Garden Waste

Brown bin photo Our brown bin scheme makes it easier for you to reduce what is sent to landfill and turn your garden waste into compost.

The cost is £34.00 and we will provide you with a brown bin to put your garden waste in. A second brown bin only costs an additional £13.00.

In most cases we will collect the bins monthly from January to March and fortnightly from April to December, however there may be slight variations in this.

Please note the Garden Waste scheme follows the financial year and runs from 1 April until 31 March the following year, at which point you will be required to renew your membership.

Yes Please	No Thanks
Hedge trimmings	Food waste (raw/cooked)
Leaves	Large branches (more than 10cm diameter)
Grass cuttings	Garden furniture
Small branches and twigs	Treated wood
Plants and weeds	Soil/rubble
Prunings	General household waste

How To Join

If you would like to join the Garden Waste Collection Scheme you can either call, email or download Garden Waste application form 2012/13 [61kb] and send it to the Civic Centre.

If you do have any questions please feel free to contact us.

Garden Waste

Garden Waste - newly dropped load The garden waste lorry tips its contents at a farm near Oxton on the A6097. The photo shows a freshly dropped bin load.

The garden waste is piled up into long rows, called ‘windrows’. When a windrow is big enough, it is shredded and quickly turns from green to brown. The garden waste is then turned three times because the composting process is speeded up when air is introduced.

The temperature of the windrows is monitored – it can reach up to 70°C. The compost can be ready six weeks after shredding. It is then spread on the farm’s fields to improve fertility.