Garden waste

Subscriptions to our annual 2024/25 garden waste collection service will open on 25th April 2024.

You can still subscribe for the 2023/24 subscription year which runs until 31st May 2024. However, please be aware that if you sign up now, your subscription will end on 31st May 2024, and you will need to re-subscribe and pay for the 2024/25 subscription year.

 

Your garden waste collection service

For only £30 you can have one garden bin emptied over a period of 12 months from 1 June 2023 until 31 May 2024. We will provide you with 25 fortnightly collections which cost just £1.20 each. You can have additional bins emptied at a reduced subscription cost of £25 each per year.

If you sign up part way through the year, the cost is the same. The charge is the same for all residents, and there are no concessions available for this service. If you don't already have a brown bin, you can purchase one from the council at a cost of £25 each through your Self-Serve account here.

The council will empty your garden waste bins every two weeks (except for a 2-week period over Christmas and New Year when collections are suspended). You can check your collection day at "Your West Lancashire" which is available on the right-hand side of this page.

For information on how your garden waste is recycled and the journey it takes to be turned into compost, please click here.

 

Changes to Garden Waste Subscriptions 2024/2025

Since the introduction of our garden waste collection service in 2017, we have kept the cost as low as possible for our residents, maintaining a yearly subscription cost of £30.

Like many local authorities, we are facing a significant rise in the cost of providing our services, including garden waste collections. Although there is no legal requirement to provide garden waste collections, the council feels strongly that we should continue to deliver this valued service to residents. Therefore, it is necessary to implement a modest increase to all subscriptions, including additional subscriptions, for residents using the service. For the 2024-2025 subscription year the cost will be £45, which will allow us to continue providing the same level of recycling services. With 25 garden waste collections year-round, we feel this still provides great value for money at £1.80 per collection. You can have additional bins emptied at a subscription cost of £45 per additional bin per year, there will be no discount for additional subscriptions.

For those who subscribe by direct debit, you do not have to do anything, the new amount will be collected as usual. To make any changes to your subscription, find out more below.

The garden waste collections continue to be an optional paid for service available to any residents who wish to take advantage of our environmentally friendly service which recycles their garden waste. To find out more about the journey of recycling your garden waste please click here.

The garden waste collection service is not funded through council tax contributions. If you do not wish to wish to use the service, there are alternative ways to recycle your garden waste in an environmentally friendly way. You can take an unlimited amount of garden waste to one of Lancashire County Council's Household Waste Recycling Centres, to find out more please click here. Another option is to compost garden waste at home. There are also private companies available who can collect and recycle your garden waste at a cost – we strongly advise you to verify that they are a licenced waste carrier before utilising any private company service.

Download a copy of the 2024/2025 Frequently Asked Questions here.

 

What to recycle in your brown bin

Please only recycle the following items in your brown bin:

  • Leaves
  • Weeds
  • Grass cuttings
  • Twigs and small branches
  • Cut flowers

Please do not put any of these items into your brown bin:

  • Food waste
  • Plastic
  • Turf
  • Stones and rubble
  • Soil (including from around roots)

 

Paying for your subscription

To pay for your subscription through your Self-Serve Account, please click here.

Direct Debit

You can pay by direct debit which is an easy and convenient way to ensure your subscription automatically renews each year. Please subscribe to the collection service through your Self-Serve Account here.

If you have previously signed up to our garden waste collection service by direct debit, no action is needed, and your subscription will automatically renew each year unless you choose to cancel. If you have insufficient funds in your account, your subscription will automatically cancel.

If you cancel a direct debit because you no longer wish to receive the service in the subsequent year, please contact your bank to cancel the payment for the following year. No refunds will be given for part years or unexpired annual subscription periods.

One-off payment

You can subscribe through a one-off payment safely and securely by debit or credit card. Residents that are having difficulty paying by debit or credit card may wish to ask a family member or friend to assist them. Once you have paid, we will send you a welcome email with information about the service.

 

Home Composting 

Compost bin

Composting is an alternative to garden waste collections and is a great way to dispose of garden waste and some food items that you would normally dispose of in your grey bin, such as raw fruit and vegetable scraps, even paper and cardboard.

You can purchase home compost bins at GetComposting.com website (external link). Bins are delivered straight to your door with full instructions on how to get started.

You can find a step-by-step composting guide along with further tips, information and FAQs at GetComposting.com here (external link).

 

Household Waste Recycling Centres

You can dispose of your garden waste at one of Lancashire County Council's Household Waste Recycling Centres. For further information on recycling centre locations and the types of waste they accept please click here (external link).

 

Frequently Asked Questions

For more information, including how to purchase a brown bin, please see our Garden Waste Collections FAQ page.

 

Terms and Conditions

To view the Terms and Conditions for the Garden Waste Collection Service, please see our Garden Waste T&Cs page here.

 

Data protection is important to us. Information on how we handle and protect your data including our Corporate Privacy Policy can be found here.