes for the existing bins.

• Move Home fee £15 per bin

(Bin(s) should be left at the old address and a new bin and/or permit will be delivered to the new address per bin moved)

Lost or Stolen Bin

A fee of £30 per bin shall continue to apply for lost/stolen bins

This Service is for residential customers only.

We will provide the Service to you at your nominated property within the Colchester City Council collection area. You cannot transfer your subscription to another person at a different property part way through the year.

Hard to Reach Properties

If your property is currently served by our Hard to Reach Recycling & Waste service, due to access limitations preventing use of our standard Recycling & Waste vehicles, we can offer our new Garden Waste Service to Hard to Reach addresses subject to the following:

• Hard to reach garden waste collections will initially be fortnightly on a Monday. Garden waste collections are made using a specialist smaller wheeled bin vehicle. All other materials will initially be collected as they are today. Check your calendar for your collection day after you have subscribed.
• We are currently reviewing our Hard to Reach collection service and are assessing which properties can be collected from a nearby collection point. In the event a nearby collection point is identified your Garden Waste and all other materials will then be collected from the nominated collection point by our standard Recycling and Waste Service. In this event your collection schedule will change and you will be notified.
• In the event we find our specialist smaller Wheeled Bin vehicle cannot access your property and there is no viable nearby collection point, we will be unable to continue the service at your address in which case we will refund the joining and annual service fees.

Payment

The terms of this agreement will either be from the date:

• you receive your permit and fix it to your bin, or
• when you receive a bin with a permit attached

Your subscription will expire 31 March 2026.

The sum that you will pay will depend on the number of bins that you require and your circumstances. Your subscription charges will be confirmed via the application process and will be payable in advance.

If you request additional bins on your contract during the year, you will be charged another joining fee and service charge.

Residents are permitted to share a bin, but the bin must be registered to one property which will be responsible for the payment of the garden bin service. The bin must be presented for collection outside the registered property only or collection will not take place.

Your agreement expires 31st March 2026 and you will be required to renew to continue your service. Your service is only considered renewed when you have paid for the renewal, received your permit(s) and attached the permit(s) to your bin(s). You will be notified of the charges as part of the renewal process.

We expect to be able to start the service within 14 days of order except in periods of high demand. The subscription starts when residents have either received their Permit to put on their bin (where they have a bin) or else have received a bin with a Permit on it.

Bins

Before your subscription commences, and within 14 days of payment of the fee, we shall deliver a bin to you with a Permit, which shall confirm your annual subscription and the subscription expiry date. If the bin does not arrive within 14 days report the issue.

If you already have a Colchester City Council garden waste bin, we shall send to you a Permit for you to attach to the bin, which shall confirm your annual subscription and the subscription expiry date. If the bin Permit does not arrive within 14 days report the issue.

We will only collect garden waste from a Colchester City Council branded garden waste brown wheeled bin.

If the bin is damaged, you will be able to receive a free replacement only if the damaged bin is presented for collection/swap. Report an issue.

If your bin is lost or stolen, you will have to pay a £30 fee before we give you a replacement. Report an issue.

Collection days

Garden waste will be collected every two weeks on a nominated collection day. The Council reserves the right to alter the collection day and will endeavour to give as much notice as possible of any changes. Changes may be made to collection days around bank holidays; see our website for further information. Your recycling calendar.

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Events outside of our control may stop us making collections. If we are unable to make a collection, due to such events, this will not entitle you to a refund and we will collect your bin on your next scheduled collection.

Putting your garden waste bin out for collection

To ensure we can empty your bin, make sure that:

• The bin is put out and accessible by 7.00am on your collection day.
• The bin is clearly visible at the edge of your property with the handle facing the public highway.
• The bin is displaying the current year bin Permit.
• The bin lid is firmly closed.
• The bin is not too heavy, so it can be easily moved.
• Items are not lodged or stuck in the bin - contents must be able to fall out when the bin is lifted upside down.

We advise you to label with your property number or name, to make identification easier.

Contamination, and overweight bins

Bins that are contaminated or are overflowing, will not be collected. Additional green waste placed beside the bin will not be collected. If bins are contaminated, it is your responsibility to remove the contamination from the bin prior to their next scheduled collection. No extra collections will be offered. Refer to the information on what can and can’t go into the garden waste (brown) bin. Check what you can put out.

The Council teams record when bins are not out and when they contain unacceptable items. The Council’s system will not allow a missed bin to be raised in these cases.

Missed bins

If a collection is missed and the bin had been presented by 7.00am on the day of collection, and contains accepted items, report after 5.30pm on the day of collection. You can report a missed bin.

If a resident reports repeated missed bins, this will be monitored to address any service issues. In the event an investigation finds service abuse e.g. re-filling the bin after the crew has emptied it, this could lead to the subscription to be cancelled, with no refund.

Moving house

You can transfer the service to an eligible property (subject to a £15 fee payment) within the council area. You should leave your existing brown wheeled bin with permit at your old address and a replacement bin (where required) and/or permit will be supplied at your new address. You must inform the council of the change of address online to ensure collection.

If you move out of the Council area or to a non-eligible property, you must notify us so we can cancel your subscription as you will not be able to transfer your service. Leave your garden waste bin with permit at the old address.

Cancellation of services

Customers may cancel their request for service within 14 calendar days of payment and receive a full refund.  There will be no refunds or part refunds made for cancellation outside of the 14 calendar days. To cancel your service, contact customerservices@colchester.gov.uk.

The Council reserves the right to remove all bins that are not used for the garden waste collection service.

The Council reserves the right to cease the service if there is evidence of damage or misuse, without refund.

Statutory Rights

These terms and conditions for the Service do not affect your statutory rights.

What can and can’t go into the garden waste (brown) bin

Items we collect:

• Grass, leaves and weeds
• Flowers and plants
• Hedge clippings
• Prunings and twigs
• Hay/straw (bedding from non-meat eating animals only including small animal faeces, for example, rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs)
• Fruit/veg prunings from the garden (no kitchen rubbish)

Items we do not collect:

• Large branches
• Plastic or black bags
• Paper (including paper used as bedding for your pet)
• Soil, mud or rubble
• Plant pots
• Treated wood
• Large stones, bricks, paving slabs and soil
• Kitchen rubbish such as raw fruit and vegetable peelings
• Tea bags, egg shells, cardboard
• Animal rubbish or litter
• Large branches and household timber with nails and screws inserted
• Nappies
• Waxed packaging and polythene
• Toxic rubbish and pesticides
• Lolly sticks
• Wooden cutlery

If a bin contains unacceptable items, it will not be emptied.

Contact Information

If you have any questions or issues regarding your garden waste service, contact Colchester City Council Customer Services at:

• Email: customerservice@colchester.gov.uk
• Website: www.colchester.gov.uk/gardenwaste

Amendments to Terms and Conditions

The Council reserves the right to amend these terms and conditions at any time. Any changes will be communicated to subscribers and made available on the Council’s website.